Youth Speak Out 

Marc

 It all started when Albert May, Senior Pastor, came and talked to the youth.  He asked us if God could do anything and to raise our hand if we thought so.  He then asked us if God could raise $1,600 and again to raise our hands if we thought so.  Of course, most of the youth, being in church, raised their hands and so did I.  Now the first question wasn't so hard.  The reason being was that I was sort of trained, attending church since I was eight years old, and always hearing miraculous stories about what God had done. But the second question, that was a little harder.  I think it was because God had always been there, but I had never really applied Him to all of my life.  I had only applied Him to the easier, simpler things.  Things I could control and handle.  Albert then proceeded to talk about a mission trip to Guanajuato, Mexico.  A trip that costs $1,600.  Me, being a kind-hearted, loving person, wanted to help.  I wanted to help, but there were two questions racing through my mind, did God want me to go and $1,600?  The trip was still a ways off, so I had time to think.  That first night he talked, I went home and talked to my mom about the trip, not in detail though.  Albert came a few more times until a few weeks before we had to know.  Previously I had joined CORE, which is a hard core bible study group.  In CORE, doing the Experiencing God material, it suggested that we take a prayer walk.  So for my prayer walk, I prayed for the biggest thought on my mind, the mission trip.  All along, I had a feeling that I was supposed to go, but I wanted to be absolutely, positively sure, because I thought that if I wasn't supposed to go that I would ruin God's wonderful plans, which could never happen, of course.  This was my first prayer walk and I really didn't know what I was doing, but I knew I was supposed to pray.  So I started praying, then something wonderful happened and I started singing.  Singing outside, worshipping God.  It felt so awesome.  Not too long after I started singing, I ran into a friend, not a particularly good friend, but I knew I could trust her.  Not fifteen minutes after I had started talking to her, I knew that I was supposed to go and that it would all somehow be OK.  That night, I talked in depth to mom about the trip.  She said that she didn't know and didn't feel right with me going out of the country, with the war in Iraq.  I told her in a calm and mystique way that everything would be OK.  Come to find out, she was OK with it, but it was my dad that didn't want me to go.  My dad was a Christian that had not had a good experience with churches in the past and wasn't exactly really at the church scene.  Usually when my dad says no, there is no arguing, not even a peep.  After he said no, my mom asked him to pray about it, and he did.  I had already signed up, right after I had the talk with my friend during the prayer walk.  It was Friday and the deadline to get the registration form filled out and turned in was Saturday.  That night, my mom asked me if I could get an extension.  Not knowing, I had her call Albert.  She got it extended to Sunday.  My dad had somehow changed his mind and we filled the papers out Saturday night.  That took care of the first problem, but what about the money?  Registering costs fifty dollars.  Fifty dollars that I didn't have.  After I knew I needed that money, I started praying, praying that he would help me, not just with the money, but to keep faith as well.  I went to church that Sunday morning and in the afternoon I went to the CORE meeting at 4 o'clock.  All day, I had been praying and when the group asked me for any prayer requests, I told them that I needed prayer for the money.  As soon as we got done praying, Chris, the Youth Pastor, told me, as well as the group, that the fifty dollars was taken care of.  He said that someone had come in feeling led by the Lord to help pay for me.  That night, in evening church, we had a testimony time and I gave mine about the money.  Later, a couple came in for the same reason, helping pay for me.  This time, it was for the whole $1,600.  They really didn't have it then, but had faith that they would and wrote a check for the whole thing.  Later on, they refinanced their house and it provided for the money.  A truly faith building experience for all involved.  At the present time, my dad is starting to go to church and it is really cool to see the whole family there.  It's times like this when you just know that God is so awesome!