As an alumnus of NHCC and a former intern of NHW, I’m privileged and honored to have witnessed what God did at camp this summer. We have been praying and fasting for the Spirit of God to show up in a mighty way. Both middle school and high school camp God did exceedingly, abundantly above all we could have prayed for. 

The theme for this camp was “Deeper” and that is the testimony for many of the campers and leaders that attended. Oftentimes, when we pray for God to take us deeper into our faith we miss the step of letting go of things to make room for Him. Many of the campers expressed how they believed that God was asking them to let go of past hurts in order to forgive. They’ve also shared how God urged them to let go of some friendships in their life for their betterment as His child. Some even shared how they had to forgive themselves for holding back their hearts instead of giving them fully to God. All of these things were necessary in order for God to have room to grow deeper with them.

I was given the opportunity to speak to the campers at one of the evening services. It was not an easy task because God was asking me to share a part of my personal testimony with them. I struggled with this because that meant being vulnerable and showing them a deeper version of myself. I haven’t shared this part of my testimony with many people; it is a struggle because I don’t want anyone to look at me differently. I finally gave into what He was asking of me because God knows best. As I was sharing my testimony with everyone in the room, I experienced the overwhelming love of God for the first time in my life. God’s love really is bigger than any of us could imagine. I’m a walking testimony of how wide and long and high and deep the love of Christ is.

My education and training at New Hope Christian College (NHCC) truly prepared me to serve as a leader at camp this Summer – allowing the Holy Spirit to guide me and to work in and through me. When I initially came to NHCC, I had no idea what I was doing here;  all I knew was that God called me to Oregon. As I journeyed through the year, I realized that God planted inside of me more dreams and a calling that I didn’t even know existed. 

NHCC provided me with the knowledge and tools necessary to speak to the next generation. I’ve learned in the classroom what it means to contextualize with the group you are ministering to. I was given opportunities to develop sermons and present them in front of like-minded people. Most importantly, NHCC has been a safe place for broken people to come in and heal properly. It’s a place where students are taught that the Word of God is the Truth;  it is the only source of healing from the suffering and pain in this world. There’s so much wisdom to glean from seasoned leaders who have paved the way for us. I’m forever grateful and indebted to what this institution has done for me. To be able to see that happen in the next generation is just the beginning of us seeing the fruits of our labor.