What a weekend!

DYC is over. This is a high school conference held at the Red Lion in Portland. We had great weather and our largest group ever! I want to give you a few snapshots.

- There were almost 800 of us there.

- Josh Mann did four messages that "cryptically" hit the four fold Gospel our denomination (C&MA) is founded on. Christ the Savior, Sanctifier, Healer and Coming King. He used different terminology. Jesus our Redeemer, Refiner, Restorer and Returner. He knocked it out of the park!

- One of those sessions, Sunday night, was on healing. Josh invited a couple of elders from our church to me up and lead a team of people to pray for anyone who might come forward. When Josh was done, we went for 1 1/2 hours. Logan Martin and band played and the team prayed and students came forward in mass.

There were some amazing stories from that night. I want to share 2. The first: A high school guy felt God was calling him to go forward for some healing from a personal life struggle and was so nervous he decided to go to the bathroom. When he was in there he saw a paper that said "Talk to Erik w/a "k"." He went in to look for me but couldn't find me. Then he turned around and there I was. It was powerful.

Second: Josh was getting to the James 5:17 passage where it talks about healing and having the elders anoint the sick with oil. Somehow he knew that they had forgotten to bring any oil and was tempted to skip that part. Jeff, one of the elders, looked at Craig, the other elder and said, Do you think God could provide us with oil between here and the stage?" Well, they went up and sat down. As they were sitting there a lady walked up and looked at one guy then turned to Jeff, not knowing he was one of the elders, and said, "I think you are supposed to have this." It was anointing oil. After Jeff asked her how she came to have the oil. She got it at a conference a year ago and it has been sitting on her dresser all year long. Then she thought God was telling her to put it in her purse this week and that she was supposed to give it to Jeff. Crazy! Yes, that is God at work!

Oh, it may be that my friend's broken wrist was healed too!

- Over 400 went out and did service projects all over Portland and Vancouver.

- Monday morning there were a ton of students who went forward to commit to serving God in full-time missions, if that is what God would have for them. We also had an offering that went toward a text book project in Burkina Faso, West Africa. They had asked for $5,000. I did not think we would raise anything even close to that. The most we have ever raised was about $3,000 and last year was just under $2,000. I did think that we would be able raise enough to buy some books, so I thought it would be a good project. Well, this amazing group of students raised $5,100.81 plus a ring, 3 necklaces, 4 gift cards and 2 ipods! WOW!!! I was blown away! I have such little faith.

- Trace Bundy played 1 song Saturday night and 15 minutes on Sunday night during the session and then had a concert Sunday night. He is an absolutely amazing guitar player! Check him out at www.tracebundy.com

- Logan Martin brought his team and lead us in worship. Logan has an amazing ability to "roll with it" when things go different than was planned. He has an amazing voice and is awesome on the guitar. Students love his leading. He also introduced us to to something called Mocha Club. This is where you can give $7 a month. He is going to take the money everyone who gives at DYC and it will all go to to build an orphanage. www.myspace.com/loganmartin and www.mochaclub.org/join/5078/3 is where you can join in under Logan's efforts.

- Scott Erickson came and painted Saturday and Sunday nights during the evening sessions. He painted during the music and the message. At first I thought it would be a bit distracting, but it fit so seamlessly with the whole night. You can check out some of Scott's artwork at www.thetranspireproject.com

- I am truly pumped about this past weekend. It was actually a highlight that I heard no problems from the hotel staff. I walked up to the desk a lot during the weekend and just built relationships with each of the team there.

- Our fun night, Sunday, was filled with the Trace Bundy concert, inflateables, students learned how to do the Virginia Real and some break dancing. Of course there was the Labyrinth.

- Saturday night was our annual 4 vs. 4 basketball tournament and Portland Chinese Church youth ministry won. It was awesome! I was on a team from Salem Alliance and we made it to the final 4. We lost to the team that won, so that felt pretty good.

What a weekend!