Youth Encounter

In addition to the Homecoming festivities, a special Alumni Award tribute will be made in honor of Robin Bragge at the evening celebration. Please join us!

Katrina Relief Update: Camp Victor Is Open!
Volunteers Are Urgently Needed
Susie Anderson

Almost a year has passed since Hurricane Katrina released her fury on the Gulf Coast of the U.S. Since March, Youth Encounter has been partnering with Christus Victor Lutheran Church in sending volunteers to help rebuild homes in Mississippi. We have sent almost 500 volunteers and their response is always the same. "I can't believe the devastation; it looks like it happened yesterday!" There is still much that needs to be done to help life return to normal along the Gulf Coast.

Christus Victor took another step in that process in June when they opened Camp Victor. Camp Victor is a facility which will house the volunteers who come down to help with the rebuilding process. It has a new commercial kitchen, carpeted dorms with bunk beds to house 250 people, bathroom facilities, and is heated and air conditioned.
[CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL STORY]

Team Training Is Fast Approaching!
Do You Know What You're Doing Next Year?
Jeff Rowdon

Now seriously, people. Doesn't that look like fun? Call Jeff today!

It’s late July, and it has been HOT here in Minnesota. Many of you may think of Minnesota as a state that gets really cold, but summer around here gets warm! It’s been in the high 80s and low 90s for most of July. We get the best of both worlds.

The end of July signifies many things—among them is the finish of recruiting for the 2006-07 Teams and the final planning stages for the training of those Teams.

Training starts on August 20, so time is just about up if you’ve wanted to apply for our Team Ministry but have been putting it off.
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EDGE! 2006 a Smashing Success
Service, Praise, and Fun Experienced By All
Steph Gunderson

I can’t believe it, but EDGE! ended a week ago! It was an amazing Event with the most wonderful students, adult leaders and staff. EDGE! turned out better than I expected, and I have been planning for this Event for a year and a half! EDGE! really touched people’s lives and challenged them to be "Reckless" in their faith.

Service was a big part of the Event. The Socks With Soul project was outstanding! Churches were asked to collect travel size toiletries and tube socks to be assembled and donated to the Men’s Rescue Mission of Nashville. We filled almost 1,000 socks! It was awesome! Sunday, we took an offering to help purchase food for the Distribution Center at Christus Victor Lutheran Church in Ocean Springs, MS. Monday morning we headed off to Kroger and Sam’s Club to buy thousands of dollars worth of food! We packaged 212 boxes of food on-site and shipped them to the Gulf Coast. The shipment was received in Ocean Springs, and they were truly moved by the generosity and service of the EDGE! participants. Sunday afternoon EDGE! participants went out in the city of Nashville to do a variety of service projects such as visiting nursing homes, playing games with refugee families, park clean-up, and much more! It was a great afternoon for the students to put their Share Your Faith training into action!
[CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL STORY]

Team Katrina: Personal Accounts of Ministry
Three Members Relate Their Stories in Ocean Springs
Christ the King Lutheran Church in Memphis, TN

The group from Christ the King in Memphis!

Last month, ten high school youth and four adults from our church served on a mission team to Ocean Springs, Mississippi, an area still recovering from last year’s devastating hurricanes. Working with Youth Encounter and Christus Victor Lutheran Church, we went down with the understanding that we could find ourselves working in any of a number of areas of need. After an orientation the first evening, we were split into two work groups the next day and given our assignments. One group went to a small, dilapidated home where the ceiling had fallen in and the porch was in great disrepair. The following days found them returning to work on that home, developing a close relationship with the young son of the owner who seemed to crave the friendship and warmth extended by our youth and adults. This group also worked two mornings in a “marsh pit,” where debris that was deep and solid enough to walk across during low tide had washed in during the storm. They said it was so bad not even bugs wanted to live there!
[CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL STORY]

Warming Up For Events Season 2006-07
Fall Events Early Bird Deadline is September 1
Jennifer Noyes

Big talents get to shine at the Variety Show at every Quake!

It’s summer! Can you smell hints of food being grilled? Bug spray? Sun block? I love it! Do you?

Here at the Youth Encounter headquarters, summer means there is excitement in the air! Some highlights as we gear up for the Quakes and Zones that are just around the corner include:

Event Information—Find out information about hotels, speakers and musicians by clicking on the Quake and Zone websites. Information is being updated frequently, so keep checking back!
Middle School Quakes: http://www.youthencounter.org/quakes/
High School Zones: http://www.youthencounter.org/zones/
[CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL STORY]

Thank You From Youth Encounter
A Word of Gratitude to Our Partners in Ministry
Brett Koopman

THANK YOU! More than 9,000 individuals, congregations and foundations have supported Youth Encounter’s ministry this year! This support has enabled Youth Encounter to share ministry with more than 260,000 people in thirteen countries around the world through our various programs.

Youth Encounter adjusted our fiscal year this year to more closely match our ministry schedule. Our fiscal year now operates from August 1 to July 31. We will complete our 2005-2006 fiscal year on July 31.

Youth Encounter, like many congregations and nonprofit organizations, experiences a reduction in general gifts during the summer. Would you prayerfully consider supporting our ministry at this time? For your convenience, you may now give your gift online, please click here to make a gift now!

I Bet Jesus Would Have a Sweet Mohawk
Read Excerpts From Watermark Denmark's Online Journal
Watermark Denmark

You know, one wonderful thing about being on team is that you get to a point where you feel completely free in trying new things. I think this has a lot to do with you only being somewhere for a short period of time and only having six other people who you see every day rather then all of your friends or schoolmates and so on. Anyway this gives you the cool opportunity to try fun stuff like new styles, crazy sports, or speaking different languages.

For me, I don't deal much with style in the general sense of trying to wear clothes that match. I don't go for style, I go for presentable and occasionally clean. But I love messing around with my hair. In my two years on team, my hair has been down to my shoulders, only an inch long, worn in a faux-hawk, worn in braids, covering my face, not on my face at all, in goatee form, soul-patch form, and the famed I-haven't-shaved-in-a-week-and-don't-really-remember-where-I-am-because-I-am-so-tired-but-I-am-still-smiling form.
[CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL STORY]

I Can't Wait to Take in Every Single Day
Read Excerpts From Captive Free North Central's Online Journal
Captive Free North Central

Captive Free North Central and Jan from Hazen

Today we wrapped up the end of Vacation Bible School training. It's kind of a bittersweet day. I never thought we would get to this week. This year has seemed so long at times and I didn't think I would ever make it through. Now, here we are and it's June. We have just over two months left on the road. We have just over two months left in this particular ministry. We have just over two months left with each other. This week has been incredible for renewing my spirits. I was able to get up every single day to see the sun up and the skies blue. I was able to take a walk every single morning in the fresh country air. I was able to play in the sun. I was able to talk to God constantly. I was able to worship with others around me. Finally, I was able to renew some relationships with people on other teams. People that I probably hadn't spent enough time with before, but was now getting the chance to get to know them and renew our spirits together. I am definitely nervous about what is coming this summer. There is so much to know and do, but I am confident our team is ready for it. I can't wait to take in every single day I can with the people around me that I love so much.
--Jenny Frantz
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We Felt Right At Home
Read Excerpts From Captive Free West Coast's Online Journal
Captive Free West Coast

Captive Free West Coast rock the Ultimate Frisbee field!

This morning the team circled up with some host families to pray before our three-hour drive. This was a super emotional time for me! First of all, prayers often make me cry, but I was also very sad to leave Flagstaff and my host family. Sometimes I don't realize how special they are or how much I've connected to my host families until I leave. They're one of those families that I'd like to invite to my wedding someday. Some things I enjoyed doing with them include water balloon tosses, swimming pool races, shopping, and visiting! I truly hope to see this family again in my life!
--Marta Madsen
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Youth Encounter Qualifies for Thrivent GivingPlus
Gifts From Thrivent Members Eligible for a 50% Match
Brett Koopman

We at Youth Encounter continue to be grateful to qualify as a Thrivent GivingPlus^® recipient. That means that gifts to Youth Encounter up to $600 are eligible for a 50% match by Thrivent if you are a Thrivent member. We are so thankful to be included in this fantastic program.

The GivingPlus^® Member Gift Form must be completed and sent to Youth Encounter with your gift for us to receive those matching dollars. Please click here to download that form. Also, if you are not a member of Thrivent, you may apply to be an Associate member for $10, which will allow you to participate in the GivingPlus program. You may click here to learn more about the requirements for becoming an Associate Member of Thrivent.

The following is valuable information regarding this program:
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