Carnes Family Update!

We’ve officially welcomed spring, and with it, a new season full of moments to celebrate and share with you.

Family Life

In late March, Grace turned 20, meaning we are officially out of the teen years! She wrapped up her second year at GCU and came home at the end of April (with a tattoo - lol!) It’s so good to have her back. She’ll be finishing up one more class this summer online and then just has one year to go! You’ll find her serving coffee at The Vogue in downtown Chelan all summer long.

Hailey continues to shine at The Secret Lair, a game shop in Manson, where she’s become a customer favorite thanks to her knowledge of 'Magic: The Gathering' and 'Dungeons & Dragons'. She also sells custom-painted game mats and card boxes. She’s currently looking for a second summer job as she continues exploring future career paths.

We experienced a deep loss recently as our sweet 14-year-old rescue dog, Malibu, passed away after a stroke. She grew up alongside our kids and was truly part of the family. It’s been a hard goodbye. We’ve decided to wait until we know where we’ll be living before welcoming another pup into our lives.

In other milestones: Shawn turned 50 in January! (Is that the top of the hill or over it?) For his birthday, we made one of his longtime dreams come true, a heli-ski trip in the North Cascades. It was epic... until run #5 when Shawn tore his ACL. The trip ended early anyway (because of an avalanche rescue assist. He’s scheduled for surgery on May 29, and while next ski season seems doubtful, we’re not counting him out just yet.

We also recently hosted some dear friends and got to play tourist in our own town with winery dinners, cider-making, and fishing with the Lynn family!

Ministry Highlights

If you're still with me, thank you! Here's what’s been happening in Chelan Valley Young Life and beyond:

Chelan High School Club

Lunchtime club on campus has been beyond anything I imagined. Every Wednesday, we hand out Otterpops around school. Twice a month, kids come to club to get them. Shawn. and I take turns sharing a message, and we have a raffle (including $100 off camp each week!) for about 15–20 students who come. The art room is full of laughter, energy, and a revolving door of teens, it's amazing. Huge thanks to Chelan High for the open doors - it's a privilege to share the gospel in this way!

Recently, a student walked in, got an Otterpop and said, "I don't do the God thing". We said, "That's ok, this isn't church ya know? It's a place to ask hard questions.". He started for the door, then turned around, sat down alone, and joined us for the entire lunch.

Manson High School

We continue to build relationships during lunch with Minute to Win It games and spicy Taki snack bags. The students love the competition and stick around for the whole lunch, chatting! I recently had the chance to speak at a student-led Tuesday club with 25 students in attendance. We’re now dreaming together about a fall Young Life club, stay tuned!

As summer approaches, the clock is ticking to the end of the school year. We’re working hard to connect with kids deeply enough that they’ll sign up for camp or want to hang out with us in the summer!

Chelan WyldLife

We hosted a bacon-themed club at the Manson Grange, complete with “Pin the Bacon on Kevin Bacon” (yes, really). Eight pounds of bacon later, the Grange still smells like breakfast. Our team had a blast, and so did the kids. I continue to train and supervise Ric Chavez, who is part part-time staff focused on Manson kids!

Deer Park WyldLife

Deer Park continues to blow us away. Clubs are averaging 45–58 kids, led entirely by volunteers - no staff, aside from my oversight. Camp is filling up, and we’re in the middle of a weeklong giving campaign to help fund kids who need scholarships with a $4,000 match. About 80% of WyldLife campers need financial help to go to camp. And... we’re SO close to taking high schoolers to camp for the first time. (Jeff Huber, we’re counting on you to find us some spots - yes, I am calling on you through my blog!)

Okanogan Valley

I’ve recently stepped into oversight of Okanogan Valley Young Life. It’s a season of big transition and unique challenges, but I adore this awesome committee and see so much potential. Please pray for wisdom and vision as we walk this road together.

Regional Gathering

Shawn missed it due to moving Grace home, but I attended a great Young Life Regional Growth Weekend with staff and spouses from across Washington, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming. It was a beautiful time of rest, encouragement, and renewal.

Prayer Requests

• Hailey is looking for the right second job, pray that the right door opens.

• Shawn’s ACL surgery is scheduled for May 29. Please pray for a successful procedure and a smooth recovery. There'll be a good chunk of time he can't work.

• We’re currently seeking sponsors for our YoungLives Fundraiser on August 9 for Chelan Valley, a sunset cruise aboard the Lady of the Lake called "THE LOVE BOAT"! Huge thanks to Chelan Fresh, BluWater Homes, and Lady of the Lake for already stepping up as sponsors as we pray for more!

  • CLICK HERE IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BECOME A SPONSOR!

• Chelan Valley Young Life is currently doing well financially, but July is shaping up to be a bit of a slump. Pray for new donors and sponsors to carry us to our Fall Banquet on October 19. CLICK HERE TO MAKE A DONATION

Thank you for praying - how can I be praying for you? Text or email, I would love to hear from you. God Bless!