Lake Fork 8/22-24/08
Amazing and Exciting Alba, Texas
by Briauna McKizzie

Sometimes, people think that only amazing and exciting things happen in cities like New York, Chicago, Paris, or maybe even Dallas, but the second weekend of August 2008 showed me that incredible things can happen even in small towns like Alba, Texas. That weekend Glowing Heart hosted a Disciple Now weekend for the youth of Lake Fork Baptist Church. Initially, some of the members of the group and most likely some of the youth definitely had many butterflies living in their stomachs. It was the first time that most of the members had ever hosted a D-now weekend and it was the first time that the kids ever attended a D-now weekend. We all were walking a new path that would ultimately lead to an extremely amazing and beneficial end.

The Glowing Heart members eagerly awaited the arrival of the D-now kids, and we all rushed out in excitement to greet the beautiful new people who would soon become a part of lives. The kids came of the van chattering and laughing and immediately quelled all of the doubts of the new members who wondered what to do if the kids didn’t want to talk. A lack of communication was definitely not something we had to wonder about.

We had a diverse group of kids who came that weekend. There were homeschoolers, Africans, and the average public school child, and they all had different interests varying from the Jonas Brothers to Soccer. However, the common bond that kept them all together was their genuine desire to learn more about God, our magnificent creator, and how to better serve Him for His glory.

Our spiritual journey began with studying about the armor of God and the spiritual battles that we are constantly fighting. Many of the kids let us know right away that they understood that were in fact going through some type of spiritual battle that weekend. Whether it was facing their fears of going to a new school, or trying to overcome the habit of name-calling and unkindness, still, they did not just admit their struggle, but rather they also called upon the Lord for help and put everything in His hands. To look out into the audience on the Saturday night worship, and see the kids with hands raised and hearts abandoned praising and calling out to God was one of the most beautiful things anyone could ever see.

Personally, I was definitely one of the members of GH who was nervous about being a mentor and being looked up to by these amazing sons and daughters of God. However, by the end of the weekend I realized that as long as God is in me, I have absolutely no limitations but my own doubts and fears. The faith of these young people was one of the most encouraging and beautiful things that I have ever witnessed, and I am confident that I am not the only one of the GH members who was so greatly impacted. Alba, Texas is a seemingly insignificant spot on the map, but when God became involved it was the birthplace of something incredible and memorable. The work that God did in the hearts of all that were involved cannot be undermined or forgotten.