Experience of a Lifetime

Last week, I was blessed with the opportunity to spend a week in Daytona Beach, FL with about 2,000 middle school and high school students.  This trip was through a camp called the Gauntlet, which is a youth retreat for middle and high school students put on by Fuse student ministry at NewSpring Church.  After the first night session, my mind was blown.  Every morning and night session after that continued to blow my mind even more.

I was a room leader for three girls who are about to be seniors in high school.  There is definitely a cool God story relating to this.  All summer, I had been looking forward to being a room leader for three of the girls that are in my small group.  Once we got on the bus to head to Daytona, the room assignments were announced, and I found out that I was a room leader for three girls I had never met.  To be honest, I was a little bummed because I had been looking forward to spending a lot of time with my small group girls.  Obviously, God knew exactly what He was doing when He placed us in a room together.  Because of the testimony the Lord has given me, I was able to relate with the girls in my room so much and to give them hope in the struggles and hard times they were facing.  By the end of the week, I saw one of the girls rededicate her life to the Lord, one girl surrender her mistakes to the Lord and the other girl make a profession of her faith through baptism.  Needless to say, big things happened in the hearts of the girls in my room throughout the week, and I was so happy to be able to witness that change taking place.

So blessed to see all the Lord did in this girl's heart at Gauntlet and to watch her get baptized!

The presence of the Lord was SO evident every single day throughout the week.  I wish I could describe the morning and night sessions, but really words cannot even describe what it's like to see 2,000 students worshipping the Lord with all of their heart.  God showed up big time at Gauntlet.  250 students coming to know the Lord and 501 students getting baptized.  Those are not things you hear about everyday.

Sunrise baptism on Thursday morning.

The most exciting part about Gauntlet is the fact that it did not end last Friday.  That was only the beginning.  Those students are fired up about going back to school, sports teams and jobs and bringing glory to the Lord and bringing more people to the kingdom.  While at Starbuck's the day after Gauntlet with one of my small group girls, we saw a student who had been at Gauntlet leading one of her best friends to Christ.  Life's are still being changing and the Lord's work at NewSpring and in the Fuse ministry is far from over.

The girl on the left attended Gauntlet and after coming back, was able to lead one of her close friends to the Lord!  The joy that these girls were feeling was so encouraging.

"And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your words with boldness, while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus." Acts 4:29-30