Saturday, February 6, 2016

Answered prayer, God's plans, rebuilding programs, and more prayers, pleaseain))

Thank you for your prayers. God provided us a minivan for a great price with which we can transport at least a handful of kids to different activities.

It's great to see God at work. We will continue the radio show, because this is a great way to encourage others to serve the Lord. And, who knows, perhaps some people are being saved who listen to it.
Now, I'd like to share some comments with a little bit of what we plan to do now that we have a minivan. Because, we need leaders. Young people are going to listen to the Lord more willingly if wthey have the opportunity to see other youth who are already actively involved. Peer pressure is often seen as negative - and, in the Bible is certainly is, such as the crowd turning against the twit spies with faith - Joshua and Caleb - and believing the twn without faith, and of course the crowd which was egged on by the Pharisees to demand Jesus' crucifixion. However, it also has a good side, that being whe4n a strong leader emerges to bring people back to God.

We are clearly in a rebuilding phase after 2.5 years without a van. These youth need to see quality youth who are on fire for the Lord. One in particular especially thrived in Youthquake even though several different things prevented him from regularly attending a good Gospel-presaching church till recently. however, while he might have been able to lead a prayer and devotion club with a few more years of Youthquake and getting into that church's youth grou sooner, without those intervening 2.5 years of club he really  has struggled.

Hope is not lost for him or the others we find, though. that one young teenage boy still has the eagerness and enthusiasm that made him a great prospect, to use a baseball analogy. He just has trouble hitting the curveball.(Those being the fiery darts of the wicked that the devil throws our way.) or, perhaps he's the pitching prospect who lights up the radar gun but couldn't control that breaking pitch, either way then missing a year with injury and rehab. Whichever analogy you wish to use, he's still got the enthusiasm to let the Lord overcome through him.

But, he really needs prayers! So, please, pray for him.

We are rebuilding, but we still have great prospects. of course, the main reason is because God is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we may ask or think.(Eph. 3:20) However, also, others will be coming to our first club meeting on Feb. 13, in addition to him and whatever friends he brings. one who plans to come has a great testimony and was featured on this show. She is graduating but has someone in mind from her youth group who may be able to start a prayer and devotion club in her school.

Others could eventually come, but the key is, with only 5 kids able to ride in the back, we can't do the big rallies we used to for a while, although eventually as we get Yyouthquake prayer and devotion clubs in the schools we can again. Instead, the minivan can be like a mini-YLTI - Youth Leader Training Institute - helper, and our club meetings can become like YLTI training. If a kid brings 1-2 unsaved friends, or invites them and they come some other way, then it would just become more evangelistic that day.

We want young people to be ready to lead their friends and classmates to Christ. We want them to be ready to take the ball and run with it, to be able to identify when the Lord is leading.

Of course, that means listening to the Holy Spirit, which means a right relationship with god. And, that's where it comes back to the youth who are good examples, who are able to triumph over all the problems in life, wherever those battles may come from. In an open letter on our site to our young people when the van finally bit the dust 2.5 years ago, I noted that our young people had to step up and be the club, because they were the life of the club, they were the reason for the club,and it was always they who would be needed to grow the club and reach other youth with the Gospel. Now that we are starting to rebuild, it may feel to some like we're almost starting from scratch, but god knows the future, and He has given us a vision to reached the many unreached youth of our area. And, God is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we may ask or think.

What is said of our missionaries overseas is equally true here. Of course, God is the real provider, but of the things we can provide to help, while it is ministry funds that get us there, it is your prayers that keep us there. Speaking of funds, we'd welcome any donations, as our site shows, we're raising funds to get underprivileged kids to a great church camp this summer, among other thigns. However, most importantly, we need your prayers. That boy I mentioned needs them, our club meeting and basketball on Feb. 15 need prayers(especially with weather concerns), and so much else does, too.

this has been more of an open prayer letter, but I hope it's been an encouragement to see that no matter how small, the Lord can bless any endeavor to serve Him.

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