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Here are some testimonies from Pat, a youth leader in Amelia, VA, about what God did in the lives of her youth at the Richmond ATF!!

Many experienced the freedom of Worship!  They even demonstrated to the church what and how it can be done.  This was a blessing to me (I am one who can get lost in worship and sometimes get a little carried away, comparatively speaking, more than people around me).  This was also a blessing to the pastor, as he has been trying to knock down these barriers that so many folks who walk in the door with.  They also learned that it’s ok to get crazy for Jesus and feel good about it!  They learned to not be afraid of stepping out in the darkness with His light and to not be afraid to share God’s word and love with their friends.  It was also reaffirming to be with so many kids their age who were on fire for Jesus and not afraid to show it!  This was wonderful for these teens, since Amelia is a small, rural community with not much going on for our kids.  It meant a lot for them to be surrounded with such positive energy.  Of course, the music was awesome.  One 14 year-old girl said “the music was so powerful you couldn’t stand still.  I felt my heart was so full of praise it would explode!”

*If you have any testimonies you would like to share, please leave a comment or e-mail me at rebecca.long@teenmania.com*

I pray that you are all recovering from last weekend, from lack of sleep, lack of hearing, or lack of a voice!  Hopefully, though, it was all worth it!  As I think back over the event, there are some things that God keeps pressing on my heart, which I would like to share with you:

Frist of all, please either send me an e-mail or leave a comment here with your feedback!   I want to be able to share some testimonies on here from the weekend, as well as pictures from the event, as reminders of the miracles God did.  If you have any of them, please send them my way! 

Now, I know that the event is over, but that doesn’t mean that the Lord is done working.  In fact, this is just the beginning!  God wants to use the things we all learned and the decisions we made at the event to change us for the rest of our lives!  Whatever you do, DO NOT look back at this as a “nice event,” but allow God to make it a turning point in your life.  He is calling us to be Troublemakers, not just at an event but for the rest of our lives!

So, write things down.  Keep a journal of what God is doing in your life.  Tell the people around you about the decisions you’ve made.  Use these stories to encourage believers and challenge the unsaved.  Whatever you do, don’t go back to the way you used to be.

Here is a testimony from Mary, a leader from Bethlehem Baptist Church:

This was our youth groups first time attending an Acquire the Fire Rally. I was so impressed at how organized it was. And I was so amazed at the fact that you would be experiencing great rock bands playing and the next minuet, kids would be down on their knees crying and praying for a close relationship with the Lord. God’s presence was certainly there, in that place. My youth group can’t wait to go again. It was truly a blessing to be there and experience God’s mighty power. It was an experience I will never forget.

I’m sure you all are busy planning last minute details, like places to stay overnight, food for your students during the event, chaperones, transportation, and all the other fun things that go into taking a group to an event!  I want to make sure that you are all set up to win, so I will do everything I can to help you. 

 Tickets:  If you haven’t ordered tickets yet, please continue to get a count of how many students you will be bringing, as well as collect money.  A few of the sections have sold out, but we still have seats left in the floor and bowl.  You may register online or over the phone at the door price until the end of the day Thursday, January 29.  After that, you will need to purchase your ticke