little did you know

a letter to all the teenagers (who I call my kids) who gather in room 12 every Sunday, little do you know that things weren't always like this...

1) little do you know...worship used to be in a tiny room with 10 people, bad audio and untrained music team members. we would sing the same few songs and shine the spotlight on the same cajon, piano and guitar players. there was never any legitimate rotation because there just wasn't enough to make two teams.

2) little do you know... my friends and i got so fed up with the fellowship, we opened a word document and started a list of things that was wrong about the fellowship...but our voices were never strong enough, powerful enough to initiate any sort of change

3) little do you know... fellowship time was never true fellowship. we laughed and ate...but we never got sufficient opportunities to engage in spiritual conversations with one another. we would always serve, serve and serve, but not everyone got sufficient support to keep us from burning out

4) little do you know... we went on retreats that felt more like a vacation with friends. Instead of doing devos, bible studies and listening to sermons, my counsellor decided it would be "okay" to skip it 'cause we were running behind schedule.

5) little do you know... candlelight sharing at retreat felt like I was forcing people to talk. Perhaps we were too afraid to share our struggles OR the fellowship wasn't a "community" that we could trust and a place where we could surrender our pride.

to my kids, little do you know, I wanted to leave this fellowship countless number of times because I felt like this "community group" wasn't going anywhere. I told God, "This fellowship is doomed. It's going to come crashing and tumbling down." I wanted to throw in my towel and invest my time in something else, perhaps something greater, but for some reason I kept coming back. It was if God told me, "if you stay, you will witness my plan. if you stay, I will show you what I can do." So I stayed.
If a non-Christian were to ask me an example of God's miracle in my life, the renovation and transformation of this fellowship is the miracle. From a fun-centered community group, this youth group became a true fellowship, filled with community, happiness, energy, potential and a vibrant desire to serve. God has also chosen intelligent and gifted young adults to inspire youths to grow intellectually and spiritually.  The counsellors challenge the youth to enrich themselves biblically. And by the way, we have effective meetings and there is actually an overall vision and plan for the year.
Out of all my girlfriends back in EYU, I was the only one that stayed for the past 7 years. Each time we meet, I can't wait to be the spokeperson, proclaiming about God's work in this youth group because He is proven to me again and again that He is working. God has brought to life the vision that we (super young, crazy passionate girls) had from the very beginning.

God is good, all the time. All the time, God is good.
~c.h.

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