Amazing Grace

I promised, and I'm delivering. Here is my 'essay' about my first experience at Student Life Camp.
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The Most Amazing Week of My Life


On June 22nd, I, along with 30 or so students from both campuses of our Youth Group and several adults left for Student Life Camp in Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri. Little did I know that God would make the next five days the most amazing week of my life.


15 hours after our departure, we arrived at Windermere Conference Center. I was SO excited to experience how God was going to work in my heart that I couldn’t even stand up without my knees quaking! At our camp orientation, I realized how many people were there. My final estimate was over 1,200 people, all of whom were ready to let God’s love shine through them. I was ALREADY amazed. We were introduced to the ‘All Things 2 All People’ Actors, Ian, Jill, and Matt, our worship leader, Donald Butler, and our camp pastor, Thomas Young.


After dinner, we met the members of our family groups. This would be the group of people I’d be spending time with when I wasn’t with my church Youth Group. I was nervous being that I was the only freshman in my group and didn’t know half of the people there. By the end of the week, we had become as close as a family. I had tons of fun with my church family, too. I made so many new friends within the Youth Group. Our youth pastors, Mandy and Brian’s devotionals and church group times were awesome.


On Tuesday, I was in a sort of slump. During Family Group time, I prayed, “God, show yourself to me. Let me find you this week; let me find The Way.” I didn’t wait for an answer because we had to go to worship. When we were singing during worship, the song lyrics weren’t soaking into my heart. I’d gone to SO many retreats before, and I was just waiting to be blown away by the ‘spiritual high’ to occur so I could go share it with everyone. I wasn’t feeling it. Then I heard the word “wait”. I got confused and shrugged it off.


On Wednesday, I was STILL in that slump. Until that night. Thomas’ message really convicted me, especially when he said, “Spiritually dead people can’t do anything. Are you spiritually dying?” That’s when I felt the presence of God. I remember that night during worship, we sang Amazing Grace. Earlier that week, I had had problems letting go of the wrongs done to me. As we were singing, one line really made me realize that I had been set free. “My chains are gone, I’ve been set free. My God, my Savior has ransomed me. And like a flood, His mercy reigns. Unending love, Amazing Grace.”


Thursday’s rain didn’t stop our fun. I was still in awe of Wednesday night, my family group ‘Unite-d’ in Recreation, and Mandy won the Youth Pastor of the Day award! On Friday, we all rushed to pack our things. I was so drained from sleeping late and waking up early AND also from all the walking we did, but I had SO much energy to worship Christ that day. I really didn’t want to leave, yet I was excited to share what God had done for me with my friends and family back home in Houston. Through Student Life Camp, God changed my life.