Youth Conference

Each year when school is on break our church has a youth conference.  Each year the youth are to bring money for food (5,000 Ugandan Shillings - about $2) and each year the youth struggle to get the money and pay.  Josh had a great idea.  Our water tank was empty so any youth willing to carry 10 jerry cans of water would get their conference fee.  I was so impressed.  Our 1300 gallon tank was full of water after about six hours of work!  Way to go youth!  I was proud of them for working hard to be a part of the conference.

Filling our tank.

I was very pleased that the youth conference was on preparing for marriage - God's desire for marriage, purity, how to find the right one (be the right one), how is it being done culturally and how should we do it as Christians...  It has been on my heart as I see our kids and youth here getting older.  They are wondering and have questions, but who is talking to them, helping them, and leading them.  Many of them do not have believing parents and some have no Christian example to follow.  So I am thrilled that Josh and the leaders agreed on this important topic!  

The church was full with maybe 300 people - youth is from age 12 to 35 years old here so it is a bit different to have married people and babies at the youth conference too, but most were young - from four different areas and about 10 churches.

Josh did a great job teaching on God's plan for marriage, how to know if you are ready for marriage, and what to do until it is time for marriage.  He used fun games and illustrations too to keep the kids focused and laughing.  At the end of one of his messages he was talking about fleeing from immorality and he simply fled out of the church and did not come back.  Hope they got the point!

I thought it was so cute seeing Lydia sitting in the youth conference with her friends.  She stood out a bit but she didn't notice or care.  She wanted to go to the conference because she is a youth.  I was proud of her.  She enjoyed her time and took notes and learned along with her friends.

At one point in the conference Pastor Charles invited youth who wanted to receive Jesus for the first time to come forward.  (Josh had shared the Gospel the day before.)  Although I admit I don't understand everything that is done and said here and I often wonder what or why, I did sense the Holy Spirit present and at work.  There was emotion from those who came forward and from the leaders yet not at all showy, only about 25 to 30 of the 300 youth came forward, young and older came forward (the head teacher at the school was one of them) and truth was shared.  So, I praise God I was able to see and be apart of this beautiful celebration!

Josh and Martin led those who came forward in prayer to confess their sins, repent, and receive Jesus's gift of  life and salvation!

I continue to thank God for the work He is doing here!  The Holy Spirit is moving in people and in this place.  We still need to pray though and share God's truth.  At the end of Josh's teaching we had a time for questions.  At one point I felt so overwhelmed by the sin, suffering, and work yet to be done. "I got pregnant at school now what, I was pressured to marry a non-believer now what, my husband took another wife now what, how do I keep the marriage bed pure, how do I know who to marry, did the devil make me do it or was it God's will, my wife can't produce shall I find another wife, my parents don't want me to marry this man because of clan issues..."  There is so much I wanted to share with them!  Pastor Martin kept saying, "Josh has already taught on that." and referred back to God's Word.  I am so thankful for godly leaders.  I was proud to sit up front with Josh, Martin and Kristine, and Charles and Margaret.  They know and live out God's truth.  After the day of teaching I talked to one of the youth.  She was so thankful for this conference.  She said she had so many questions and now they have been answered.  Thank you Lord!