Younglife! Polar Bear Weekend!!

He is ALWAYS there!

This weekend was so incredible!  I was blessed to have the pleasure to do work crew this past weekend for Younglifes Polar Bear camp! I didn't know how much this would change my life. On friday I was in Kindergarden all over again as I arrived to SRD and was surround by people I hardly knew. I was scared and nervous there was so many new faces. How was I going to get through the weekend? Luckily some of my friends from my high school were also chosen to do work crew at the camp I was going to! It was comfterning to see familiar faces I knew. As we packed in to a car friendships started. Our first night there was awesome seeing over 600 kids run in to the clubroom was amazing. Knowing lives were going to hear the TRUTH was mind-blowing. By Saturday I had met so many new people. It was like we turned in to family. It was nice knowing that I was in a group that Loves serving, especially for people we don't know. We constantly took the time to pray for everyone in the camp for their eyes and hearts to be open. It was no doubt that Gods presence was there. Saturday night "the talk" was given. For me it was the two year mark from when I was saved at Polar Bear camp. What surprised me is that they played the exact song  that I was forever saved to. As I started singing "Amazing Love" I stopped and prayed, prayed for all the kids in that room that they found it in their heart to be saved right there that night. And thanked God for the ones who have already been found. As the talk finished I stood up and found Brett the area director to thank him for what he puts on every year. Talking to him I started crying because I kept looking over at the kids saying "I know hearts are opening right now", I see myself two years ago". It was such a honor to see what God was doing there that night. 

The weekend finished on such a good note on Sunday. All the kids were so happy and so excited to hear the gospel. I felt like all of our work was paid off. It was hard to say goodbye to all the amazing people I met. Every single one of them will always be in my heart. 

This weekend really opened me up to many different things that I'm about to share. I have been so moved by Younglife and the meaning behind it that I never knew. I feel like God put me there this weekend for a purpose. I know now its my calling to serve kids and become a leader. I am so overjoyed to have found that here this weekend. I can't wait to get involved this coming semester. I'm ready to change as a person to love more. I can't wait to see how God leads me in this ministry. I'm excited to read more and more in to the gospel to help me understand what God wants me to share with everyone I know and people I don't know yet. 

As many of you know I've had my heart on Transferring to Texas Tech soon! This weekend has really put me at a stop to that. Getting to know the Austin Younglife staff has really made me think about staying here. I want to continue my walk with Jesus with all the amazing people I have met. I think God might be telling me something that keeps leading me back home. I will just have to leave it all in His hands knowing he will let me know what to do. 

Going back to the normal life after a retreat like this is hard to do. Because you go from such a loving place with loving people with values just like yours to a toxic outside world. I'm striving to make it out alive and spread the Word of Jesus to everyone I know and meet. I hope that anyone who reads this can pray for me because this is going to be bumpy ride. I'm praying that with me and all the younglife staff that we can change our generation and the upcoming generation. Because we have seen the light we have been saved. We are loved by Him. There is no better gift then that, so why not spread it to more people? 

"We are the work crew we serve the Lord in you"

Love,

Briana