While I was gone…

While I was on my way to Venezuela, some of my youth group kids were with Paula at a Native American Youth Conference at Trinity Bible College . . . I mentioned that in an earlier post and wanted to give you an update about that trip. 

I got great reports from both Paula and from the kids.  Last Sunday when I picked up one of the girls for church, she spent about 30 minutes talking non-stop about the events of that weekend!  I am so thankful that they were able to be there and so thankful that Paula was able to take them.

Paula has agreed to write the next part of the update, so here’s her first-hand account (!) :

Wow what a crazy and exciting experience!!!! I wasn’t sure who was going and all the details exactly,  but when we were all in the church van driving south we were a group of seven. Two boys and four girls!!!! 

When we got to the college, I really didn’t know what to expect and how the youth were going to respond!  There were a few discouraging moments where I felt like maybe this was more than I could handle.  I would try to keep up with the kids and they would usually end up sitting in the van!  Which in turn made me pray and ask the Lord to give them listening ears to hear from him and help ME to take advantage of every opportunity! 

We had a great banquet and a neat session with a special musical guest and a wonderful speaker by the name of Ron Hutchcraft.  He has had years of experience working on reservations and truly is aware of the the strongholds and downfalls of the reservation life!

As we called it a night I was able to stay in the room with Christina LaCroix and Shayla Ritchey, these girls have both counseled and will counsel all summer at FaHoCha.  We had a neat time of prayer!  We were able to come before the Lord in the evenings and pray for the students by name!  The specific prayer was that the Lord would speak to each one.

Each chapel session was filled with hungry, lonely and hurting youth.  One of the neatest parts of the service were the testimonies by other NATIVE youth!  It was soo essential for the teens to see NATIVE youth that have lived out their Christian faith boldly and overcome adversity!!!  Each session also reinforced in me a heavy, heavy burden for the young people on the reservation!  I couldn’t help but weep openly as the invitation was given at the end, and many teens  responded by going forward and crying out to God and wanting Him to have control over an area in their life!

I was reminded over and over to be in prayer for the reservation and it’s young people.  They are a generation that can be used in a mighty way!  As we departed and got closer to home I felt like I had bonded with these kids, and we experienced something together that reached a place that only the Lord  knows the extent!

     Tokio youth group kids at the Native American Youth Conference

There is no doubt that the Lord is working . . . please join us in prayer for these youth!  Continue to ask the Lord to soften their hearts, give them ears to hear, and free them as they experience His truth!