This morning was the morning we got to sleep in. As we waited for our bus, which was 2 hours late, we jammed to music, made new friends, and played games. When we got to the interactive learning place, we played disability foosball and many other games. For the mass gathering, we sat in the box seats. There were 5 speakers, all who talked about personal issues but how God was with them and loved them unconditionally through everything. They were all so inspirational and I think all 30,000 people took something from them. Today my struggles were definitely trying to find something to do because all the lines at the interactive learning stations were very long and we only had limited time. However, my triumphs today were meeting new friends and building closer bonds with people we already met. Today, we saw God in the courage the speakers had to talk about their issues but how they are helping and helped us all. We also saw God in the power and meaning of the speakers and the struggles they tackled and messages they delivered. Overall, there were many personal struggles throughout the day, but none could keep the group from having fun.
– Sydney F & Kenny B
– Sydney F & Kenny B
preparing and fundraising for this trip and have given up a week of their summer to go and serve God’s people, people they’ve never met before. At the beginning of the week these youth were friends who tolerated each other. But by the end of the week, they were more like family, bickering, teasing, laughing, and smiling with each other. I have seen passion in these youths to connect with people on a level beyond screens. I have seen them love kids who they’ve known for only a couple days, and I have seen them welcome a different community and culture with acceptance. I have seen them not only break down their personal walls, but their walls didn’t even exist this week. There was laughter this week and there were happy tears. We have been forever changed by the Ojibwe people and by the Youthworks staff this 
one of the Youthworks staff and I am excited to help her, guide her, in God’s calling to become a youth director. I remember on Monday feeling like I needed to give this girl my phone number. Um, God, I haven’t even known her for 24 hours! No! When it’s the right time, if that comes, then I will. Tuesday, I felt this feeling again. On Wednesday, Amethyst asked me about youth ministry vs Christian education and I knew at that moment, we needed to exchange contact information. Okay God, I get it now. I saw God through Amethyst and Danielle and all of the youthworks staff pulling together when Danielle was sick this week. I saw God in all of my youth. They included everyone and were open to things they had never experienced before. I saw God in all the hands that were held with the kids and piggy back rides given during Kids Club and our cook-out and I saw God in the laughter and the sunsets.
