Student Leaders
 Billy
Glass
From the day I was
born, which was 2 months early, I always had big dreams. I
had dreams of being someone famous. I wanted to be a rock
star. I wanted to be an astronaut, a general, a president
even. Never could I have imagined what would happen to me,
but I always believed I was born for something special,
something above average, something great!
Unfortunately, many times over again these dreams were smashed.
I lived at home with a father who abandoned his family time and
again only to deceive his way back in. He was a man of the
streets, constantly putting his paycheck up his nose in the form
of a white powder called cocaine. Though it would take him
years to admit having done it, and though he still has not
stopped, we always knew he did. He knew nothing of
responsibility nor of the relationship a father and son ought to
have. The respect he could not earn from me due to
his lifestyle he demanded by force and intimidation.
Many times he would stand in my face, screaming, "I am an
honest man!" (lying as he said it). Perhaps the
hardest thing to deal with, however, was the fact that he
constantly left without telling anyone where he was, and he
would be gone for days at a time. The thing that
infuriated me about this was the effect it had on my mother.
Eventually I was beginning to be conscious of one fact: I
hated that man!
As I turned 16, my
mother and father had many arguments, and eventually he left.
For some reason, the hatred in me that I thought would depart
with him did not. I realized that I was absolutely
consumed with hatred for him, for myself, for everyone.
The hatred I felt began to engulf me and everyone around me saw
it. I began to engage in the very behavior I despised in
my father. I smoked marijuana. I drank whatever was
offered to me. I shirked responsiblity and did what I
wanted when I wanted. I thought I wanted to party. I
thought I wanted to be like my friends. What I really
wanted was an identity that I had never had. I wanted a
real friend. I wanted love. I wanted the empty space
that my hatred had caused to be filled. I started
seriously dating a young lady named Shannon about this time.
The day after we started dating, I had sex with one of my
sister's friends that stayed over with us overnight. When
she found out, I lied. I lied to everyone, and I even
used my mother to vouch for my "good character."
The worst part was that Shannon believed me. It's sad how
in my hatred toward my father, I found myself doing exactly as
he did to fill the space I blamed him for creating.
It was about this
time, I think God began to show an interest in me. Though
He had always been interested, this was when I began to see it.
Two young ladies from school began to invite me to
church, and they wouldn't leave me alone. I had decided
firmly that I was not gonna give in to this thing about church.
Eventually, though, I decided I would check it out. So I
went, and had a good time, hangin out in the back with other
friends who weren't into it, just there for fun. About the
4th week, though, God decided He'd had enough of this business.
He reached down right into that service and broke my hardened
spirit. He began to erase the hatred with an overwhelming
consciousness of His unconditional love. He took the rage,
and showed me a humble and loving yet powerfully strong savior
who was more than willing to take the burden off my shoulders.
For 15 minutes, I cried, not saying a word, just crying.
Friends said I was crazy, but I didn't care. I met the
living God. On that following Saturday,
I went to a crusade done by Billy Graham in Tampa, FL. He
spoke for 10 minutes and invited anyone who needed Jesus to come
forward. I felt a tugging on my heart that this was the
answer and I needed it. I needed to know the God I met the
previous Wednesday. I went forward and was led
to Christ, ironically, by a friend from school, who somehow out
of 17,000 people had found me to lead to the Lord. I knew
walking out of that stadium that I had been cleansed, forgiven,
restored. The hatred left right away, for I was
conscious of a love that was so strong that no hatred could
stand in the way. I went the following week and confessed
to my girlfriend Shannon that I had lied, and to my mother also.
Shannon broke up with me, but I no longer cared. I had
found a father, and a friend that meant everything to me.
I went back to church and told everyone. I witnessed to a
guy at a football game a week later and led him to Christ.
I began preaching in my church, and I sensed a call to the
ministry, to tell everyone in the world what I had experienced.
I never knew
in all my dreams that this was the real dream for me. It
was God's dream. God's dream was for me to have no
father, so I could depend on Him and in Him find a dad.
God's dream was for me to hate, so I could be more aware of His
love. God's dream was to let my hatred drive me to
self-destructive acts, so He could mend my broken life and my
broken heart. The dream of God is the testimony of my
life, a life of dreams.
Dan Wells
It was last summer
in 1999 after my 7th grade year was complete. I had been
in the Youth Group at my church for almost a year. I had
grown spiritually and gone to church more. I believed in
God and learned so much. I prayed to him all the times and
seeked advice. I did all this, and I thought I was a
christian....boy was I wrong. Someone told me that it's
more dangerous being someone who goes to church and believed in
God and THOUGHT they were a christian but really weren't than a
person who KNOWS they aren't a christian. I was in that
"DANGER ZONE" like in that song from "Top
Gun" the movie.
Anyway, I never been to a retreat and this year was my first
year. It was in late July and I needed to get out of the
house for a while. I arrived at Camp Sonshine 99' in
Brookesville, FL (same place as the Winter Retreat we were both
at) and it was fun. The first night we sang praise and
worship songs and listened to our first message from Tim Melwood.
It was pretty cool to me. I was like "Hey, that Tim
guy is pretty funny and is a great speaker. He's awesome!
He expressed God's word like I never seen it before!"
The next day was the first OFFICIAL FULL DAY at the retreat.
It was a Monday. I went to the morning session where they
did a HILLARIOUS skit and then a message from Tim again which
again just amazed me. Later that night was THE NIGHT!
Mark Upton was speaking and I could have sworn he knew what my
situation was! I could have SWORN IT! He spoke about
the stages of a christian and the traps we can fall into and
what a "fake christian" was. He
had a diagram and everything. Mark was just amazing!
In fact, he got me thinking alot. I felt like he was just
talking about ME the whole time! God spoke through him
that night. God literally came down and told me "Dan,
you aren't a christian. You still need to do
something!" Jesus Christ was the answer but I didn't
know it.
Mark then got into speaking about the "Cross" and
Jesus Christ. He went on and on about it. Yeah, I
knew the story but it never had an affect on me. But it
did that night. God was just pounding away at me with all
this stuff. He was fighting for me to become a christian
and accept Christ into my heart. After the service it was
free time. Instead of playing games and doing fun things I
had a LONG walk in the woods. I was crying my eyes out to
God..."What have I been doing? I can't believe this!
What are you doing to me God!!! Why did Mark do that
message! Why do I feel so bad!" I was crying my
eyes out and pouring it all out to the Lord. I didn't
accept Christ yet, but after one day at my first retreat....I
felt it coming. I knew it would come later that week.
After Tuesday and Wednesday...Thursday came around. That
was THE DAY! Thursday in the last week of July changed
me...(I wish I had the date! I want to know the ACTUAL
DATE I received Christ.) Anyway, after Mark's
message....which was just as powerful as Monday, Tuesday, and
Wednesday....he became serious with us more than ever. He
said this..."Guys, I want you all to walk out of this
building when I am done speaking. No noise, just silence.
Go ANYWHERE on the this property but not that far away.
And for 15 minutes have a quiet session with God. After 15
minutes you will hear a car horn signaling you to come back to
your cabin. After that we will have an
"open-microphone" time where you can share your
experience after being here for a week, and then we have a camp
fire and sing praise songs."
We all left. I walked down the SAME trail in the woods as
Monday night. I was alone and then started talking to God.
I was crying more than ever. I realized how much Jesus
loved me. Mark Upton made me realize how big a sinner I
really was. I was ashamed of my past actions...I was
ashamed of it all.....who could forgive me? Then I
remembered Jesus Christ. I then said "He must really
love me.....I don't know why but he does. He died on the
cross for me. I practically had the hammer in my hand I
NAILED HIM on the cross....it was because of me that he did
that..." I said that thing about the hammer because
our church did a skit where we had towns people saying "Who
nailed jesus on this cross?" And we all looked up
and saw a hammer in our hand. It was a good
skit...anyway...I broke down crying. At that moment I
accepted Christ into my heart. I could almost feel Jesus
right there beside me crying with me. Jesus was a part of
me from that moment on.
Then "open-microphone" time came along later that
night. A couple people started off and they had really
emotional good stories. After about 10 people....Jesus
Christ was actually SPEAKING to me! He said "Go
Dan.....go up there and tell them about yourself. Share
with them your experience...." I was frightened at
first, but I went for it! I spoke....
(Not word for word but close to it...pretty accurate...)
"Hi, I am Dan Wells from Tampa. Anyway, this week was
like...WOW...for me. About a year ago....God started a
flame in me as I joined youth group. I was not a christian
though. My sister, Rebecca (she was 16 then going into
her Junior year) for the past couple years has been trying to
make me accept Christ into my heart. I didn't listen to
her.....I didn't....I just.....she and Mark and my entire Youth
Group, especially Valerie wanted me to become a christian...and
after this week, their work paid off. Becca, I never told
you this, (I started breaking down into tears) and I am sorry I
didn't. But after what you did....I love you!"
My sister was crying after halfway through. In fact,
others were crying too. And the rest just clapped and
cheered. I walked down and gave my sister the biggest hug
in the world. She had been trying to make me become a
christian for the past several years.....I owe her for that. She
was praying for me every day for this tp happen. God
answered her prayers. One day, I will repay her.
Anyway, I talked to Mark Upton at the campfire and thanked him
for all he has done. I was a new person. It was an
awesome experience! The next day, Friday, lots of people
that I NEVER KNEW actually knew me. They were like
"Hey Dan, that was awesome last night!" It was
really cool!
 Saeed
Amini
I was born on October 26, 1984.
I was born again on March 25, 1996. After that Monday I
got the greatest sense of peace I had ever felt. I also
began facing the toughest trials of my life, like parents
arguing, two knee surgeries and nine dislocations of my knee.
Throughout all these things I try to remember that the trials
are temporary and one day I will fly with my best friend Jesus
through the heavens. My family is all Muslim. I've
tried a few times to witness to them but when its eight versus
one, I give up. Then I realize that I have God with me.
But throughout this and everything else, I remember that Jesus
loved me enough to die the most painful death I can think of.
If I could I would go and tell all the people of this country
that throughout all their difficulties God loves them.
God's love is unsurpassed. It is stronger than any love.
God loves me. He is my best friend, my comfort, my shelter
and my God. I rest in His peace and in His love.
Lord you are #1, you are love and we all need your love and your
peace. I love you God, thank you for my life.
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