Snapshots of My Life: LYFE!!!!!!

Hey, sorry I haven't posted anything again for a while. I've been running around like a mad chicken, together with everyone else around here, in preparation for our LYFE (Living Faith Youth Encounter) youth retreat. But now it's officially over, and we actually have time to relax and SLEEP!! :)

I have to say, it was an absolutely amazing weekend though. This is now my second youth retreat, and they have both been amazing times with God for me. Normally, it seems, the Saturday night of the weekend is the night that God really shows up in a powerful way. Well, this time it already started Friday! We had an awesome altar call on Friday night, and I got the opportunity to pray for and with another girl, which was a direct answer to MY prayers! :) The two of us then hung out a lot for the rest of the weekend, and have hopefully formed a lasting friendship.

I had the best group of girls staying in my room too. Love you Liberty people!

Saturday was an intense day. Courtney and I did an afternoon workshop together, all about how God loves us just the way we are. This is something that both of us really needed to hear as well, so we basically just shared bits of our own testimonies, and how God had been speaking to us. We definitely don't have it figured out either. We only had six girls show up to the workshop, but it went well and one of them even thanked me for it the next day.

The evening service was awesome. The worship band that we have had out for the past few retreats is absolutely incredible, and this retreat was no exception. They really led us into the presence of God in a powerful way. After a short break, I was up right away to do a special number with DaeJu, our Korean student. I hadn't been that thrilled about this when I was first asked (wait, make that "informed." I really didn't have a choice) to do it. But we got together and practiced just a simple worship song--"This is the Air I Breathe"--that he also knew in Korean. So we got up there, and DaeJu introduced the song with a little mini-message about how we can't see God, but he is always there. We were so proud of him, because he is still fairly unsure about his English. So that was awesome. Then we sang our song, doing parts of it together in English, parts with DaeJu singing by himself in Korean, and parts where he would sing in Korean while I sang the corresponding part in English. Those parts were the best. When we had first decided to do that in practice, we both really felt that it was somehow unifying. Like the language difference all of a sudden wasn't there, it was just two people in two different tongues singing praise to God. It was awesome. DaeJu received thunderous applause at the end, and other people told us that they had really been touched by it too.

Then we had a skit, which talked about giving everything up to God. After that we had a testimony time where five of us students had been asked to share our testimonies and I was the first one up. Pretty sure Sean was trying to kill my nerves that night.

Anyway, it was really cool, because a lot of what I shared about had to do with giving everything up to God, and trusting that He loves us and answers our prayers, even when we don't understand. It was really awesome.

The worship and message last night was absolutely amazing, ending with an altar call for those who wanted to give their lives up more fully to God. A good number of the people who went forward (including me) were students! I began to realize just how selfish I've been in wanting attention for myself, and refusing to let go of things that God is asking me to give up. He has given me an amazing hunger for more of Him, and I hope that never dies.

So anyway, we had an awesome weekend. Anytime when God shows up like that is bound to be amazing. I love you God!

A few more pictures...