Fifty-five public high school students spent a late October weekend at the first public high school retreat in several years at Sunset Lake Camp in Wilkeson, Wash. Between retreat activities, Will Ramos, "The Ghetto Preacher," delivered a series of powerful messages, encouraging the youth to keep going because they're worthy of God's love and the blood of Jesus.
"Your mess will become your message. Your misery will be your ministry, and your pain will become your platform," said Ramos. “You’re going to go through seasons of suffering, pain, depression … but I’m going to encourage you to continue on because it’s worth the fight.”
During one activity, youth were split up into separate groups and were challenged to get to know each other over a game of Jenga. But this was no ordinary game of Jenga. As each block was chosen, the student had to answer a question attached to the block.
“At first, I didn’t want to get out of my group of friends,” says Schdiamon, a public high school student and Mount Tahoma Church (Tacoma, Wash.) member. “But it was really fun. It allowed us all to get to know each other.”
One student admitted it was not her decision to attend and had not wanted to go, but she ended up having fun after all.
“God isn’t just the Sabbath or a church,” says David Salazar, Washington Conference youth director. “The purpose of this public high school retreat is to help them understand that, wherever they are, they can carry Christ with them.”
Fifty-five public high school students spent time getting to know each other and connect with God during the public high school retreat at Sunset Lake Camp.
Students were challenged to get to know each other by using the game of Jenga. As they remove a block from the tower, they had to answer a question written on the piece.
During one activity, students and their chaperones were challenged to write a letter to God.
Willy Ramos, "The Ghetto Preacher," delivered a powerful message, encouraging the youth to believe that they are worthy of the love and sacrifice of God.
David Salazar, Washington Conference youth director, directs questions to students during an icebreaker activity at the public high school retreat.
During an activity, students and their chaperones were challenged to write a letter to God.
