"Seated above, enthroned in the Father's love. Destined to die, poured out for all mankind. God's only Son, perfect and spotless one, He never sinned but suffered as if He did.

All authority, Every victory is Yours!

Savior, worthy of honor and glory, worthy of all our praise, You overcame. Jesus, awesome in power forever, awesome and great is Your name, You overcame!

Power in hand, speaking the Father's plan. You're sending us out, light in this broken land.

We will overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony, everyone overcome . . ."

--Overcome by Jeremy Camp

In five years this is the first youth retreat where we as leaders were able to more fully sit back, watch, worship, and rejoice in what God was doing, without some of the usual struggles like, "How do we need to design the rules to prevent boys x and y from going off to smoke?" or "I hope the group will get along well with each other," or "God, please rescue boy x from himself and his destructive behavior," or "Lord, soften the hearts of these girls that they might receive your love . . ." not that all of this has been accomplished or that it will never again be present. There was just an indescribable freedom and joy that permeated the entire event.

Three of our youth boys led us and our visiting teachers from Delhi into the most powerful time of musical worship we have had as a youth group, ever. We were astounded and blessed and overwhelmed at the sweetness, the joy, the freedom. Lessons were learned and received with joy, and we played and hiked like a loving family enjoying God's creation together.

We witnessed, for the first time in all these years, freedom in some of our older boys, a release from the struggles that have been drowning them for years. We are praising God for what he is doing. We are completely aware that it is HE who is doing this beautiful new thing.

Thank you for all your prayers for us and our youth. The Lord has heard our petitions for them and He is doing a marvelous thing! Please continue to pray for all of us, that we would stand strong in Him, whatever comes.