Like I mentioned, I knew three people there that had come from Utah as well. I roomed with the two girls, Hosanna and Rachel (who are like my older sisters) and then was able to hang out some with Noah (Hosanna's brother) who I'm good friends with. I also recognized a few people from a different conference I had been to about a year and a half before.
We had a little time to kill before the conference when my mom dropped me off so two of my friends from Utah and two of their friends from the Kansas city area took us sight-seeing around the city. It was really fun. They dropped us off at the conference afterwards. Here's a photo of most of us. Noah didn't make it into the picture unfortunately though. :(
I was able to meet a lot of great people that weekend, listen to some great teaching, go outreaching with a group of people, stay up late talking to people, and eating some good food. :) That was all amazing, but I would have to say my two favorite things about the conference was the fellowship with other young Christian adults and then the impromptu singing we did. There were several times either I or someone else would be playing around on the piano and someone else would join that person and the group would keep growing and people would end up taking turns playing the piano while everyone else sang. One night, a guy named Daniel actually set up a hymn sing in the beautiful chapel on campus. We spent a couple hours just singing some wonderful songs in that gorgeous church building. Several people took turns playing the grand piano, at least one of the guys (Justin) had a guitar, and a lady named Grace brought in her flute for part of the time. It was a joyous time.
The other thing I mentioned really enjoying about this conference was the fellowship. I was able to meet and talk to a bunch of amazing people...but the one I really ended up connecting with and messaging even after the conference was over was a guy named Daniel. When I first saw him, he looked like a really rough guy, but he seemed nice. He came up and shook hands with Hosanna and Rachel, who had both met him from previous years of the conference. Noah (it was his first year at the conference too) and I both met him later on and both ended up really liking him. He had a very rough background, but he is a true testimony of how God's love can truly change a person from the inside out. He is very friendly, kind, and just completely changed. I figured I'd let this post he wrote on Facebook the other day kind of give you an idea of what I'm trying to say.
"First of I need to acknowledge the Johnson family and tell them that they are in my prayers. Chaz was a decent guy. he was a great friends and loved those around him. Sadly he passed away last night to a worthless disease. A disease that is sweeping through our nation. It’s a silent killer that promises fulfillment, but causes absolutely nothing but destruction. We are all humans and we are looking for that thing that promises satisfaction, I was a meth head, Coke head and crack head a pot head, I struggled with alcoholism for many years and fought the addiction of cigarettes, I promise you that nothing will ever fill that hole that we all long to fill. Christ is the only one who can make us whole, Christ is the only one who can deliver us from the pain around and within us. Without Him we are hopeless, we will never be complete. Please guys stop trying, we’ve been trying for so many years and the people before us as well, it can’t be done, no matter what anyone tells you. We all are weak, and we all need help, but we can’t go to inanimate objects expecting it to deliver us. Christ can heal, Christ will make you whole."
There's obviously so many more details from that trip that I won't go into detail in this blog post! I will say though that it was truly a great weekend and I definitely plan to go back this year. :)
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