On Thursday afternoon, our team visited LJHS's Scripture Union where students gather to spend time with fellow Christians. Team member Shaun had the opportunity to share a devotional with the junior high students. Below is a student's reaction to his message, and some insight as to how she has been challenged by it.
"Being given the opportunity to travel to America in January has changed my life. I met some absolutely incredible people, and commemorated some of the bravest. I have become so much more confident in my faith.
The whole week was such an eye opener for me – breaking down stereotypes, addressing racism head on, and being surrounded by Christians.
Before I went to America I was a Christian, but I may have been moving away slightly. I was getting really stressed about our upcoming exams, and about friendships that weren’t even real. I forgot to think of what God wanted and just did what I thought would make me look better to everyone else.
I think that Shaun was the main person who helped me realise what I was doing wrong. When I came home from America, I tried to change, but not being surrounded by Christians all the time, and having people hurt you over and over is hard.
Shaun is so strong in his faith and when he spoke in Scripture Union, he told a story about a wooden toy called Philip. Philip was loved by his maker, but he kept being given things by the other toys to “make him better,” but they weren’t making him better, they were making him change.
Listening to Shaun speak, I realised I was Philip. I’d been so surrounded by exams and people’s problems, and trying to make myself better, I forgot that God loves me just the way I am.
So, I suppose I want to thank Shaun for that. He’s so definite in his faith and I love to see someone so confident in what they believe. You would know Shaun was a Christian by the way he acts, the things he says, the way he is Shaun.
In other ways, the rest of the team have helped me a lot, they just don’t realise, but they really mean so much to me too.
That’s what I took away most from this trip: making amazing friends with the most genuine and humble people, and getting back closer to my Maker, God.
And who knows? I might be over in the US some time soon! You never know what God has in store."
"Being given the opportunity to travel to America in January has changed my life. I met some absolutely incredible people, and commemorated some of the bravest. I have become so much more confident in my faith.
The whole week was such an eye opener for me – breaking down stereotypes, addressing racism head on, and being surrounded by Christians.
Before I went to America I was a Christian, but I may have been moving away slightly. I was getting really stressed about our upcoming exams, and about friendships that weren’t even real. I forgot to think of what God wanted and just did what I thought would make me look better to everyone else.
I think that Shaun was the main person who helped me realise what I was doing wrong. When I came home from America, I tried to change, but not being surrounded by Christians all the time, and having people hurt you over and over is hard.
Shaun is so strong in his faith and when he spoke in Scripture Union, he told a story about a wooden toy called Philip. Philip was loved by his maker, but he kept being given things by the other toys to “make him better,” but they weren’t making him better, they were making him change.
Listening to Shaun speak, I realised I was Philip. I’d been so surrounded by exams and people’s problems, and trying to make myself better, I forgot that God loves me just the way I am.
So, I suppose I want to thank Shaun for that. He’s so definite in his faith and I love to see someone so confident in what they believe. You would know Shaun was a Christian by the way he acts, the things he says, the way he is Shaun.
In other ways, the rest of the team have helped me a lot, they just don’t realise, but they really mean so much to me too.
That’s what I took away most from this trip: making amazing friends with the most genuine and humble people, and getting back closer to my Maker, God.
And who knows? I might be over in the US some time soon! You never know what God has in store."