Last Full Day of the Gathering and the 4th of July!

 Thursday started out much like the past two days with a complimentary breakfast and a walk. But this time, we walked straight to the Alamodome for a Mass Worship service with the whole gathering. The service was an incredible experience, with 25,000 people all responding in unison with Reverend Harrison. Everyone seemed to feel right at home as we sang and followed familiar liturgy. Then, we took communion with the whole gathering, everyone being dismissed by row, just like at home. Once we received the blessing, we left the dome and split up for lunch. 

After, we regrouped and took in all of the fun booths the convention center held. This meant another (totally nessasary) TEMPORARY hair coloring, doing other activities and a whole lotta FREE STUFF (pens, keychains,and mini frisbees). We headed to our sessions, which included things like a play about knowing your true identity in Christ and other leaders that spoke about media addiction, and how to live your faith in today's world. The day went by quickly, and once again we found ourselves in the Alamodome for the second time that day, but this time for the mass event. This particular event was all about living loved, and knowing just how loved all of God's children are.

Our guest speaker, Jessica Stevens, was a 25 year old woman who had gone through quite the medical ordeal. When she was sixteen she contracted Lyme disease, and battled with reoccurring RSD. She told us how every time she thought she lost faith God would always bring her back. Everyday she found something to be optimistic about. Her story was extremely moving, and  the good news is that she has been in remission for a year. For many, if not all of our youth, this hit home. We related to her in a way we had not for any other speaker. Feeling a strong sense of togetherness and love, all 28 of us excused ourselves from our seats, came together in the hallway, and held onto each other as we gave each other support. We have all felt unity before, but it was never like this. We felt strong and weak at the same time, but in addition to that complex emotion, we felt whole and loved. It was a while after we sought out where to see the fireworks.

Soon after we got down there, the fireworks of San Antonio started, dazzling us in every shape and size! All in all, it was a unexpected but much needed end to a long day for the youth group. 

Day 3 of the Gathering (July 3rd)

Our 3 day of the gathering was an awesome one! We all attended some great sessions and learned a lot of new information! We attended sessions in the morning with our family groups, ranging from "How to Be Awesome... And Other Pointless Pursuits" and Remedy Drive!

We also had some time to explore the Interest Center, where there were booths and activities from all the different represented states and districts! We played bean bag toss, got our hair TEMPORARILY painted/dyed, helped stuff a school bus full of backpacks stuffed with school supplies and a lot more!! 

Our night finished off at the Alamodome for another mass gathering and this was another intense one! We talked about how amazing it was that all of our sins had been forgiven!

The adults needed a little bit of a break in between the Mass Event and the Mass Event Plus! (Picture above)

We are very excited for church tomorrow morning along side 25,000 other Lutherans! 

We miss everyone back home and can't wait to come home and share about the amazing experiences we are having here! 

DAY 2 of the Gathering (July 2nd)

Our first full day of the gathering was pretty crazy! We attended sessions, speakers, and concerts, ranging from the Jesus Painter to "Questions You Can't Ask Your Mama." A lot of us enjoyed our speakers and had a great time collecting "freebies" from all the representing districts! 

After the crazy day of speakers and concerts was over, we enjoyed hot dogs and nachos at our hotel for dinner! 

Our second mass gathering was rather... intense. We discussed God's meaning of love, lies, and distractions. We also saw the Jesus Painter debut a new painting and the Sand Artist's amazing work. After many tears and hugs, we walked back to our hotel where everyone fell fast asleep! 

Although we are having an amazing time down here, we are missing our families! 

The Start of the Gathering! (July 1st)

Everyone was overjoyed that we could sleep in, so we took full advantage of that! We made our first trek over to the Alamodome, hopped onto buses with all the other Wisconsin districts, and went to Rio Cibolo Ranch for a barbecue, hay ride, feeding longhorns and buffalo, and bonding time with other Wisconsin youth groups! 

After the ranch, we explored the river walk and looked for a place to eat dinner before the first mass gathering!

After a delicious dinner, we walked with 23,000 other Lutherans to the Alamodome for our first mass gathering! The theme of this first gathering was centered around the question, "What is love?" We were introduced to the Skit Guys and the fabulous Gathering News! We hope that everyone was able to watch online to see what we are all experiencing! 

After an UNREAL first mass gathering experience, we all separated into groups to go "Night-Life" events (post gathering events). Unfortunately, everyone's events were full, so we all ended up coming back to the hotel to share highs and lows for the day, and then everyone was off to bed! 

We had an AMAZING first day at the gathering and cannot for our sessions and concerts tomorrow!

National Gathering Day One Complete! (June 30th)

WE'VE ARRIVED!

After traveling for almost 6 hours, we were overjoyed to finally arrive in San Antonio! Jaime, the Emilys, and Taylor walked down to the Convention Center to discover this huge mountain of backpacks! 

After carrying all 28 backpacks back to our hotel, they were greeted by 24 eagerly awaiting youth excited to try out their brand new backpacks! We then strapped on our new backpacks and walked down the street to see the Alamo! (Picture below) We were all excited to finally see the Alamo after learning about it in our history classes! 

We were given some time to then explore the river walk, running into many other excited youth groups!  After time at the river walk, we walked back to our hotel to reflect upon the long day. Like expected, most people hopped into bed right afterward, however, some decided to spend some time in the pool! By 10:30, all lights were out, and everyone was getting some much needed sleep! 

We miss everyone at home and hope that everyone is having a great start to their week!

National Youth Gathering Slideshow

Thank you so much to everyone who attended our presentation this past Sunday! It was so much fun sharing our trip with all of you! We apologize for our slideshow not working, but for those who are interested in seeing more pictures, enjoy!

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Mixed Emotions on our last day

LAST DAY OF TRIP:

Although we all want to stay here, deep down, we want to go home. Today, we had our "surprise trip." We went to an alligator farm, and rode in an air boat around the swamps and looked for alligators. We also learned a lot about them. Everyone had a fun time! Plus, we spent another day at the beach, and avoided the jellyfish stings. The water was hot, like bath water, and very salty. We even enjoyed a great lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe. Now back in New Orleans to fly out tomorrow, we all agreed that we are excited about the bittersweet ending to our trip. Overall, we had great fun, and will be coming home with fun stories to share. We are praying for all of you that you stay dry and out of the rain, and that you all stay safe. God Bless!



Emily Sander





Here's a picture of Taylor dancing that was on the Gathering's website! This was during our Worship Service on Tuesday night.

We had another early morning on the last day of National Youth Gathering. The closing mass event was incredible, with teens from all across the world screaming and clapping and praising God. Because it was the last day, everyone got into the music and joined in the singing. Listening to the crowd was a totally different experience from our own church services. Everyone is loud and banging noisemakers against their hands, however they could express their joy. The presence of God was extremely evident in the crowd today. We also got to hear the whole story of Jesus in a couple minutes. The guest speaker put it in our langauge, giving us a different view from the sometimes difficult diction of the Bible.

After the mass event, we traveled to Biloxi, Mississippi and spent the rest of the afternoon at the beach. That was fun, except most of us were stung by jellyfish. Some of us relaxed and slept on the white sand, while others crashed around in the waves. It was wonderful to enjoy a break from the hectic schedule of the NYG, giving us a chance to recooperate before tomorrow's events. Jaime has promised us a surprise (if you have any information, please call 414-640-3502). We ate dinner at Sonic around nine tonight. It was interesting because most of us had never been there before and we couldn't understand how the waitress sped around on roller skates and figured out change in her head.

We're looking forward to another day of the sunny weather and hot temperatures, and we can't wait to see you all again soon!
Kaitlin and Taylor

Worship and our last full day of Gathering

What an amazing night! We hope that you were able to livestream our event tonight and worship with us, but if you weren't, just know that there is nothing short of heaven that can compare to worshipping with 25,000 other people! It was inspiring to hear the shouts and echos of "He is Risen! He is Risen, Indeed! Alleluia!" throughout the Superdome. It was humbling to join in with the priesthood of all believers and take the Lord's Supper with them. (And the craziest part was that communion for 25,000 people took just about as long as it does on a normal Sunday morning at Blessed Savior! How do they do that?!?!) The pastor talked about how we all know that God forgives us, but sometimes it's hard to forgive ourselves. But that through Christ's resurrection, we are assured of that forgiveness.



We had another full day prior to our worship service tonight. We got to go to a Bible Study, listen to speakers, participate in games, service projects and events. We can't wait to share all our stories with you on August 15!



While we'd love to share more now, we must get back to our packing. Everything needs to be out of our rooms before 7:45 tomorrow morning when we head back over to the Superdome for our closing event. Thank you again for all your prayers! They have been heard!



More prayers would be appreciated as we head over to Biloxi in the afternoon to enjoy some downtime reflecting on our week here together!

Monday Night

The Gathering has officially started, and it's been a whirlwind of activity ever since! We started out with our first Mass Event on Saturday night, and it opened up with bang! Literally! Fireworks, music, praise and Bible Study started our focus on God right away!

Sunday morning started out bright and early for our 5K runners: Drake, Bryce, Kaitlin, Emily and Kelly. We left the hotel and headed to the Superdome at 5:15am, and watched them run around the Superdome 6 times to complete the run. Sunday night we got to see the "Jesus Painter" and heard from a mom who's daughter died in a car accident last summer, just after her 18 birthday. She reminded us that no matter what, we are always in God's hands and He has our plans laid out for us. Monday morning we left for our Servant Event. We boarded buses with 120 other kids and went to the future home of a Youth Center. The current contractor is renovating the buildinng in a green way and is attempting to get it done to provide a place for young people within the neighborhood. We worked on bundling the planks so they could be used by others, tearing out plaster, and cleaning up some of the rooms. We returned to the hotel to shower before heading back to the Convention Center for our afternoon sessions and concerts. Monday night we heard from Rev. Matt Popovits who reminded us that our story isn't about us, but about Jesus.

We're amazed that tomorrow is the last full day of National Youth Gathering already! But, we're really looking forward to more sessions, activities and concerts! And we're really looking forward to worshipping with 25,000 other people tomorrow night. Don't forget that you can livestream our evening Mass Events at lcms.org. If you're watching Tuesday night, don't forget to look for Taylor who is going to be dancing!

Thank you so much for all of your prayers during our trip! We definitly know that God is watching over us while we're here!

Day 2-First day of Gathering!

After breakfast at IHOP,we rode the trolley down to the Garden District to visit the Lafayette Cemetery. Because of theculture and geography of New Orleans, people were buried in mausoleums rather than under the ground. The cemetery is one of the oldest in the city, with tombs dating back to the 1830's.

We tried to escape the heat by staying in the shade of the live oaks and magnolia trees. Mardi Gras beads were tangled in the branches! Along the sidewalks of the nearby neighborhood were wrought iron fences cast in ornate patterns. The homes were from antebellum times, and one of them is owned by Sandra Bullock.

When the tour ended, we escaped into the air-conditioning. I've never been more grateful for Wisconsin's weather! Once we had cooled down enough to brave New Orlean's temperatures, we returned to the hotel for a relaxed afternoon of swimming before the hectic events of National Youth Gathering start up. Opening ceremony starts at 7pm in the Superdome!

Day 1: 11:30pm

We enjoyed dinner at Remoulade on Bourbon Street! We walked though Jackson Square and too many group pictures. Also, we walked along the Mississippi River and watched the boats and barges come in, while we watched for Anderson Cooper, who never actually showed up. We did get to see Randi Kay though! We had a "bathroom adventure" in a hotel that has a mini mall and 5 floors, and a total of 2 bathrooms, both of which were closed. After our adventure downtown, we took a quick dip in the pool, which was full of lots of crazy people. Everyone avoided the craziness and came up to shower. We ended our day wiht sharing our highs and lows. Most of our highs included just being here in New Orleans and our lows included the humid weather and the early start to our day. Our first day of the gathering is tomorrow and we are so excited! Good night everyone!

Emily Knoerr and Laura Diedrich

Day 1: 4:45 pm

Our day started bright and early, meeting at church at 4:30am. We rode to the airport and quickly made it onto our first flight. With a quick layover in Kansas City, we safely arrived in New Orleans around noon. We took shuttles to the hotel and everyone got settled in their rooms. Since everyone was starving, we walked right next door to Arby's to eat a good lunch. Then Ashley and Jaime walked to the Convention Center to get our backpacks and Bibles. The rest of us went to the outdoor pool located on the 5th floor. After about 3 hours in the pool, we went back to change and had a small group meeting discussing the backpacks and bracelts, which must be our "best friends" for the week. We are getting ready to head out for dinner and do some sight seeing before it gets dark! Hope everyone is doing well at home!

Emily Knoerr

April Events

1- Maundy Thursday
Worship Services at 11am and 6:30pm
2- Good Friday
Worship Services at 1pm and 6:30pm
Easter Egg Stuff at 11am, lunch is provided!
3- Easter Egg Hunt
Eggs are hid at 9am, hunt starts at 10am
4- Easter Sunday! He is Risen!
Worship Services at 6am, 8am, and 10:30am. Breakfast served after the 6am service
5- Church Office Closed!
No Confirmation!
12-Confirmation 7-8pm
16-Family Game Night at 6pm
17-Noodles Fundraiser from 4pm-10pm
18-Dead Sea Scrolls Tour
19-Confirmation 7-8pm
25-Confirmation Public Examination at 10:30am Worship Service
Confirmation Reception at 12noon
Mardi Gras at 4pm
Sunday Night Fellowship from 6-8pm
26-No Confirmation!

Lock-in

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Blessed Savior Night with the Admirals

A Night with the Milwaukee Admirals, and a concert by Foreigner after the game!

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Monday's Moment

The Greenhouse of the Heart

"People harvest only what they plant" Galatians 6:7

Think for a moment of your heart as a greenhouse...And your heart, like a greenhouse has to be managed.

Consider for a moment your thoughts as seed. Some thoughts become flowers. Others become weeds. Sow seeds of hope and enjoy optimism. Sow seeds of doubt and expect insecurity...

The proof is everywhere you look. Ever wonder why some people have the Teflon capacity to resist negativism and remain patient, optimistic, and forgiving? Could it be that they have diligently sown seeds of goodness and are enjoying the harvest?

Ever wonder why others have such a sour outlook? Such a gloomy attitude? You would, too, if your heart were a greenhouse of weeds and thorns.

excerpt taken from Just Like Jesus by Max Lucado

A Night of Service

February's Schedule

1- Confirmation 7-8pm
5- Scrapbooking 4pm-12midnight
Leave for the Confirmation Retreat at 5:30pm
7- Return from the Retreat 3pm
8- Confirmation 7-8pm
13-Set up the Spaghetti Dinner 10am-12noon
14-SPAGHETTI DINNER!!
15-Confirmation 7-8pm
17-Ash Wednesday Services at 11am and 6:30pm
22-Confirmation 7-8pm
24-Lenten Midweek Services at 11am and 6:30pm
Midweek Meals at 11:30 and 5pm (Youth Group serves the dinner!)
26-Girls Night! Meet at LSpa at 4pm, return to church at 8pm
28-New Member Lunch 12noon
Sunday Night Fellowship 6-8pm

We're looking for YOU!

Are you interested in reading some books and doing a review for our blog? If so, contact Jaime and we'll get you all set up!