With a good night's rest, we were back in the vans at 9am to travel the 2 hours to Wausau and arrived at Newman Middle School & High School at noon. We strive to arrive early so we can scope out the layout of the spaces we will be sleeping in. The girls are split between rooms but are right next to each other. This is a nice school, and we are in small classrooms that have air conditioning and carpet! We are staying cool and the air mattresses aren't squeaking on the floor.
The sponsoring organization is Habitat for Humanity and the Wausau Rotary club fed 300 plus people grilled burgers and brats and gave us cookies for lunch. Usually, I have to make lunch arrangements and with a group this big it can be a challenge. Dinner that night may have been burgers and hotdogs but isn't that similar to pizza for lunch and dinner? I never complain about that. Plus, someone else made lunch and dinner and took care of the dishes!
Friends are already being made, east coast groups are here, and a number of people have started conversations with us, they are not shy! Our youth are playing hacky-sack, 9-Square, and cards with each other and with youth from other groups and it's only the first day!
When you see the photos for Sunday you will notice our very cool shirts and the theme for the week, " The Light shines in the darkness." John 1:5. We are to become Illuminated this week in service to others on behalf of Jesus Christ. Our youth are eager to learn and grow in faith this week and will do so through daily devotions and conversations and a program for worship and learning more about each day's sub-theme.
Getting to see teenagers sing and praise God in one voice, with enthusiasm is such an amazing experience. They like it loud and sing loud. If the adults in worship could remember this and lead the teens in loud and enthusiastic singing, I believe they would also use their voices that way. I think the quietness of the adults makes them feel like they shouldn't get too excited in praising God the same as they do at Workcamp. Everyone needs to let their lights shine in worship!
In Sunday's program, all 310 participants took time to consider what God has done for them and then what they hope they can do with God lighting the way this week. Everyone received a glowstick and as a group, we received a lantern to use for our youth group devotions. It's all very cool and meaningful. I placed our youth in groups of 4-5 with one of our college students as the leaders, and it was amazing to see them spread out and each of them contributing to the discussions.
The adults are a small group unto themselves, and some meaningful discussions happened among them. These adults are the most amazing people. They are fully in with the kids and all things that need to be accomplished. We are so lucky that they make time to use their lives this way. I thank God each day for each of them.