Some schools have grown as a result of the COVID issues. Frederick Christian Academy is one of those. We come here on a regular basis, and it was good to be back with Pastor Kent Ramler (who grew up at my home church where my dad pastored) and Mr. David Lavoie, the principal. We appreciate their heart for the Lord and the students.

On Tuesday, at a public high school let out, Caleb, the Seal team captain, talked to one guy who was not interested in the War. His mom brought him Thursday night, and he got plugged into the competition very quickly. He responded to the Gospel invitation almost immediately, but he did not understand everything. Our team prayed from him, that God would make things clear to him and for blinders to be removed. God answered our prayer when the young man came back Friday night, and Caleb went through the Gospel with him, again. With clarity of mind, the young man got saved. 

Many of the students were new since the last time our team was here just a short year and a half earlier; they received the truth preached in each chapel message. One of the girls on the Seal team made a strong connection with her co-captain, Esther. After a couple times of counseling, it was clear this girl was not saved. During one of the invitations, Esther went through the Gospel with her, and she was gloriously saved. She stood up and gave this testimony Friday night: 

“Some of the girls helped me this week and so God saved me this week and I know this is really short, but they have helped me and it just made me feel well about it.”

There was a group of young men at the school who had a genuine heart to do what is right. God worked in each of their hearts throughout the week. Some of them came out recruiting with our team and even recruited kids in the community, using their Spanish. Others invited their friends to the War nights. One young man brought his older brother the first night. The nights following, these two brothers brought more and more visitors. 

God also worked in many of the school kids’ hearts about bitterness. Some of the kids came from very difficult family situations, but it was exciting to see many of them forgive those who had wronged them and begin to trust God to work all things together for good. One young man gave this testimony about his bitterness: 

“I’ve been going here for about six years and I got saved when I was really young, but over the course of time there’s been a wall between me and God and this week…I didn’t realize how much effect bitterness towards a person that wronged you could have and so when I forgave them it felt like a wall came down. I felt lighter and happy and peaceful.”

One girl on the Marine team was faced with the decision to forgive her parents for some awful choices they had made. Abi, the Marine co-captain, walked her through what it looked like to trust God and forgive. The girl wrote a letter to her mom to explain all that God had done in her heart over the course of the week. She took steps of obedience and forgave her parents.

Jonathan, the Marine team captain, was able to challenge one of the young men, who was a leader in the school, on Friday night at the campfire. The young man started to realize his worldliness and his need to seek God above all else.