It Gonn' Rain - bybcs 2006

A few of you may be wondering about the title of this entry - I have a pretty cool reason for it, though. Back Yard Bible Clubs is a long standing HCBC tradition - it is like VBS, except the teenagers teach it in clubs at people's houses, and it is way more evangelistic than for kids of the church. This was my first year to participate, and I was super excited, especially after bootcamp. So my team was Brian Hill (the funny, sarcastic, and awesome leader (ok Brian, if you ever read this that was just for you, I hope you feel loved)) and James Dykoff. It was pretty much the most awesome, most fun, and best team (YEEEAAH, cottonheadedninniemuggins!). But starting on the first day, something I will either always cherish or always regret happened - probably the latter. Brian had to quote something from family man - "now a weather report from Wally the black weather man, Wally?" - "It gonn' raaain-" "Thank you Wally." I am sure that no one that hasn't heard Brian tell it and james laugh at it or vice versa will never get it, and that's ok. But that was the phrase of the week, like it or not. Everyday, over and over, never losing any, even the most tiny bit, of it's humor. And every time they made me laugh, which I admit with shame. But it was one of our jokes that was what kept us either sane...Or maybe insane, enough to make it through the week.

The other side of the title to this entry is about prayer. We started with prayer all together during the "concert of prayer" on Sunday night before the week of bybcs, but I am sure that prayers were going up long before that. In fact, the prayers began at least at boot camp. But during the week, we had a very big whiteboard that we posted requests and answers on all through the day, and they stayed up all week. Looking back, the most incredible thing that I learned during that week is how incredible prayer is - how incredibly powerful, in control, and all knowing God is - he answered every one, and almost every one was with the positive. Just open of the many things we prayed for and about was the weather - that it wouldn't rain, that we wouldn't fry. And God was faithful, because not one time in the whole week was our joke, "it gonn' rain", true!

Prayer. How awesome is prayer? How incredible is it that Jesus actually listens to us, even though He is SO much, in every way, greater and holier that we could possibly imagine? Even though we are scum, ants, dirt, paper airplanes? (ok, I will explain that one later, girls, if anyone remembers that, tell me!) I got to pray one extremely special prayer during the week; it was a prayer with two girls, Michelle and Rachael, when they accepted Jesus's grace and forgiveness, and asked to have a new life. It was pretty cool. And one thing that I got to tell them during out little huddle was about what prayer is, and how to do it, so they could talk to Jesus for themselves and ask him for forgiveness.
Another time that prayer was special to me was on thursday, which was definitely the toughest day. I came home that night feeling down and defeated, and sat with my Bible and prayer, and God spoke a lot of truth to me through his word. That was pretty cool. And Friday was awesome. (even though I am pretty sure some kid gave me swimmers ear by giving me the one-too-many squirt in the ear - it was all good, though.)
Another thing was how cool it was to pray with my team before every club. And during it, especially during the lessons; when I would talk and see the kids zoning, or when I scrambled my words, or when some kid was listening. Or, when Brain totally missed his cue, just kidding.

Yep, Great Adventure, even though my part was very little, was a life changing and totally incredible experience. While I was telling little kids about how incredible Jesus is, He was teaching me that myself - pretty cool.