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2024 was a year of change and growth. We sold our house, moved to Chelan, and stepped into a ministry that’s both thriving in some ways and rebuilding in others. The people of Chelan have been incredibly welcoming, and while our housing situation is still uncertain, we’re grateful for the amazing rental God provided. As we look ahead to 2025, we’re excited to see what’s in store!
Here is a recent update on all things:
In November, we hosted our Young Life banquet, and I couldn’t be more grateful for our incredible team, who worked tirelessly to make it a success. For the first time, I felt led to step into the role of main speaker for the evening. Glenn shared his musical talents, and Keith, our Associate Regional Director, flew in to lead the ask. While speaking isn’t my strongest gift, I knew it was important for our community to hear from me as the new Area Director. It was a meaningful opportunity to connect and share our vision for Young Life in Chelan Valley.
If you would like to follow our progress to raise $50,000 - you can see it by:
Here is the brochure if you are interested in seeing what is next for Chelan Valley.
*Click to Scroll for two pages.
Recent Contact Work Update
Every Wednesday, we go to Chelan High School and Every Thursday we go to Manson High School during lunches. Between Shawn and I we know by name over 70 kids (and counting).
Here’s a glimpse of a typical Wednesday at Chelan High School for me. Surprisingly, this fun-loving group of girls has embraced me. I discovered their favorite snack—spicy Cheetos—and brought some along that day. To my left was Naomi, FaceTiming her boyfriend in Ballard, which sparked a lively discussion: “How did you meet him?” “Is it serious?” Then Diana, the hilarious one, chimed in with, “Are you SURE he’s real?” Classic! One of these days, I’ll learn Spanish, since they switch to it whenever they don’t want me to understand—probably saying, “Who is this lady, and doesn’t she have her own friends?” HA!
Shawn is still handing out his beloved Otterpops and has become a familiar face around campus. I often hear kids calling out, “Shawn!” as we go our separate ways. On this particular day, Unsen and Edgar asked for a photo with their Otterpops, and we soon discovered a whole group decked out in festive Christmas attire—just for fun! Later, while shopping at Walmart, we spotted the entire ensemble and couldn’t stop laughing.
Note to self: If we can get this group to Malibu and the theme is Christmas, they'll be super hot - but epic!
A few months ago, I was contacted about a 17-year-old expectant mom in need, due in late December. Her biggest need was an infant car seat. A quick Facebook post later, and within hours, Young Life and two local churches—Lake Chelan Bible Church and the Nazarene Church—came together to not only provide a car seat but a full travel system (car seat and stroller).
Fast forward a month, and while arranging to deliver the travel system, I was invited to the baby shower! It was such an unexpected and exciting surprise. Only a few of the women spoke English and kindly translated for me, but I still found myself fully immersed—drinking red Fanta from a baby bottle for a game, enjoying incredible food, and playing games that made it feel more like a Young Life Club! Everyone was so welcoming, and Natasha, the teen mom, even asked to take a photo with me at the end. It was such a special experience and a step closer to feeling more connected to this amazing Hispanic community in Chelan Valley!
*Please pray that Natasha and her baby are involved in YoungLives and go to camp this summer!
Manson Girls Volleyball is no joke—they’re legit. I even heard that some families move to Manson just so their kids can be part of this team! After winning state, the community celebrated with a parade, and Young Life was invited to join in. Shawn, Ric Chavez, and I bundled up in layers (bbbrrrrr...) and grabbed all our leftover Halloween candy (ssshhhh....) to hand out as we walked in the parade. Building a presence in a community is no small task—it takes time and patience—but being part of moments like this is a great step forward!
Elmo Update
In case you were wondering—yes, Elmo and Zoey made the move to Chelan with us! Elmo even got a wardrobe change, Snoqualmie Valley to now Chelan Valley. We decided to wander around downtown handing out candy, and to our surprise, lots of high schoolers were out. Calling them by name totally threw them off—until they figured out who we were. Hilarious!
These photos were taken by the local Chamber and put on Facebook - we're famous!
Note: I’m holding Elmo’s hand because - I couldn’t see a thing!
WyldLife Update
WyldLife continues to live up to its name—our clubs are WILD and so much fun! Shawn and I have loved stepping in to help with middle schoolers while we work toward launching regular high school clubs (praying for January!). Christmas Club was a big hit, and we have a huge reason to celebrate—Brycen (pictured in the hat), who Ric brought over from Manson. Starting ministry in a new area is slow work, but moments like this remind us it’s all worth it. This kid is worth celebrating!
Be praying now that camp sign-up is officially OPEN!
From our family to yours, we wish you an AMAZING Christmas season! Grace will soon be flying home from Arizona (where it’s sunny and warm) to join us here in the middle of a snowy wonderland—she’s in for a shock! We’re so excited to be together again and hope this season brings you endless joy as you celebrate all that Christ has done for us. May God bless you and your family this Christmas and always!
God Bless,
Michelle Carnes
NEW ADDRESS:
The Carnes Family
PO BOX 2117
Chelan, WA 98816
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