Sping is Here!!

The Northern lights on the back road of Caronport

Hi Friends!

Spring is finally here after a brutally cold winter. It's so funny how in Saskatchewan that when it gets around -5 people begin to break out the skirts, shorts, and flip flops because it feels like summer in comparison to how cold its been the past 3-4 months.

The weather began to turn around about a week before youth quake which was such a blessing to have warm weather for that weekend. We took 53 youth from Joe's Place to youth quake this year and God moved in amazing ways. The speaker was a young pastor from the US named Jared Herd who challenged kids to choose life over death and live out loud for Christ. God used the main sessions and the workshops and sessions throughout the weekend to speak and challenge our youth. several of our youth made first time committments to Christ and others were taught and challenged in ways to grow in their walks with God. I was reminded once again of how apparent it is that each and every one of us is on a spiritual journey. God works and moves in each of our lives differently and we each have choices to make in responding to Him. I just finished writing a paper this week for my Gospel of John class on how : John makes it evident throughout His gospel that eternal life is a gift of grace but also that it demands a continual response of faith. It was a hard paper to write but it was really great to wrestle through it. As I wrote it I thought of the youth that I love at Joe's Place and thought of how each of them are on a journey and how God has been revealing to each of them in their own way His love and grace. However, they have a choice to make in regards to His grace. Some of them are open to it and believe in their heads but it hasn't quite made it to their hearts yet but they're asking questions and seeking for truth. others are of them have made the transition from believing it in their head and transferring that to their hearts and are now on a journey of learning how to live their faith out and how to remain in Christ (john 15). Lastly there are others who God has been revealing His grace to but they love their sin and therefore harden their hearts towards God and His love (John 3:19-20, Romans 1)

(Pat-marie, Harmony, Rachel (staff), Shannel

Working through this stuff has reminded me how much I need to be comitting to prayer. The Bible tells us that Satan comes to steal, kill and destroy, but Christ came to give life. We're all on a journey of trying to figure out how to live our lives. John 17:3 says "Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent." Please continue to pray for our youth as they partake on this journey of discovering who Jesus is. Many of our youth on our their way. It has been amazing talking to our youth and them telling me how it wasn't until they started coming to Joe's Place that they even considered that there could be a God out there (they just had never been challenged to think about God). Satan is trying hard to distract and discourage the youth from seeking God so pray that God would protect them from his schemes and attacks.

On Sundays after church we take the youth who came to church out for lunch at McDonalds and then have a Bible study back at Joe's Place. We're starting at the basics because our youth need to be taught theology and doctrine so they know what is truth. So a few of us college students have been leading and been teaching on things like how do we know the bible is trustworthy, how was brought together, what's the importance of Jesus dying, what is the trinity etc.

We've also been continuing to take a dozen youth the first wednesday of the month to Regina to serve at the soup kitchen there for the homeless and poor. GOd has been using that to teach the youth how to serve and have a heart for the people who God loves. It is amazing to see the enthusiasm they have to sign up to come because they just love going and serving. I wish you could all be flies on the wall to watch these kids discover GOd's heart as they serve Him and hear their enthusiasm in the vans back to Moose Jaw.

One of our girls named Robynne has been given an opportunity to go on a mission trip to Mexico next week with a local youth group. God has been growing and stretching her so much in the past year (shes one of the girls in our Friday small group) and I am so excited for what God has in store for her in the 12 days she is there. God has been teaching her so much in particulary the past 2 months as she's had to trust him in so many ways (health concerns, finances) and God has proven to be faithful to her. Please pray for her as she goes that God will teach her new things and that she'd encounter God in a new way as she serves Him there.

Catlan, Adrienne (staff), Robynne

Thank you for all of you who prayed for our youth who went to youthh quake and continue to pray for them. Your prayers are powerful and God is being faithful and is doing amazing work here. May you be encourage to continue in this great work of praying for the youth of Moose Jaw. May God bless you all this week.

With much love

Leanne