When you plan a youth trip, you do all of the hard work on the front side, so that students start relationships with Jesus and have a great time…..or so I thought.

Then came Glorieta 2022…

The first 24 hours went well other than some minor inconveniences (to be expected). At the end of Day 2, one student left an event because he wasn’t feeling well. I checked on him when I went back to the room, and he was already asleep, so I didn’t think much of it.

At 2AM, I woke up to movement and the unmistakable noise of vomiting. It was the student from the night before. I led him to the bathroom and walked out to the room to see where the vomit was. Needless to say, it was pretty easy to find. There was a little on the floor, but it was mostly on my bed.

That’s right….he puked on me. While I was sleeping. 

After trying to clean up (and removing my only bedding), I tried to go back to sleep (yeah right...). At breakfast, another 2 kids were down sick. After rec, we had two others who didn’t feel well. I could feel the tension rising in me. Was this covid? How many are going to get sick? By the afternoon, I was beat, so I took a nap.

I woke up to 17 missed calls and 10 missed texts from the camp director. A girl who was with us was having a panic attack and couldn’t breathe due to complications from her asthma and the altitude. After over an hour of trying to calm her down, we called her mom and sent her to the hospital.

Those are the highlights, but I assure you there was much more. In 12 hours, I went from good to “what just happened?!?!” I broke down. I was tired, hurting, and felt like I had done something wrong, but what? What could I have done differently? Why did it feel like I was being beat up for trying to lead students to Jesus?

But then something wonderful happened. I began to feel the Holy Spirit groaning on my behalf (Romans 8:26). I knew He would bring about good if I trusted Him (Rom 8:28). I reached out to my people, and they began to pray. Even the students prayed over me at the dinner table. They encouraged and fought for me through prayer. I wish I could say students got saved, and everything was great. It wasn’t... but God was good to show me that despite how things turn out, He fights for me and sends others to do the same.

When it all goes wrong, hope in the God who hears your unspoken prayers and surround yourself with people who pray for you. It makes all the difference.