Last week I went with 3 adults and 11 of our teens to an awesome spiritual and inspiring Youth Conference called Steubenville NW. The first part of our journey started with a fun-filled day at Silverwood Theme Park with roller coasters, water slides, and cotton candy. Later that evening we ended the night with some praise and worship with a few youth groups from the Portland area. The next day we headed to Gonzaga University where Steubenville NW was being held. Throughout the weekend we heard from inspirational speakers, went to men’s and women’s sessions about chastity, had some cool entertainment, went to workshops, sang lots of praise and worship music, celebrated Mass and experienced Adoration.
That first night at the Conference, seeing over a thousand people praying, singing, and worshiping God was incredible to behold. When the monstrance was brought out for Adoration, it was a beautiful and amazing spiritual experience. Teens and adults alike were encouraged to encounter God through prayer in a deeper way than ever before. The second night built on the first, moving from more upbeat praise and worship music to more reflective prayer and singing. This time, the priest carrying the monstrance moved around the entire arena slowly, giving people near the monstrance a chance to reach out to Jesus in adoration, worship and prayer. Deeply moved by the grace and love that God gives us through the sacrifice of His son, I felt in awe of the presence of God in that room. Later that night, our group had a chance to reflect and share our experiences of that adoration time. Many teens felt renewed in their faith and had encountered God in a way they had never experienced before. Some teens also felt the call to change the way they lived their life. The Holy Spirit was working within us that weekend and I hope will continue to guide our teens to a deeper conversion to Christ.
If you didn’t get a chance to come with us, we’ll be going again next summer! Don’t miss out on an amazing fun and faith-filled trip!
