Praise the Lord for blessing the youth seminar and showing up and filling hearts and minds with His Truth and Power! This was our first youth seminar for 2014, and it was the biggest we've had yet!
There were 29 kids between 14 and 20 years old...16 girls and 13 boys. Many of the youth had already assisted several of our seminars but there were quite a few of them that were fresh for the picking...picking on them of course! The others are like much of our friends and family members...they are already use to me and it takes more to get a reaction out of them. Does this sound like my dad or what!? Scary! But the new ones are way too easy! And it's so funny seeing their faces and watching them laugh as I go around talking to all of them with the microphone, but then when they realize that I'm getting closer to them or that they are next...their expressions change to appear nervous or anxious for what is about to happen to them. So hilarious!! And exactly what I look for! It gets them interacting really fast having to rely on complete strangers b/c the crazy guy with the mic is coming our way.
I also cleaned the pool and had it ready so they could swim a little...many of them have never been swimming and were very nervous, but were trying to drown each other by the end of the seminar while laughing! It was great! Haha Our ministry house only has 13 beds! 13! And a little more room for maybe 4 inflatable beds, giving us 17 beds inside to sleep. So we were trying to think of where these youth were going to sleep and how to keep them separated. But some of our dear friends and neighbors helped us out by loaning us there tent for the guys to sleep in outside in the yard. The guys loved it! It was a huge tent and then another two person size tent. So between the two all the guys were able to sleep under something and not get eat up by bugs or bothered by our dog. And the girls all doubled up on the twin size bunk beds while two had to come into our house and sleep on the couch and another inflatable bed. I heard some noise around 4:15 AM!! mind you and went to the living room to see what was happening. The two girls in our house were sitting up talking and ready to start their day. I told them that they are staying with the Gringos (North Americans) so they were out of their mind to be functioning at that hour in the morning and needed to go to sleep like all other normal people. Ha! Joking...but I did ask if they were ok and they looked at me like I was weird for wondering and still sleeping! Good stuff!
And because we had so many this time, Brandi and Nancy could not help me with the lessons and teaching. They were very busy cooking the entire time and did a wonderful job too! The food was the best! (Nacho Libre for those that have seen the movie) But I had to do all the teaching this time by myself. We have 6, 1 1/2 hour sessions each seminar with the youth. I was already getting exhausted by the end of the afternoon sessions. But one of our friends, Joel, from our church came by to see how he could help and offered to teach one of the sessions in the morning...I was very thankful for his offer and help! He did a great job teaching about our identity in Christ and the Bible as our guide. And praise the Lord our kids did great while Brandi and Nancy were very busy cooking. And the last day for lunch, our friends Diego and Raquel came over and helped grill the meat for the youth, and another friend, Elder, came to participate and help with the kids on Sunday. Huge help for us all!
We also took the kids to our church for the youth service Saturday night. There is a great service with music, dramas, games, and a message at our church ever Sat. for the youth. We have always took the youth to this service, and they love it!! And it is a huge difference for them coming from the villages in the mountains to the churches in the cities. Different people, clothes, music, and way of worshiping. It would be like a contemporary service taking their loud music, games, and casual clothes to the traditional service...WHAT!!? That wouldn't work! Haha! The youth love it and eventually start worshiping and interacting with the others. Yes! It does work b/c it is ONE body. But that's all I'll say for now. All 32 of us had to load up in the beast (my F350) to go to the church service. WOW! Talk about nervous! There were 10 of us on the inside and 22 in the back. We made it there and back safely! They were use to it and thought nothing about it. That was how most of them came down the mountain to our house. But I'm not use to it!! Praise the Lord nothing happened and all are safe.
We taught the youth about Faith in action, Getting out of a Spiritual Rut, Anointing and Presence, Listening and Obeying, Rejoicing at all Times, and Identity in Christ. We had several heavy worship and prayer moments were the Spirit was able to minister and reveal Himself to many of the youth. That is what it is all about, and what we all need! Without His presence and ministering, we are just using empty words and making empty noises. We pushed for the youth to participate in the praying and worshiping as much as they would. Many joined in and were very attentive. They had notebooks and pens for note taking. Most of these youth are leaders and studying to be pastors. We hope and pray that they will study the notes and the Bible lessons to go and teach and use them in their services and in their communities. This is our prayer and reason for the seminars!
I want to thank all of our supporters and prayer warriors! Y'all are a part of everything I mentioned here with the seminar and the lives of each youth that came. It is incredible how God ordered and uses His church, the body of Christ, to accomplish so much all over the world. God has used you to teach and encourage these youth. Thank you! I pray that you can receive that as the blessing that it really is! And may God continue to bless each of you for your faithfulness and love for His church and people!
