EFY

I have had a few people ask about EFY, so I thought I'd do a quick post to tell about the adventure.

I went to EFY for the first time when I was 17, and I have always wanted to go back. Last summer, a couple of friends (John and Lani Hilton...both AMAZING people) let us know that you can actually apply to be a teacher there. For some reason, I thought they had "EFY Scouts" who went around to various Young Men/Young Women programs to find their speakers, but no--anyone can apply. If you're interested, you can check out the EFY Teacher Homepage. Applications are due October 1st.

You send in a video of yourself teaching youth, and then you fill out a brief application. The main reason I applied is because I heard that there are not a lot of women (especially not a lot of young mothers) who are teachers there, and I thought maybe I could do some good.

I must add that this is the most humbling experience I think I have ever had. The other teachers there were outstanding. I felt like a beginning tap dancer showing up to a "So You Think You Can Dance" finale. I really don't know how I got so lucky to be included on the faculty. The best part about being there was interacting with the youth. They were polite, attentive, fun, friendly...I couldn't have asked for more. I even got to dance with them at their evening dance, but I was WAY out of my comfort zone. I'm much more confident dancing with 30-year-olds or 5-year-olds.

Before I taught my first class, I let the youth know that my children wanted to see pictures of what I did at EFY, so I got their permission to take a short video. Here they are!

Are they not a great-looking group? How can you go wrong with these sweethearts cheering for you? What meant the most to me was having the opportunity to tell the youth (especially the young women) how great it is to be a mother. I talked to them about learning to hear the voice of the Lord, preparing now for their future, understanding the power of one, and being leaders. As I interacted with these amazing young people, I had the distinct impression that they are a group of very powerful spirits. I'll have to share some more stories with you later.

When you teach, you go up for two days (they do pay your travel expenses and give you a small paycheck), and you teach 8 classes (four talks, twice each). I have never stood in front of an audience for so many hours each day, and I CRASHED every night when I went back to my hotel room.

It was a fun, incredibly challenging experience, but I'm glad I went. There is something satisfying about doing something outside your comfort zone, and the people I met there made the trip absolutely worth it.

So, that's the basic report about EFY. I'm off to bed now....