Reflections on Jon & Beccy’s God Adventure to Ohio
[3rd – 5th April 2009]
We have an amazing Father who knows our hearts and hears our cry!
As we look back at our prayer requests for the ‘Youth Prayer Retreat’ at Beulah Beach on the shores of Lake Eerie, He answered all those prayers!
We had prayed specifically for connections between us and Irma and her family. (Irma had invited Jon in India at the International Consultation of Prayer, saying ’Turning the Tide was exactly what they were ready for!)
We discovered that we shared God’s heartbeat for children and youth but also incredibly had been married precisely the same day!! In the warmth of their home God brought completion to a picture. Previous experiences had led to Beccy feeling as though God had thrown her up and left her mid-air. Back in March at ‘The Roar’ she saw in her mind’s eye the Father’s hands about to catch her. As she woke one morning in Ohio she knew God’s arms holding her close again.
Jon felt that God wanted young people to rise to the challenge of leading and speaking. An initial meeting demonstrated that God had already been stirring their hearts – their enthusiasm was that tangible!
Then at the venue, after a mix up in communication, we decided to stack and put away 250 chairs ourselves! We felt God was saying: this is not a spectator-event. I want my youth to lead, not just listen!
At the Retreat Jon encouraged the 12 to 18 year olds that they could hear from God. God did not disappoint! As the weekend progressed more and more young people came up to the front to share. Lives were changed in the awesome worship and deep, heartfelt prayer. Cardboard testimonies showed what God had done – we give Him the glory!
One young teen has been changed so much; having gained in confidence, she is accompanying Irma on the IPC Prayer Assignment to the headquarters of the UN in New York City in September!
To get a taste of the Beulah Beach Youth Prayer Retreat see the YouTube – link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3fZFB1oM8Q and read this email from a leader who brought her young people to the event:
How does one describe what happened at the youth prayer retreat? The best way I can put it is to have you close your eyes and see the following images in your mind:
Try to picture 200 junior & senior high youth (plus about 50 adults (sponsors, staff, etc.) sitting on the floor in the basement of the lodge at Beulah Beach. They are all sizes, shapes, and nationalities. The band starts to play a worship song. The bass booms, the drums keep a steady beat and the singers begin to sing well-known words. 250 people rise and start to join them. Have you been elbow to elbow with 250 people singing “come, Holy Spirit”?
The speaker moves into place after the time of worship. Suddenly we are transported to Great Britain through his accent. The assembled group doesn’t care — they speak English, Spanish, Korean, and Chinese. As the mike is opened for responses and comments, a line forms. Everyone in the line wants to share what they have heard God say to them. Again, those in the line exemplify the group’s makeup — adult, youth, child, black, hispanic, Korean — all with a story to tell.
On Saturday evening the room is transformed into a prayer room with seven distinct prayer stations — all relating to the seven last words of Christ on the cross. After worship and some instruction those assembled are turned loose to listen to God and then move around the room as He says. About 25% of the youth get started, but the rest are just sitting there, listening, crying, heads bowed, watching. When was the last time you saw 150 youth sit still before God in silence?
One of the boys from my youth group wanted to hear from God — he had never heard God speak to him before. He didn’t know what to do, so he sat there and watched everyone else. He waited and listened. All of a sudden his head went down and he sat there for 20 minutes before I spoke to him. All I said was, “did you hear God?” His reply? “YES!” He reported later that not only did he hear God speak to him personally, but that he liked it. Not only did he like it, but he wants more!
Gaze to the right. One of the adults are washing feet. There is a square on the floor made with green duct tape. The youth are writing their sins on the tape before they enter the curtained room, where they expect to meet God. Move around the room. A teenage girl is sitting, face to the wall, and crying as she forgives people and herself. Keep going around the back of the room. On the left sits B.J. Wheelchair bound, he is blessing anyone who will come close and kneel beside him. In one corner youth are writing on cardboard — one side is the before and the other side is the after — with God. As you move to the front of the room the band is playing quietly. Suddenly there is an intensity in their playing — not loudness, just three guys worshiping God by playing their guitars. In the center of the room a Korean girl prays and cries. Suddenly there is a ring of Koreans around her (4-5 deep) and they are all praying for her and with her.
I could go on and on, but this should give you an mental picture of 200 youth meeting God in different ways — in personal ways. Why do I invite youth to drive 7 hours with me for a weekend? Because I know they will meet God at the prayer retreat. What better use of my time and energy?! Do you know youth or children who should meet God? Send them to the children’s or youth prayer retreat — you won’t regret it!”
