Hey guys, first of all I want to apologize for taking sooooooo long in posting a new blog. My life has been extremely crazy since getting back from the Branson Youth Trip, better known as Winter XTreme. In case someone reads this and don’t know what I am talking about is, every year there is a youth conference in Branson, MO called Winter Xtreme. This past Dec. was the second year that we have taken the youth of JSWC to this conference. We took 20 people this year which was up from 11 the year before. We also took David & Sandra and they helped drive the second van and also helped to corral the teens…16 teenagers is quite a handfull for just Jill and myself. However, I must say that the teens were very respectful and was no problem whatsoever and basically would have made all their parents and the people of JSWC proud of the way that they conducted themselves on the trip away from their parents. Kudos to the teens!!!!
The conference itself was amazing!!! Each service was unique in its own way but similar in the fact that the anointing and power of God was present at each and every session. In the Sunday morning and Sunday evening services we had a number of teens experience the touch of God in their lives and several of them stood at the end in front of 4,000 teenagers in an act of total, unashamed surrender to God. Many of them received spiritual and emotional healings in their lives. They found themselves making new committments to God, many teenagers in the building made comittments to Christ for the very first time, it was very powerful. One of the services, God moved in a special way…the Spirit was moving across the building and teens all over the building began crying out to God and standing in the isles and other teens from the the groups began laying hands on their friends and crying out to God for them. Sometimes we as Christians can try to be so “holy” that we try to pray these deep spiritual prayers and in this particular service the speaker – David Nasser, was leading us in this total and “all out” cry to God, simply saying “Help Me God, Help Me God…” And the ones that were not standing began to pray for the ones standing….just crying out for them. It was an awesome display of God’s love and grace throughout that entire building, I don’t think there were too many dry eyes in that place.
I had the awesome priveledge of praying with many of the teens at these services, and seeing how God moved in their lives was a completely life changing and I know that the seeds that were planted at this conference in their hearts and lives won’t return void and their lives will not ever be the same. There was also some other highlights as well. There was a headbanging, heavy metal Christian band that was there, called Disciple. I got to witness David Cronk jumping up and down headbanging with them…I know what your thinking if you know David, “he was doing what????” Anyway, it was awesome to see how God can use any of us if we are willing to be used. Well, that was just a small glimpse of the conference, there were many more stories that I could tell, but for sake of time and cramping in my hands from typing I won’t. Lastly, I just want to say on behalf of ClubIdentity, to all the people of Joyful Sound Worship Center, we love you guys and we thank you for your financial support in helping make this trip possible. Your financial contributions and willingness to help in many more ways than just your money has blessed our youth group and your investments into each of their lives reach further than any of us may know. Many times in ministry, no matter what it is, the fruits of your sacrificial givings may not show up for years down the road, but we can always hold on to the promise of God in Isaiah 55:11 (and I will paraphrase) “That His word will not return unto Him void, and it will accomplish everything that He sent it to accomplish.” Sometimes it’s days, weeks, months, or years but if God’s Word is true, and I know it is, there will be a harvest to the seeds that you all have helped to plant. So Thank You, thank you, thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We are excited about this new year and everything that God has in store for all of us. We believe that God is going to take us and everyone that reads this blog to a new and deeper understanding of Him in ‘09.
Daryl & Jill
