Aidan Murphy: “We Can Still Find Hope”

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary hope is described as a desire accompanied by expectation of or belief in fulfillment. So, in kid terms, hope is the feeling that you get when you want something and think you will receive it.

There were four daily themes at Montreat. The one that stood out the most to me was “hope in the midst of hopelessness.” I felt a connection with this theme because that is when I think hope happens – in the midst of hopelessness. The scripture that stood out to me on that day was Luke 23: 26-43, which is about Jesus’ betrayal. During this part of the Bible, Jesus is being crucified between two criminals.  He has been tortured and humiliated.  While he is on the cross, one of the criminals continues to be mean to him, but the other criminal stands up for Jesus and asks him for forgiveness.  Jesus forgave him and said, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”  

This is a specific example describing hope in a hopeless situation. The hope in this story is Jesus’ love and how He forgives. There were different situations at camp that showed just a little bit of hopelessness. Some of them were

• New kids not knowing their way around
• Shy people who don’t make new friends very well 
• Dogs in the pound
• Homeless people
• Hungry people

But, we can still find the hope in these situations. Some of these things can find hope in

• Older kids ready to give directions
• Extroverts who try to bring include everyone, And
• Us, because we donated canned foods for the hungry, made prayer bags for the homeless, and toys for the sheltered dogs.

So no matter what, there is a way to find hope in a hopeless situation. Some ways may be more obvious than others, but they still help.

My favorite song down at Montreat was My Lighthouse, which you will hear during the offering, because I knew it from last year and it is an energetic song. It really brought people together and made them want to come back next year. I experienced hope in God during small group, because even the shyest people would answer and everyone would support them. I hope that God’s world will be just like my small group, where everyone is included and supported. I will share God’s hope with others by sharing my story and by doing service projects with my youth group.

 

Liam Mullin: “Like God Was With Me”

I really liked Montreat this year. We had a lot of fun. We played games, we met some new people, and the worship services were always interesting.

We played 9 square, and a lot of card games, like spoons. There was also some delicious food. We met a lot of new people. We also saw a lot of old friends. I especially liked how everyone treated each other with respect.

I really liked the nightly worship services. We had 2 pastors, Doug and Claudia. They talked about bread a lot. They compared us to yeast because the yeast makes the bread grow just like we can grow God’s kingdom.

I also liked the music there. I really felt like God was with me when we sang my favorite song, “Todas las Mananas.” It was full of energy.

I really liked Montreat this year. I will definitely be back next year for more fun in the sun.