What a week! What a God!
Combine 61 students, 20 staff, 7 cabins, 10 showers, 15 meals, and 27 instruction sessions into just over 6 days, and you have the ingredients for something special. God blessed us immensely! Here are a few highlights.
In CEF, prayer is a priority. We desire the CYIA students to comprehend this priority, so we experienced a concert of prayer Thursday night. To see the students praying together for each other and their upcoming summer of ministry, was amazing!
The Leadership Track (LT track) is one of the best improvements we’ve made to CYIA. Older students who have participated in CYIA for several years and any summer interns serving in the local chapters are given an opportunity to lead but also learn. In addition to serving the students, they are exposed to leadership classes helping them be the leaders God desires them to be.
We saved the best for last. CYIA’s goal is to train students to share Christ with children and a vital part is teaching about the meaning of salvation. While two of the students were sitting under this teaching, they realized they had not truly made a profession of faith in their life. Even though both had gone through the motions when they were younger. Camp Rain has a unique tradition. A bell is near the chapel area. This bell is only rung when someone at camp receives Christ as Savior. We never expected to be able to hear the sound of the bell this week, but we did, twice. Leah and Chase are now children of the King!
This year’s CYIA 2023 Training Week was almost perfect. Besides a young man falling and fracturing his wrist before camp even started, this week could not have been better. We would like to proclaim it was the perfect weather. Or maybe the ideal camp setting at Camp Rain. Or the tremendous staff. But, if we are honest, we have to declare it is because we serve a merciful, gracious, and loving God. This same God will indwell in each of the students this summer as they travel, teach, and counsel thousands of boys and girls all over Tennessee about Him. To God be the glory, great things He has done!
Jeff Nichols, State Director, CEF of Tennessee
