NYC was a great experience. I had several face to face meetings with God and it truly has changed my life. But God, in his splendor has not let NYC only permeate the few days I was in Missouri, He has continued to show his hand now that I am home. The first night, the speaker had asked if Jesus was your embarrassing friend and also to write down names of our friends that we would pray for and that others would pray for as well. I circled a name of my friend Jay and vowed to tell him about the gospel within the 48 hours that I came home. This made me a little nervous because Jay is very adamant that he is agnostic and doesn't like religious conversations. I didn't know how I would bring it up to him.

I arrived home and stayed there for a day before heading off to another camp and wasn't able to talk to Jay. But it just so happened that Jay was going to be at the camp I was going to. I wasn't really enjoying the camp, but I had this feeling that I was there for a bigger mission then just 'going to camp'. The Holy Spirit was speaking to me and telling me to just be His hands and feet. On the fourth day of the camp, Myself, Jay, and a few friends were throwing a Frisbee around when a conversation of selflessness came up. This led into a discussion about God, because there was no way for me to explain my servant’s attitude without expressing the Gospel and why Jesus has called us to be servants. Jay and I had a deep conversation where he would challenge my way of thinking and I would challenge his. During the entire conversation I just felt God speaking through me. Never have I have been able to explain the Gospel in such simple terms to someone. Not to mention I had the perfect answers to his challenging questions. We played Frisbee with our friends and they were able to hear about the gospel as well. The conversation continued throughout dinner and I had five people just leaning in at the table trying to hear about Jesus. They were all asking questions about miracles and faith, and other religions and Satan. God was right there with me and He gave me bible verses to tell them and life experiences that matched perfectly with their questions. The next day was Sunday and the camp offered a non-denominational service before breakfast, and me and three of my friends who I had talked with the day before all wanted to come to church service. We sang songs and they were up on their feet doing the motions and enjoying themselves.

As I look back on it, I realize what a huge miracle this was. God had taken me, a simple girl just wanting to do His will, and gave me the tools and strength to tell my friends about Jesus. That night, I asked God, why he didn't remove the scales completely from Jay's eyes and then Jay could have accepted Jesus as his savior. But God in his power told me, that it will be all in due time. It was my job to plant the seed of who Jesus is and God will bring maybe me, or someone else to harvest the seed when the time is right.

God is amazing. He is so much bigger than I could of ever imagined and the name I wrote down on the first night at NYC has heard the gospel and has began opening the door to God. I know that the prayers of the sponsors and students at NYC has been why this miracle could happen. I will continue to be diligent at being God's limbs and pray that other students will have the same impacts on their friends as they are back in their hometowns.

- Melanie, Student