MQ: From a student's pen - reflections on SYS

by Janessa – Winnipeg, Manitoba

Ministry Quest is a yearlong leadership program for Mennonite Brethren high school students that involve a mentoring relationship, pastor shadowings, and two retreats. This last week I went on the second retreat in the program. The 6-day retreat took place at Camp Stillwood near Abbotsford, BC. I was there along with 32 other teenagers from all over North America.

Ministry Quest was pretty much the most amazing thing that I have ever been a part of. I met the most incredible people who impacted me in ways I never thought that people I met only a couple of days before could. I made so many amazing friends that are at the same point in their life as me and so they know what I am going through and what I need help with. We did tons of activities that involved the one person in the group (which always happened to be me) trusting the rest of my group to throw me in the air and catch me, somehow get me up a straight 14-foot wall without safety ropes without killing me, or balance me on someone’s shoulders who is precariously standing on a very small crate. I learned very quickly to trust them completely.

I took a personality analysis of about 20 pages a few weeks before and I got the results back this last week. It was scarily accurate and described my personality with surprising detail, but also helped show me what my weaknesses were so that I know what I need to work on. The analysis also showed me what kind of jobs that I would enjoy based on my personality and skills which was actually really helpful.

I learned things that will stay with me forever. I learned how to trust, not only other people who love me but to trust God with everything, and to trust myself. I learned that everyone is different and has different gifts, but there is no lesser or better spiritual gift. I learned that I am valued for more than I ever dared to think, that people do value what I have to say. I learned that what I do, even what I think is the most insignificant thing, can impact someone else in an amazing way. I learned that it is ok to have weaknesses because no one is perfect and God can use you even in your faults. I learned that it is ok to have strengths because God has given everyone gifts and he wants so badly for us to use them as much as we possibly can to glorify him and to serve others. I learned that I can pray and he can answer my prayers. I learned that if you just ask God for help he will show you things in the Bible that you never would have dreamed of finding on your own. I learned that God creates things of beauty, from the mountain I am looking up at, to the moss that I am standing on, to me. I learned that God created me to be me and to love me and to further his kingdom in Christ and to glorify him. He created me to serve others. I learned that I am loved not only by my family and friends, but by God.