Fall Retreat

I started volunteering with the youth back in September. When I first started I only knew a handful of kids through previous trips, missions projects, and volunteer opportunities throughout the years. This past weekend was the annual fall retreat. I knew it would be a great weekend to truly get to know the hearts of some of these students and actually feel like a leader and not just some creepy older person lurking in the corner.

I have never entered into a weekend like that questioning whether or not God would show up…but it’s always amazing to have my expectations completely blown out of the water. One of our campus pastors was the speaker Friday and Saturday. You could look around the room and just see God working in these student’s lives as he spoke. I heard plenty of stories over the weekend about exactly how he was working, stories of strength and determination…stories of hurt and pain…stories of realization and hope.

It definitely took me back to my high school days. I’m incredibly thankful and appreciative to everyone who volunteered with our youth group. For the leaders who invested in me. I am most certain that if it weren’t for them, my life would have been very different. I can only hope that loving on these students, listening to their stories, sharing in their joy, hurting in their pain, and loving them unconditionally will make not only a difference in their life, but in mine as well.

I’m looking forward to the future of what it means to be involved in this student ministry!