WOW!!! This week has been amazing! It has started a complete change in my life that I never would have predicted. When I first got here, I was very nervous. I had no idea what was going on, and I was so scared to leave my comfort zone. But, later on the first night, when I met the people that I would be going out and ministering with, I felt a sense of comfort come on me...very slowly.

I was still nervous up to the very first person that I witnessed to, a guy named Mark. We were on a bus, heading up to Lincoln Park. The speaker right before we left had said that we needed to take every opportunity to look for someone to witness to, and God put me in a situation before we even really began. I was, of course, in an uncomfortable situation, sitting next to a total stranger, and for the next 10 minutes, I kept up this internal struggle over whether or not to talk to him. I kept telling myself, okay, at the next stop I will talk to him. My heart was racing, and I told myself, "Why am I so scared? It's not like I will ever see him again." So I struck up a conversation with him, and he turned out to be a not so bad guy. I asked him a couple of questions, and found out that he was Jewish. I felt so out of my comfort zone, but kept on talking. I wish that I had a little more time with him, because I feel like I missed out on an important opportunity which God had given me.

Another important event in this week was witnessing to a guy named Enrique (Henry) and his girlfriend, Victoria. My partner, Ilia from Michigan, and I struck up a conversation with the two of them following a close encounter with a squirrel. We began to talk about God, and you could see his face visibly come to attention. I was feeling like this was the one, we are gonna save this guy, and then my spirit inwardly drooped when I found that he was an agnostic and his girlfriend an atheist. However, we still told them The Story, and they listened attentively. When we, Ilia and I, had finished, they began asking questions. Deep, theological questions, which have been debated for centuries, such as, how can you prove that the Bible is 100% true, and if God is omnibenevolent (all good), how can he stand the evil in the world? I felt God speaking to me, and we told them everything that they needed to know...or at least I hope we did. We eventually had to leave them, and I still am upset that I did not ask for a way of communicating, because I could tell that he still had questions, but I was able to direct him to read John and Romans.

Throughout the whole week, we have heard from a really awesome dude named Zane Black, from the Dare 2 Share ministry. He has been challenging us all week, and on Wednesday night, he laid out the ultimate challenge. He challenged all of us to reconsider our relationship with God, and, should we need to, let go of the sins which were binding us and recommit ourselves to the relationship with him. During this time, I felt God take a hold of me, and I wrote out a list of my sins, and how they have taken over my life.  I also recommitted myself to becoming the man that God is planning for me to be. Later, that same night, as we met as a youth group, the confession just came pouring out, and it felt like a 2 ton anvil was lifted off of my back. Similar confessions happened to almost everyone in the group, and you could feel a spirit of forgiveness in the room. This had to have been the most emotional night that I have ever experienced, and I feel like it will influence my whole life.

Today, Friday, we wrote letters to our unsaved friends. It is a nerve racking experience, and it is one that I hope will be beneficial to the rest of my witnessing which will be accomplished at home. The letter writing will be one of the most influential ways of witnessing, because it will be to our friends, and as someone said, "Witnessing has two hurdles. You first have to have an opening conversation with the person you are witnessing to, as well as getting to know them. The second hurdle is saying, 'Can I tell you about God?' '' I feel like this is true, and it will be a life changing experience.

Zachary (KC) Cary

Very Encouraging

I wish you could see what I see right now.  Our group of students from FBC in a class room sitting silently writing letters to their friends.  Each adult leader and student are writing four letters to friends who don't know Christ as their Savior.  They have done a great job sharing their faith the last three days on the streets of Chicago.  Some experienced rejection, mocking, and rudeness from those they approached. Everyone had the opportunity to share about the love of Christ with someone on the streets this week!  They did a fantastic job!  Now they are writing letters back to friends who need to hear and respond to the gospel.  They are excited to get back and talk with their friends.  This has been a tremendous week in so many ways.  Thanks for praying for us.  Please pray as their letters make their way back to Virginia and our students prepare to engage their friends with the love and message of Jesus.  Thanks!!

John