INL July 4, 2002  

SOUNDING OUT:
Sharings From The Y.E.S! 2002

When I was in college my favorite show to watch was Tom & Jerry. It came on every night at 11:30 and I watched it all the time because it was my time to relax. It was always funny and I always watched it with my dad. Well, since I've watched so many I knew exactly what was going to happen to Tom. The thing that would crack me up the most is that he would have his tail right next to the electrical socket, and Jerry would stick it in and he'd get zapped and be all crazy. Well, before I came here I was talking to my mom and I was telling her some concerns on my heart and one of them was that I felt I had lost my spark to open the Bible every day. I felt like I was just opening it at a certain time every day just to do it, and I didn't like that. I wanted to want to open it all the time. So I told her that when I came here I was looking for my spark. I didn't get a spark I got a jolt the first night I was here. (Just like Tom would.) I was so excited, and I called my mom the next day and told her, "I

This is my third year here and I can't tell you how much this blesses me. It's just amazing. God just amazes me. Every time I put him in a box he keeps coming out. Just like the little Jack in the Box. You put him in and wind it up and "bam" he pops back out! He just appears. That's how God is, you just can't put Him in a box. You guys have never stopped loving me, and every year your amazing love just grows. And I guess, I have never been surrounded by so much love. You guys are awesome. It's so great that this year we really learned how to be an ambassador for Christ. I had really lost my spark too. I asked God to give me my spark back, and He did. Nothing could replace you in my heart. I couldn't wait to get up in the morning to hopefully meet a new person and pray for somebody and minister healing and maybe have somebody minister healing to me. I suffered from migraines unbelievably toward the end of the year. During one of the teachings I felt one coming on. The girl sitting next to m

Before I came here I couldn't express myself to my friends at home about God I was scared they were going to reject me. Now this camp has shown me so much. Even if my friends back home reject me, God won't. He'll always be there. Every one here has been so nice. Just keep being the people that you are. - H.H. St. Marys, OH

Every year I come here and every year my heart gets healed so much. I just don't think it can get healed any more than the year before and it does. I just feel so at peace. I can't wait to go home and tell everybody about what I learned. I'm just so thankful for that. I'm just so happy, and I just feel so calm about all the situations that were bugging me before I got here. Thank you to everybody that talked to me and helped me. Can't wait to see you next year. - J.S. Colorado Springs, CO

How many people knew that when I came to camp I couldn't hear anything? Anyway, I had a potentially serious injury, and I was pushing through it. But someone came up and said, "I'm going to minister to you." It didn't seem so potentially serious when I woke up the next morning and I could hear. I want to thank God for that, and all you people too. - D.H. Weidman, MI

I just wanted to tell everyone that I am able to talk. I was able to conquer my stuttering. It was the single biggest step in all my life. Thanks to Victor and Grant and Kevin. I spoke in tongues and was able to say everything. And now this is amazing. [To get up and speak before you all.] I can't believe I got the nerve to talk like this. I'm still in shock. Everybody has just come together and prayed for me and blessed me. Everything has changed. You know, the way I think and the way I talk, of course. I just want to thank all the staff. Since I was seven years old, I always was afraid to talk. I didn't say anything. It was horrible. During school and football and church. I wanted to say so much. I couldn't say anything. I was so afraid because I couldn't say anything. I was brought up in a very dysfunctional family. I was always told that I was trash and that I would never make it. No one was ever there to comfort me. I've been through so much pain and suffering. Then I come here