Slovakia SON Life & Adventure Teen Retreat Begins!

July 19, 2023

This summer the theme for the teen retreats is UNBROKEN: How God God Uses Broken People to Fulfill His Plan. We are focusing on understanding how brokenness happens in the first place and then learning how God can heal and work through all people. Starting with Creation and the Fall, through Adam & Eve, then Abraham & Sarah, Moses, King David, and, finally, the only hope for being unbroken, Jesus Christ!

The students arrived Sunday afternoon, where we played outdoor games and then enjoyed our first meal together. The opening, evening session included ice-breaker games, worship, and a message and testimony given by Pastor David to set the tone for the rest of the week.

Ice-Breaker/getting to know you games
Learning the Macarena!
Creating beauty out of trash
“7 Days” trash sculpture
“Houses on a bound youth” sculpture
Mika and Jules taking turns leading the large group
Jules sharing her testimony
Marta and Mika sharing their powerful testimony
Some things are not easily shared

Monday morning large group was led by Jules (from NM) and Mika (from Ukraine). Jules shared her testimony of faith through the struggles within families and then Mika was joined by her sister, Marta, where we learned how life and ministry in Ukraine, and then being displaced by the war helps shape and strengthen their lives in Christ. Following the opening session, the entire camp didvided into small groups in order to go deeper into learning about the origins of sin and how we are each affected by it. More outdoor games followed (including a heavy rain downpour!), then small groups again, followed by dinner, tie-dye t-shirt creating, and then the closing, evening large group session.

EJ and Marta’s small group
Heather’s small group
Judson’s small group
Rachel & Mika’s small group
Tie-dye T-shirt time!
The Gross family spending on e last evening together, before Aleksandr & Alyona had to drive back to Ukraine. As a male under the age of 60, during this time of war, Aleksandr can be gone from the country for only up to two weeks. The girls will return with Pr. David & Angela to study in NM.
Heather and Debbie lead a session
Heather giving her testimomny
A fun game of Eve seeking “Adam where are you?”

Heather (from the MN) and Debbie (from Germany) led the evening session, where recap and lessons were shared to lock-in the story of the Fall. Heather and Debbie each shared their testimonies of faith and forgiveness. It was especially powerful as we learned that Debbie still has an unresolved situation of seeking forgiveness from an estranged friend. It would appear God still has much work to do in each of us!

We are so excited to be here and for the retreat to have begun!

PRAYER REQUESTS:

  • For team health, as the stomach bug is appearing in a couple more members. Happily, it is very short lived. Brian also succumbed to severe allergic reaction to a food allergy (he did not se the label first) but happily has recovered. All other food sensitive members are lovingly being cared for with special meals prepared for each.
  • Bonding among the entire camp of participants and leaders. We are a total of about 60 people. so a lot of opportunity for learning and enjoying getting to know each other!