Letters to a friend (part 3)

Not much I can really say about this one.

So you've all no doubt got a bit sick of me talking about the youth
assembly, but bare with me here. This one could be interesting.

So anywho, it actually amazes me to think it was such a short time ago.
Seems like ages. Been thinking a lot about the Sunday morning, actually.
and I'd like to share with you folk what happened, from my point of
view. This might no be the most legible account, I admit, and I'm not
promising I'm going to be completely honest about everything, if only
because I'm likely to get choked up with emotion and not be able to
continue typing at some points.

So we got up in the morning, sat around and had a chat before breakfast.
After breakfast, we all gathered around and we where given a reading.
Hebrews 11:1-3, to be precise. From about that moment on, Hebrews 11:1
became something of a favourite of mine.

/Now Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do
not see. This is what the ancients where commended for. By faith we
understand that the universe was formed at god's command, so that what
is seen was not made out of what was visible.

/We where given a talk on the subject of faith, and then we where told
to go for half an hour to be alone, and to pray to God about what we'd
heard over the weekend. Actually, the first thing I did while everyone
else got up and left was to go speak to the minister. "Hi, ah, I just
wanted to say thanks. Ahm, the girl who gave me this bible put these
bookmarks in with bible verses on them, and if you look, this one has
Hebrews 11:1 written on it. So like, I'd not really understood why that
particular verse at the time, but it makes a lot more sense now.
Thanks." I speak so eloquently!

So anyway, at that point I went outside. I can't remember exactly what I
did, but I know I read some bible verses, I think a few psalms, and then
sat next to the church across the road from the hall we where at, and
prayed for several minutes. Shortly after that, folk started arriving
for church and there where some kids running around so I went indoors
and sat down on a chair in the hall. I did some more bible reading, and
again I can't remember what any of it was now, except for one. I was
basically flicking through the bible somewhat at random. I was looking
through the index, when I suddenly came across Stephen. The index
described him as being "full of faith, wisdom, grace and spiritual
power". For some reason I was drawn to read through Acts chapters 6 and
7 at this point, and after doing so I was filled with shame. Shame that
I share a name with one such as him. I made a prayer at that point,
"Lord, help me to be more like Stephen." Actually it was a lot more
complicated than that, but there's the just of the message. I went on to
pray again that the Lord would send me to do his will, and asked that he
reveal what he wanted me to do.

And God replied. In his cryptic way, he replied. It would be a while
before I'd actually begin to properly understand what I'd actually
gotten myself into, I admit. And that's saying something.

The rest of the morning was a bit of a blur. We did a bible study before
lunch, after lunch we sat and discussed what we want to see changed in
the church, as far as activities for youths go. I was told that I'd be
contacted and never was, exchanged mobile numbers with a couple of folk,
went home.  The experience of the time between breakfast and that bible
study, though, remains as strong as ever in my memory.

Well, I've said it. That was easier than I expected. I'd appreciate any
thoughts you might have.

Thanks for reading.

-Stephen