by Sophie Moore
Breakaway is one of the year's highlights for The Falls Church Anglican Youth Group, and it’s a weekend that all students look forward to with great anticipation. Every February, our high school students, and in March, the middle school students load up onto coach buses and make the journey to Rockbridge Young Life camp. This retreat is a time set apart for doing life with each other, whether through breaking bread, playing games, or worshiping the Lord.
This year’s Breakaway theme was “I Am,” and we focused on understanding who God is and who God says we are. In a world that constantly defines students by their grades, popularity, or achievements, it’s so important for them to find their true identity, not in the pressures around them but rooted in the truth that they are fearfully and wonderfully made in God’s image.
For me, Breakaway is always a cherished experience. It was my third year at Breakaway with the now 8th-grade girls, I have had the privilege of witnessing their growth over the past three years. Watching them transition from shy 6th graders into a tight-knit group of compassionate and silly friends has been a joy. They’ve gone from timidly engaging in conversation to effortlessly sharing their lives, showing kindness towards one another. It’s been such a delight to see how their friendships have flourished, and I am so proud of the young women they are becoming and look forward to more Breakaways with them to come.
One of my favorite memories from this year’s Breakaway happened the moment I arrived at camp. I had to come in late, but as soon as I walked into the cabin, I was greeted by tons of excitement. The girls had planned to go for a run the next morning, and as an avid runner myself, this was my dream come true. We woke up early, went for a 15-minute jog during the sunrise, and ended up at the Carriage House, the camp’s coffee shop, where we had our devotional time. It was such a fun way to start the day together; doing the things you love with the people you love is so sweet. Breakaway creates a space where we get to do life together, and the deeper relationships formed invites us into life-togetherness when we return home.
