It's been a long week.
But never before has it been so worth it.
Ever
But it is finally time to write it all down
OK ready........................................................................................................................................................................................................................GO!
so it began at 4 O clock in the morning on a damp Monday morning. I'm sure you're thinking of how well that went over. But, every waited patiently until the bus came expected to get a good nap in before everyone got too excited. So we waited, and waited, and waited. So, a couple of the guys had sports equipment (a basketball, a football and a soccer ball; big whoop) and we throwing the football around, kicking the soccer ball as well, and every kept on wanting to wear my new hat. Well technically it was a fedora! The story behind this is that the theme for Global youth Camp this year was Indiana Jones. It was so cool. And so for a while (like two months!) that it would be cool if I had a fedora. So the morning before we left, that is my sister and I, we went to go look for a Fedora. Walking up and down that strip of concrete at the Staford Marketplace thingy, I though I would never find a Fedora that looked like Indy's, or even a fedora at the least! But we found one, and I was so excited!! Not exactly like Indy's Fedora, but close enough. So everyone in the Stafford Baptist Parking lot wanted to see and or wear it. And almost everyone did. But I did get my hat back. Which I was very glad for. And the bus did come, eventually. Like two hours after it should have. But I wasn't bitter. So it began. Our 6 or 8 hour bus ride down to Georgia.
And then God started working. In marvelous ways. For a while before that Bryan Scott and I had been meeting up together and he has been disciplining me. I don't remember when it started, but I mentioned to him something we did in Sunday school. We had done a little exercise, and exam if you will, that essentially told us what our spiritual gifts were. and I told Bryan that Faith, understanding and leadership were my highest scoring categories. So we started talking about it and how I wanted to be on Global Youth Staff, and said about you really need to be able to lead when you're on staff, it's just that important. So challenged me and we started reading a book about leadership called,
The 360 Degree Leader. It talks about how to be the most effective leader when you're the middle of and organization. He challenged me to put these applications into practice and use in my youth group. And so ever since then, I had been tackling the roles of the 360 degree leader and just sitting from the back and watching how our youth group, the kids, present themselves and where our youth group is heading. So those thoughts were in the back the whole bus ride down to Georgia. Too bad they were only in the back of my head. But once we arrived, with all of the responsibilities thrust upon me, I saw it as another challenge. But it wasn't a challenge. In fact, it was exactly called me to do. Being excited, encouraging always, living out what i said i believed, telling the truth, and trying to motivate everyone else for the sake of fun and for the team.
I grew so much in that week. Previously, the time Bryan and I met up before going to camp, I talked about how when I got to camp, I going to be able to use my leadership skills like whoa. And turns out, that was an over exaggeration.
I just have to say the God was working from within me from the beginning of the week, just working. And after the first evening of camp, after all of the festivities, I finally had a chance to say my bid. And it blew people out of the water, the were shocked that I had such wise word to say or could speak so well. And during all of the sermons, it felt like that they were speaking to me and I could make the applications make sense in my life. And Oh the leadership track was just amazingly awsome! During every day, all of the family leaders, who are campers, but have more responsibility than just campers and aren't on staff, we meet up, from different yoth groups, and learn how to be leaders. I love what Roger said at theleadership track, the only one he got to speak at, he talked about where is your youth group going? And so we spilt up into our youth groups. And right then, the was a little uncomfortable silence, but it wasn't very long. I saw an opportunity to lead, not like I was, "OOHH! An opportunity, I must have my glory!!!" Not even close to that, I say a need and I felt that God told me, "Robert, it's time to step it up and play the man.' So I told them the truth. Ryan, Stephenia, Britinie, and Luke. I knew what they needed to hear about the problems of our youth group and how we are going to fix it and we also all agreed that we weren't going anywhere and our Youth Group was content with that. And when Roger was going around, i told him about how we are stagnant and how we need to push from behind the pack and encourage them along. And then Roger looked straight at me, and he said, "I like how you said that. Because Robert, I'm sure there's young guys in your group that just admire you. And if you got below them and you raised them up and made
them champions, that could change their life.' And those words deeply impacted me
Then things went from one thing to the next, I felt just completely overwhelm me at evening worship. God showed me his plan for me and I was just completely overwhelmed. But i was so overjoyed, I started crying tears of joy and worship for God. So i feel led to be a global youth mentor in Germany and to go on staff and be a Junior Intern. But first i know he has called me to be an influentiall leader in my youth group. so i pray that i will stay focused on the prize and that my brothers and sisters in christ will keep me on that path and be honest with me.
GOD BLESS!!
And Remeber hebrews 11
