We just completed our Christian Youth In Action Training (CYIA) training. These teenagers will be spending the rest of their summer teaching over 50 Clubs and reaching over 1000 children with the life-changing Gospel. Thank you for your prayers and gifts which made this 10-day training possible. Below are a few of their testimonies.
14 years old: CYIA is like a war zone, the drill instructor may fool you with his enthusiasm but this isn’t an obstacle course. You are training to tell others about God, and that is frightening. At the end of a few days you want to give up and go home, but at the end of the 10 days, you never want to leave. It’s still a battlefield, but CYIA fully equips you with the best weapons you can get and need. The food was great and sometimes the beds were hard and you woke up on the floor. However, people here love you and want to help you in any way they can.
15 years old: CYIA has had a big impact on my life. This year, in particular, I have been learning how powerful prayer is. At CYIA this year it was undeniable that God was at work around me. Each day during our praise and share time after our 5-Day Clubs I heard about multiple prayer requests clearly being answered. Being in an environment of people that have one true focus of glorifying God is so impactful. I have learned so much from the examples of others at CYIA. Through practicing and teaching the gospel at CYIA, I am constantly reminded of what God has done for me. Not only has CYIA enabled me to follow God’s call for us to tell others about the Gospel, it has also helped me to put my focus in my life more fully on Christ.
17 years old: This is my second year at CYIA and I loved it as much this year as I did last year. It has been such a growing experience for me, deepening my relationship with God and others. When I’m here, it reminds me of what God created me for, His glory. It’s so satisfying to do what you were made for. It’s also so refreshing to be surrounded by people around my age who are of the same mind and consumed with a passionate love for Christ. The prayers and discussions have pushed me to grow closer to Christ. One thing, in particular, God has been teaching me this year is the power and the beauty of prayer. I’ve seen God do amazing things like stop rain, heal, miraculously divert distractions and change hearts (including my own). He’s helped me to believe in prayer and to enjoy and have the desire to pray. I have the desire to be a reflection of Christ to this world and CYIA has deepened this cry of my heart. Teaching children who are so hungry for God’s Word and have never heard the name of Jesus or known of His sacrifice for them is one of the most amazing things I have ever done. I pray that God would receive all the glory as I strive to follow what He has for my life.
15 years old: In previous years I’ve had commitments during the time of CYIA training, but this year God opened up the door and I really feel that this year is the exact time God wanted me to start. CYIA has been very uplifting yet very humbling at the same time. It is a very loving community and everyone was so helpful and encouraging but at the same time, it was emphasized again and again that we are only an open window for Christ’s love to flow through. We alone cannot do anything. CYIA is safe. Not only did CYIA teach me how to share my faith with Children, but it taught me about my own relationship with Christ as well.
