Day Three

Today we had our learning day. We spent our time going to various workshops and learning experiences. The days are really packed.

The biggest challenge we face is getting meals organized. The morning of the servant event, for example, we had to be at the Superdome parking lot by 6:30 AM. In order to get food into everyone in time, we needed to be up and running by 5:30. We didn’t make it on that day, so we didn’t have anything to eat until 11:00 in the morning.

Lunch isn’t a problem usually. We get a little bit of a break in the afternoon that gives us time to get our lunch organized. Supper presents another challenge. We need to be at the Superdome by 5:30 or 6:00, because it’s so packed. We need to be able to get there early enough, because you otherwise end up in the nosebleed section. This proves to be a problem when several of the members in your group are afraid of heights. So we end up eating dinner around 5:00 the evening. If we wait until the end of the evening, there are lines out all of the doors of all of the restaurants. And with 37,000 people hitting the streets all at once, the local establishments are quickly overwhelmed.

The worship experiences have been wonderful with great music and powerful speakers. The two that have resonated the most with the youth are Spencer West and Michel Chikwanine.

From the National Youth Gathering Guidebook, “Spenser West knows what it is liked to be bullied. Having lost his legs at the age of five, Spenser had to overcome bullies and stereotyping. Through it all he never lost the hope or courage he needed to overcome obstacles of all sorts”.

“As a former child soldier, Michel Chikwanine has seen and experienced more suffering and violence than any human should see. Forced to leave his home country as a refugee at the age of 11, Michel traveled to 35 African countries, witnessing first-hand the problems faced by the developing world, but also the beatury of the communities and the people who live there. Michel believes we can change the world for the better and he has hope for his native Africa”.

The youth and the adults were very impressed with the stories that these two men had to share. They were; impressed and deeply moved by their perseverance, their struggle and their ability to rise to the challenges that life has presented to them.

We have a very impressive group of adults and youth with us. I’m constantly amazed at their ability to connect what they are hearing and experiencing with their own lives. They really are able to see how faith impacts their lives, and how their lives can impact and shape their faith.