“Where is this place?” I thought as I drove my car through the boonies of Southeast Michigan on my way to the annual Midwest Youth Retreat. There it is!” one of my passengers yelled, and I screeched into a 30 mph turn. A small dirt road lay before us, and immediately the warning bells went off in my head. Dirt road equals mosquito infested, non-AC and cold-water shower retreat, which means a bad retreat. Boy, was I ever wrong. Not on the first three counts (at least for the guys, the girls had warm water!), but on the last and most important thought. It was an unbelievable retreat, one that only God could have brought about.

It was fitting that the retreat center was called the Mirror Valley retreat center, because it was a time to reflect on our spiritual lives, and see ourselves in the ultimate mirror, God.

The Living Springs Youth (Andrews), Westmont, Northwest Chicago, Chicago Unity, and Detroit churches participated in the weekend festivities.

The theme for the weekend was Church History for Young Adventists. When I first heard this I thought to myself “great, it’s going to be boring, and all about stuff we know.” I was wrong again. Pastor Julius Nam showed that history is indeed relevant to our youth today, telling stories of William Miller, Dwight L. Moody, and tracing the growth of the church to the present. I, as well as the rest of the group, was impressed by the perseverance, and dedication shown by those Millerites who believed that they were living in the last days.

“I felt that Julius’ topic of church history was relevant as a topic for the present. It’s something that we all need, along with a sense of belonging also,” girls RA Elizabeth Chung said.

Julius said that there were three important points about the early Adventists/Millerites success that are extremely relevant to us, who are living in the last days. 1.) The Millerites had the message. 2.) They did not shy away from witnessing. 3.) They had absolute conviction in the message.

If we can have these three things, there is no doubt that our church will flourish in the 21st century, and pave the way for Jesus’ soon coming.

The Sabbath afternoon activity consisted of breaking off into groups of five or six people, and acting out a praise song of their choice. Although simple, it produced unity, and generated a lot of laughs, through rousing renditions of “I Will Not be Shaken”, and “Peace like a River.” The group that acted out “He’s Changing Me” reminded us of the need to just keep trying to stay with God.

“The afternoon activities were great! We got to know each other better, and the song skits were hilarious,” Andrews youth Ji Hye Ha said.

Perhaps the most poignant and spiritually uplifting time came during the dedication service Sabbath evening, led by Brian Han. We gathered around the campfire, and Brian spoke of forgiveness, and how great God’s forgiveness really is. He had us write our most terrible sins, those that were really holding us back from getting closer to God. He allowed us to reflect, then collected them in a paper bag, and threw it into the fire. As that bag burned, it was as if a great burden was lifted from my shoulders, and also from those around me. One could sense that something special was happening, and that it was sort of like a new life beginning. As the bag disappeared, it was like our most terrible sins had disappeared. You could have heard a pin drop in the place, it was unbelievably silent. It was just one of those special moments that comes during a person’s/group’s walk with God.

“Just having the whole group just reflect quietly, and think about the forgiveness of God, it was mesmerizing. It’s only a sample of God’s love, and it was amazing,” Lee said.

After the campfire/dedication, there were marshmallows and s’mores, and some intense 4-on-4 and 6-on-6 volleyball in the barn/rec center there. Smaller than one side of a regular volleyball court, one would think that having fun would be impossible. Quite the contrary, the games were enjoyable, mainly because everyone was out to have fun.

It was interesting to see the blessing that people received from the praise, even with the absence of the usual praise group instruments like the bass and acoustical guitars, and the keyboard. It really showed that no matter how small or insignificant the instruments and voices, it’s the meaning of the words and the purpose behind the praise that really makes the difference in God’s eyes.

Of course the social aspect of the retreat was not ignored, as old friends were reunited, and new friends were made. Despite the less than expected size of the group, it was easy to meet new people, and interact. There’s nothing better than fellowship with fellow youth from other churches. It’s always good to know that there are others out there who share the same struggles that you go through.

It was with sadness that we departed on Sunday, but there was also joy in the feeling of revitalization. We returned to our jobs, classes, and homes with a new determination to witness with conviction, always trusting in God.

In the end, however, after all was said and done, everyone came away from this weekend with a great spiritual uplifting. The praise, the dedication, the theme, all were integral to the “success” of the retreat.

Let’s make the mirror a two way one, so that Christ can see Himself in us.