Bible Baptist in Terre Haute, IN is on the move! They have just built a building to increase classroom space, and the church was full on Sunday. Pastor Kevin Szwarga is doing a wonderful job. I went to Christian school with his mother and knew his father in my teen years. The faculty and staff of the school was very supportive, as were many of the church folks. It was a great week seeing teens saved each rally night and also seeing a move of God in the school!

Janna, the Seal co-captain, and several young people from the youth group were recruiting at the local middle school on Monday. She recruited a group of teens who were very excited about the event. Two of the teens came on Wednesday night, and both got saved! They were very interested in coming to church and youth group on a regular basis. 

There was one young man in the community who was contacted by a few of the team members. Judson, the Seal team captain, talked to the young man on Wednesday at a public gym. The young man came Thursday night and brought three friends with him. They all got involved and loved the competitions. When it was time for the preaching, they were glued in. During the invitation, the three friends and the young man all responded. The three friends got saved and the young man got assurance of his salvation. On Friday night, the young man brought two more friends who also got saved. The day after our team left, the church was having a teen activity. The young man went with the youth group to the youth activity. It was exciting to see God work in the young man’s heart and to see him get plugged in with the church.

Josiah, the Marine team captain, went to a house to see if teens lived there. He found a group of teens that he recruited for his team. The group of four came on Wednesday night. One of the young boys from that group responded during the invitation and got saved. One of the older guys in the group raised his hand indicating he did not know where he was going when he died. Abi, the Marine co-captain, talked to him afterwards. He was not urgent about his need to be saved. She challenged him with the importance of the decision to trust Jesus alone. He did not make a decision that night, but he promised he would be back Thursday night. Well, Thursday night the young man did not show up. Our team was burdened for him and prayed more intensely for him. It was encouraging to see him come on Friday night. During the invitation, one of the team captains tapped him on the shoulder to see if he wanted to get saved. He came back and was gloriously saved that night! 

On Wednesday after the War night, one of the Christian school girls on the Ranger team came to her co-captain, Annaleese, and wanted to talk about some things. The girl confessed that she was disrespecting her parents. On Thursday, the girl responded during the chapel invitation and confessed that she had been cheating in school. She went to her teacher and her parents and got things right. She gave this testimony on Friday: 

“This week I got convicted about hiding…I got convicted about gossiping and then cheating on tests, then hiding it, and I got that right and I am thankful for that.”

Stephen, the Ranger team captain, counseled two guys in the Christian school who were brothers. Both came back and wanted to get things right with their mom, so they went to the school office and called their mom to confess hiding sin. God did a work in that family! Abi counseled the sister a few times over the course of the week. God really opened their eyes to spiritual truth. 

The invitation on Friday, for the Christian school kids, involved a corporate prayer meeting. Several young people cried out to the Lord in brokenness, realizing their need to fully depend on Jesus for power to live the Christian life. One young man was broken about his need to trust Jesus rather than try to prove himself to others. An upperclassmen girl got assurance of her salvation. We are rejoicing in all that God did in Terre Haute.