This past week while in South Dakota, we spent a great chunk of time bonding as a team. The first two days here we spent time doing business and getting ready for Hills Alive festival, and then the two days following that we took part in adrenaline pumping, fear-facing activities. Thursday we went rock climbing in the Black Hills, and if I had to describe that experience in one word, I would use the word exhilarating. I really learned to trust my team members as they belayed me while I climbed up huge mountains! There was one point when I was climbing and I was tired, thirsty, and scared but the team cheered me on as Joe patiently coached me. I will never forget the feeling of completion and growth that I received after finally making it to the top. Friday, after set up, Ann’s family took us out to the lake where we went cliff jumping, wakeboarding, and water skiing all while soaking up the warm sun.

Saturday began Hills Alive festival and before 11:00 a.m. struck, it was already almost a hundred degrees. We thought that was bad until the next day when it reached 104 degrees by the time we arrived at the festival! The days have been long and the heat has forced exhaustion onto a lot of us but that has not stopped us from sharing the love and the word of God with those we have met. Hills Alive is a very small festival and it is free so what I have noticed is a lot of people from the public are coming in to see what the festival is all about and they do not even know Christ. Yesterday I was able to talk to four girls who didn’t even know what the Gospel was or how to accept Christ, but I was able to share with them scripture, and I was able to pray for each of them! God is moving and He is using people as small as myself to witness to the lost and broken! Please pray for our team as we leave South Dakota and make our way to Washington for Creation East!

In Christ our coming King,
Stephanie Andrew