Twenty-Eight youth and adults joined together in July to go on a houseboat adventure on Lake Shasta, led by Janet Renick of Christ Lutheran Church of West Covina, along with four adult leaders. 12 different congregations were represented, some of which are part of the “Area-Wide Event” Ministry of the East San Gabriel Valley, also led by Janet Renick. The group was comprised of Middle School Youth, High School Youth, and Young Adults, who served as Student Leaders. We stopped in San Francisco along the way, taking time to serve breakfast and to worship at Glide Memorial Methodist Church, located in the heart of The City. Glide Memorial serves nearly 2,500 meals each day, so volunteers are greatly needed!
While on Lake Shasta, students learn to waterski, wake board, knee board, and/or ride on a banana boat, most doing things they’ve never done before. We actually take away their cell phones and electronics while on the houseboat, and students are surprisingly grateful for that! They are able to participate and not be distracted. In addition, we do daily small group Bible Studies and nightly worship under the stars! Also during the week, students have a 3-hour solo time, in which to pray, to journal, and take inventory of their lives.
If a stranger were to join our group, they never would have known who was from which church, or who met the group for the first time on the first day of the trip! Students become life-long friends, and become part of a bigger picture…to “create memories to last for an eternity.” Jesus was at the helm, and we were His crew. Thanks be to God!
