...love as strong as death: April 2012

Dear ALL who have made some sort of investment in my life, including friends, family, SST staff, students and teachers & DTS staff, students and teachers:

I wanted to share my story as a way to thank and encourage each of you for the investment you made in my life (and the life of many others) so that I might invest in the lives of these teenagers and many others. I know this story is a bit long, but if you can, please do read it because YOU are a part of it.

As you know, I'm Amelia. I am 19 years old and first did SSTc (Summer of Service & Training) at YWAM Tyler in 2009, when I was 17. Thank you SO to all who helped and contributed so that I could participate in this camp.

I want to thank my SST leaders: Chad & Shelly Franke, Jonny & Brittany and my Small Group leaders, Tara and Arielle and all the other staff. Thank you for investing in my life!!

I also want to thank all of the teachers, especially Matt Kroll and Wes Chapman. Your teachings have marked my life and the lives of the teenagers I've been working with.

During my SST, I learned so much about God and his everlasting, unconditional love for me. I experienced His presence stronger than I had before. I discovered True freedom in Christ at the bonfire where I burned my past and was made new in Christ. On my outreach, I experienced for the first time the broken heart of God for the hurting, lost people.

SST was just a 3 week camp, just 3 weeks of my life. But they changed me forever. God changed me.

I did my DTS Discipleship Training School) at YWAM Tijuana, Mexico in 2010, 1 year later. Another life changing experience.

Once again, THANK YOU to all who helped me get there. These 5 months were a key and defining time for my walk with God and purpose in life - to glorify HIM in all that I do, wherever I go, wherever HE leads me.

I would like to honor my DTS leader, Rob McAlpine, as well as my staff: Andy, Paloma, Brooke, Omar, Sergio & Laurena. You all are an important part of my life as well. It was in my DTS that God fully restored me and equipped me for the work he has for my life. During this time he prepared me and showed me where I was to be for the next year: Aquiraz, Brazil, working with teens at risk.

March 2011, I returned to Brazil. I began discipling 30 teenagers from a community full of many problems, broken families, violence, prostitution and drug dealing. I lead my first youth camp with them in July 2011. I based the camp on things I'd learned in SST and DTS... classes, schedule, games and activities. We held the first bonfire (based on my SST bonfire.) We learned a lot about the kids and the situations they go through on that night. The camp went really well, but I realize now that they were still really closed to God's move then.

I continued to invest in their lives. God gave me many new ideas for the next semester of discipleship classes. I taught on Trust and Our Value to God until the end of the year. I began to see some changes, slowly, but they were changes.

In January, I staffed a Radical Obedience school. In this school, I learned and grew a lot. I discipled a group of 7 girls 18-22 yrs old. It was scary for me at first as I was afraid to "lead" girls my age or older, when I was used to leading teens. I worried about them not liking the thought of a 19 year old girl being their 'pastor'. But as I put my trust and dependence on God, I learned a lot from them and them from me. They call me their 'pastora' now. :) During this time, God capacitated me even more and gave me more boldness. I returned home even more excited and ready to continue my work with the teens and to lead the second camp, Feb 18-22, 2012, during Carnaval (like Mardi Gras, but worse.)

31 teenagers ended up coming to the 5 day camp, after MUCH spiritual warfare to get them there. Some of them were so drawn to the things of the world; it was a battle to get them away from the immoral festivities of Carnaval. Though some came for the wrong reasons (friends, fun, etc.) they all left that camp wanting God more than anything. (Note: most of these teenagers that came to camp were not Christians yet. Some were Catholic, some new converts, some had backslidden, some had no relationship at all with God. All, different levels.)

We had an amazing team of 16 staff. I praise God for them, their support and their will to love and obey God more than anything. Some of them had just completed the Radical Obedience School.

The very first day of camp I taught on God's love for us. (Wes Chapman, I used some of my notes from one of your classes in SST..) That night was powerful as these teens realized how much God truly and deeply loved them, just because he chose to... even when we've all rejected him, spit in his face, turned away from him... and he just keeps on loving us. His love and presence fell over that place so strongly and powerfully.

One 13 yr old boy said he talked to God for the very first time that night. His parents had left him when he was young. His dad had never told him he loved him and on that night, God told him how much HE loved him.

The second day we had classes on Relationship with God and Character & Maturity. Once again, God moved in powerful ways. These teens were so OPEN and HUNGRY for God since the very beginning. That night we watched a short movie called the Butterfly Circus and then a movie called To Save A Life. They related so much to both of these movies and learned so, so much. To Save A Life encouraged them to be a difference in this world, no matter what the cost (which is something we talked about in the Character/Maturity class) If you haven't seen either of these movies, watch them after you finish reading this. (You can watch the Butterfly Circus on youtube and rent/buy To Save A Life.)

The third day was the day of the bonfire. The "bonfire" is a time where you burn your idols, which is pretty much ANYTHING that takes the place of God in your life. If it's 1st, it's an idol. If it keeps you from being closer to God, it's an idol.

This year was different than last year because I actually gave an hour long class about this subject.) Last year was only 15 minutes of explaining what the bonfire was and it was very vague.

The most important part of this class was talking about the Purity of the Mind. This was not mentioned in the last camp and it impacted and confronted every one of these teens. The end of the class was a very important moment. After I'd explained what we would do at the bonfire, I invited them to have a moment alone with God. They spread out around the room. I could tell that some of them were really broken by their sinfulness. One 14 year old boy, who has had a very tough life, went to the very front, crying out, pleading God for forgiveness for having turned his back on him, for having wronged against him. He was the last one to leave that room and he left it shouting out "I'm so HAPPY! God has forgiven me! I'm free!"

The bonfire was powerful. It lasted for 6 hours!!!! (Last year it had only lasted 2-3 hours and some of the deeper issues had not been thrown in the fire.) Addictions to pornography, drinking, partying, internet, television, etc. were thrown in the fire. Immoral thoughts coming from the influence of certain music, movies, etc. were thrown into the fire. Issues of disrespect for parents and others, lack of forgiveness, hatred towards others, gossip, jealousy, violence, fighting, gangs, pride, selfishness... all thrown into the fire, amongst many other things. On that night, we died to ourselves. After all the students and staff had gone forward, we praised God for loving us all this time and for freeing us. We lifted up his name at 1 AM. We shouted out his Glory! The Holy Spirit fell over us.... it was amazing! We all woke up as new people, new creatures.

The fourth day, the class was on Commitment with God. My dad taught a powerful class. He shared his testimony with them which encouraged many of them. His class encouraged them to follow God even when all of your worldly friends leave you. At the end we prayed for all those who wanted to say YES to God. They all stepped forward. As we prayed over them, the Holy Spirit was poured out. We planned to pray for them for just 15-20 minutes but ended up staying there for 2 hours, until 2 PM, basking in the Holy presence of the Lord. They desperately cried out their need, want and desire for God. One of the girls I prayed for spoke in tongues and she didn't even know that it was possible, for she'd never heard of speaking in tongues before. Some of the kids had been prayed for and as an anointing was passed on to them, they began praying and prophesying over other teens and even the staff. At 1 PM I let those who wanted to leave to lunch, go. Most chose to stay in God's presence. We just basked in God's wonderful presence, surrendering ourselves over to him, completely.

That night we had our "Brega" party (Tacky party.) It was so much fun. All of us staff (including myself) went overboard with the silliness. I had a lot of fun dancing and acting crazy and pretty tacky with the other staff. They became my true friends.

Earlier that day, my brother Caleb had met a man named Francisco Ivan who's been living on the street for more than 10 years. He offered him some crackers and told him Jesus loved him. Caleb invited him to come over the next morning, the last morning of camp, and told him that we had some gifts for him. He'd been wearing the same clothes for 3 days and had been robbed of everything 3 days before. Caleb shared this man's story with everyone.

The fifth day, the last day, time to go home... It felt like this camp was as long as my SST! It seemed like it had been longer than 5 days. God had done SO much in such a small amount of time! Everyone woke up so excited to bless Francisco. Some kids gave all that they could... snacks, shirts, shorts, shoes, shampoo, toothpaste. Some used their last bit of cash to buy him something. They made him cards too. We formed a line and when he arrived there we all shouted out, "Welcome, Francisco!!", then each one of us gave him a hug and said, not only that Jesus loved him, but "I love you." We showed him no fear or disgust of him, which so many people had shown him before: fear, not love. But we'd experienced God's perfect love that week and perfect love casts out ALL fear. God really confronted us that morning. We gave Francisco breakfast and some staff, along with Caleb, talked with him. He gave his life to Jesus. We let him use a shower and some staff took him all the way to Fortaleza to his sister's house, whom he hadn't seen in 10 years. Someone mentioned that he wouldn't have to buy food or clothes in a long time! But he replied, "It will be gone sooner than you think! I'm going to share this with my friends who live on the streets as well!"

(See how investment and blessing have a domino effect: You blessed and invested in me, I blessed and invested in the teens, the teens blessed and invested in Francisco's life, he's blessing and investing in his friend’s lives!)

That morning, we worshipped and thanked God for all that he'd done for us, one last time together. We sang the theme song of the camp and the teens sang it with all of their hearts, just like we'd hoped and prayed they'd do by the end of camp.

Lead me to the cross, where I find you.

Lead me to the cross, I need you.

Help me to deny myself and not you.

Because if I've died to this world, this world does not attract me anymore.

If I've died to myself, the passions do not attract me anymore.

If I've died to sin, I'm alive for you, Oh Lord.

I'm crucified, I'm crucified with you.

I was filled with such Joy to see them sing this with ALL of their hearts. They had class on how to have a pleasant return home (how to not get depressed, keep focused on God, etc...) and just a moment to encourage them to continue forward with God. At the end, we prayed to commission them, to send them out and then they asked to pray for us, staff. As they surrounded us staff and lifted up their voices in prayer, I felt like I was hearing the sounds of heaven. It was absolutely beautiful.

I did not expect these kids to respond to God the way that they did. I did not expect that we would actually send out 31 little missionaries that are just 11-18 years old. But when we surrendered that camp to God and let him take control, He surprised us in many ways, went way beyond our and my expectations and did more than I ever dreamed of. HIS WILL was done in this camp.

THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart for helping make all of this possible! Please continue to pray, not only for me, but especially for these teens. Pray for strength to continue on firm in the Lord. They've faced so many challenges upon returning home. Continue to invest, bless, and pray for others and do what you can to make a difference in this world. Because, even when you might feel you aren't contributing to bringing this world closer to God, making it a better, more loving place... YOU ARE!

I wanted to thank all of my family for all for all of your love and support!! You all mean so much to me and I wish we could all be together more often!

And also, to my close friends: You all mean so much to me and you've each challenged and encouraged me to keep going, keep growing, keep seeking a closer relationship with Christ and keep doing what I can to be a difference in the world. Your friendship means the world to me!!!

And there are many, many other people who I have not mentioned, but know that I thought of you and remember what you've done to make a difference in my life!

And last, BUT most definitely not least... above all others, I thank my God... my lover, friend, Father and Savior... for all that he has done in my life, for choosing me to be His and His alone and for allowing me to be a part of all of this. He is the one that had all of this in his heart and plans, just as you and I were in his heart and plans since the beginning. He is amazing, incredible, awesome, beautiful... indescribable. Without him, I'm nothing. So thank you, my Lord, for loving me and for choosing me. I love you and want to learn to love you more!

God bless! I love you!

Love always,

Amelia