A Whole New Person

Cailin Ballard (age 14)
Friday, January 01, 2010

I have been with the Military Chapel Youth Group for about two years now, and it’s interesting to think about how my life could be so different without ever going to youth group.

In the summer of 2006, I found out that I would be moving to Germany. I was devastated. As an eleven year old, that’s like finding out I could have cancer. In the past I have moved before, but was too young to care about it. I mean, I had lived in Georgia for six years—it was practically my home—and now I would go to a new, different, and strange country where they spoke (in my point of view) jibberish? Not cool. It was especially not cool to be the new kid, just starting middle school and having no friends.

By the time seventh grade came around, I had made a few friends. A classmate introduced me to youth group, and at that time I thought it would be like a boring, adult Sunday sermon. When I got there, I saw I was totally and completely wrong! The leaders made learning and studying the Word of God so much fun, plus there were awesome games and snacks.

Before February 2009, I didn’t know God at all…and that’s a scary thing for me to look back at. During February, the youth group would plan a totally awesome weekend retreat every year for the middle school called “Escape.” We would get to miss school on Friday (yes!) due to traveling, and get 3 days to learn about God in the coolest ways. When I was in seventh grade, I didn’t know God and only paid attention to the games. On my second trip to Escape I was saved. I had done a lot of “not so good” things in the past, and at that place it was like Jesus actually came to me and said, “I forgive you.” From then on, I totally believed and gave my heart to Him, feeling all my sins gone.

I don’t know how I would be or act without the people in the youth group. They have done for me and taught me so much that I feel like a whole new person.

Read more about Malachi Military Ministries at www.malachi.org.

Cailin's story also appears in the January, February, & March 2010 issue of Cadence Connection. Go the Cadence Connection page to read more stories like this or to sign up to receive the Connection by mail or email.