Campfire Talks by the Jensens

June 23-24, 2025

Monday – Drew Jensen

Hey everyone, for those of you that don’t know me my name is Drew. I’m a first year on fun squad, and I go to Florida Gulf Coast University. Now by a raise of hands how many of you guys are going into this upcoming school year knowing someone at your school? Now, f you would have asked me this question the day before I left for college, I wouldn’t have had my hand raised. Leaving for college at an obscure school that very few people have heard of, down in southwest Florida, was one of the most exciting yet anxious moments of my life.

On one hand, I get to go to a brand new place, meet a ton of new people, and immerse myself into a new way of life, which consists of sunscreen and rain every single day.  But this posed a challenge I have never faced in my life before, and that challenge was being alone. Me, and my twin brother Alex do everything together. We play all the same sports, have all the same friends, and do all the same things. I can’t think of any memory that I’ve had as a kid without Alex being there.

When it became time to apply for school, we applied to all the same schools, but we never really agreed on a school and we just went through the process and said let’s see what happens. One day, I walked downstairs and saw Alex at the computer and he opened an acceptance letter for Florida State, and he was super fired up. I was fired up for him too, then I looked and saw I got an email from Florida State, and I didn’t receive the same news. At first I was like no big deal, FSU is like a top 10 public university, that’s chill. But then when I thought about it I was like wow, I might not be with Alex next year. Which meant for the first time in my life, I was going to be alone.

So there I was and I had a decision to make. Where am I going to go. I ended up going to FGCU for financial reasons, and because it is, in my totally unbiased opinion, the best school in the country, but at the end of the day, I was going to be going by myself, which was something foreign to me. So I was ready to go off to school, Alex and my family helped me move in, and then it was Alex’s time to drive up to Tallahassee.

And after that,  I was all by myself, and that was something that I’ve never experienced. Which was an interesting as a first at age 19.

What I thought my experience was going to be is that I would feel like an outsider. Out of around 4500 in my class, only 1 other student was from Minnesota, and I never knew that until I randomly met her in December. Long story short, I thought I would be so different from everyone, and not to mention, without my twin brother.

But when I got to school, my experience couldn’t have been any more different. I experienced so much love and inclusivity from everyone there. As much as I get made fun of for having an “accent”, people thought it was awesome that I was from Minnesota, and I didn’t feel alone one bit. And I saw God in my new friends at school. They could’ve said, I’ve already got my friends from high school, or this guy is weird and not from here, but they took the time to take me in as family and these people helped me strengthen my faith as much as be some of my best friends.

 A verse that I read that spoke to me about this was  Joshua 1:9 —“This is my command–be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” Whereever you go – that part really spoke to me that even though I was stepping into a completely foreign situation with not a single person I knew going into school. This situation has ultimately helped shape my faith and become the best version of myself.

My challenge to you is this: be that person who welcomes someone new.

You never know what they’re going through or how much a simple conversation can mean. Because that’s what shaped my experience, and strengthened my faith. If it wasn’t for my friends, my freshman year would not have nearly been as impactful or fun as it was, and those people have no idea the impact they have made on my life. So what I say to you is this: for those of you who are going to be in high school for the first time, or just finished your first year, be inclusive.

You never know what someone else’s situation is — and your kindness might just be the thing that changes their life.

And no matter where you go, or how alone you feel, remember this: you are never truly alone. There is a plan for your life, and it is a good one.

Tuesday – Alex Jensen

Alex’s conclusion to his talk is this. My point is that I have learned to love the thing that I wish had not happened to me, and what difficulties from God are not gifts? It is a gift to exist. It is a gift to exist. And with existence comes hardship sometimes. There’s no escaping that.

If you are grateful for your life which I think is a positive thing to do, then you have to be grateful for all of it.

This includes all the ups and all the downs. All the yes’s and all the no’s. All the right nows and all of the not yets. All of the love, and all of the sorrow.  You can’t pick and choose what you’re grateful for, and I am grateful for it all, and I am grateful for all of you.