Camp…Where Everything Changes.
On the third night of camp, each student is given a pencil and paper to write a letter to God. Each student finds a quiet place and scatters across the campgrounds. Here is part of one letter.
“God, I believe Jesus didn’t have to die. He could have just left but instead He said ‘I’ll do it. I will pay their debt.’ You came and ate with us and talked with us and gave up everything to be with us.”
Students were instructed that when they completed their letter and if they were ready to follow Jesus, to stand and yell “yes” as loud as they can. It was a moving experience as “yes” responses could be heard across the camp.
A minute later, one of our leaders crossed paths with a camper I will call Celia. Celia asked the leader if she “had heard one kid scream at the top of their lungs.” The leader said she did hear one very enthusiastic student. Celia said, “that was me.”
Ben has been a part of our Campus Life for two years. When Ben arrived, he loved our activities and leaders but was skeptical about God. He labeled himself as an atheist. Numerous conversations over many months with leaders had left Ben still unsure about faith.
Ben attended our Spring Retreat back in April. He was one student with whom I hoped there would be an opportunity to have a meaningful conversation. One afternoon I asked Ben if we could take a walk and talk. As we began, Celia came alongside us. For a second I thought maybe the conversation I had hoped for would not transpire. But nudged by the Spirit, I pressed onward. As the three of us walked around the retreat grounds, I asked them both about their beliefs. They both shared their skepticism about God and the Bible. Both agreed that the Bible was untrustworthy. I asked if I could speak to them like adults. I think they seemed flattered by the question and said yes. “Have you read the Bible?” Celia immediately said “no.” Ben said he had read a page when he was in the hospital once. So, I challenged them. “How can you have an opinion about the Bible if you haven’t read it?” They agreed. Ben that day said he wasn’t ready but that he was more open to believing in God than ever before.
Fast forward a couple of months. It’s camp week. Ben and Jeremiah, one of our leaders, have a life-changing conversation. They open God’s word and walk through the Gospel story. Ben says, “I’m ready. I believe what Jesus did for me.” Ben, Celia and nine of their friends are finally ready. They stand to their feet and say “yes” to Jesus. The next day Ben says to Jeremiah “Thank you for talking with me. I will never forget the conversation we had about Jesus.”
Your prayers and gifts are being used by God to make an eternal difference in the lives of students in Tuscaloosa. Thank you for believing in the power of the Gospel to change hearts and lives. Your faith is providing numerous opportunities for our youth to embrace Christ.
Next week, thousands of high school and middle school students will head back into their schools. Because of you, our team of nearly 70 leaders will be there to greet them. We will build meaningful relationships in which God will continue to work. We look forward to the time in which more youth like Ben and Celia trust in what Jesus has done for them.
In Christ,
Mike