What an awesome privilege I had in closing the 2009 International Youth Rally in Ames, Iowa! Imagine being in a worship service with 2,000-plus young people. They love their Lord and are not afraid to let it be known. After a few days of being with these young people, I am confident of our future. As these young people continue to follow their Savior, they can lead the way by the power of the Holy Spirit working through the gospel. It was a joy to see them interact with one another, with their leaders, and with total strangers. Let me share a few examples that give me confidence in the future.

SERVING AS OUR FUTURE CALLED WORKERS

At the rally I sat down beside a young man, Davin, in a breakout group. He did not have his rally book that contained the discussion questions, so I shared mine with him. We talked for a bit before everyone was settled in. He told me his plans of becoming a pastor because he wanted others to experience the joy he has in knowing who his Savior is and what Jesus has done for him. It was refreshing to hear a freshman in high school speak so highly and confidently about his plans to serve the Lord. After our discussion time was over, I took a moment with him and prayed that the Lord would bless his plan, his preparation, and his service in the ministry. We put it all in the hands of the Lord to guide him to use his gifts.

Young people like Davin are the future of our synod. It becomes important for parents, teachers, pastors, and friends to encourage them. I doubt if he was the only one there thinking about and planning to serve the Lord in the public ministry. He was one I was privileged to speak with. Lead the way? Yes, they can.

LETTING THE LIGHT OF JESUS SHINE

On the third day of the rally, we enjoyed some time to do a service project in the area. I was with a group that cleared brush from the shores of a pond in a preserve area. This was not easy work. We had to be on our guard against different types of plants that could cause some major irritation. We also had to keep our eyes open for snakes—not the real dangerous kind, but snakes nonetheless. Alex is a young man who was actually excited to be doing this type of work. I had a great pair of loppers—a powerful cutting tool. I was lopping trees left and right. As fast as I lopped them, Alex had them on the way up the hill. We began to joke that he had become my right-hand man. He had. I could trust that when I cut a branch, it was going to be hauled away. We had fun that day doing some hard work. I had a blast watching the raw potential for volunteerism before my eyes as this young man stepped up and offered his services without my asking.