Winter Retreat! Winter Retreat! Winter Retreat! In the past two months, we had seven winter retreats. I was able to make five of them – that was a lot of traveling.
We started out in Pennsylvania for our East Coast Spanish Retreat – it was their first one. I was excited to see all the youth from Chicago to Puerto Rico show up (East Coast Spanish – Quien Vive!?…) . The anointing of God was so heavy; like many of the retreats, the service turned into a prayer meeting where God’s presence just fell so powerfully.
Then, we traveled to our San Diego County/North L.A. Co./Gold Coast/L.A. Harbor Retreat (try saying that five times fast!). As we drove up to the retreat center, you can sense the excitement and expectation from the youth that God was going to do something life-changing. It was great to see Pastor Miller and Pastor Andre there, the O.G’.s of the G.A.N.G. (just to let you know).
The following morning, we jumped on a plane to Denver where we met up with Rocky Mountain/Texas Retreat. It was cool to see the youth from Texas amazed by the snow, most had never seen snow before (since its usually 200 degrees in TX!). Pastor Cesar arrived after a 30-hour flight from Cape Town South Africa. As we both spoke and witnessed the young people getting a hold of God, broken at the altar - it reminded me of my first winter retreat where God spoke to me concerning my calling. As we were in Denver, Danny Lara was with the New Generation at our Jr. High Retreat – he had text me that they had over 230 Jr. Highers and the same presence of God that was in Denver was at their retreat as well.
When we returned home, we got ready to fly out again to the Southwest/Rio Grande/San Bernardino/Riverside Retreat. As we were about to land I looked out the window, the view was incredible - it was nothing but white snow everywhere (it looked just like Narnia). Israel Tavor picked me up and as we were driving to the retreat center, we were discussing his message “Reviving a Generation through C.P.R. (Compassion Produces Revival)”. In the car, God spoke to me that He is going to continue raising up young leaders and preachers who really have the heartbeat of God and the Vision of our great ministry. I called Ramon Solorio – he was at the West Coast Spanish retreat in Big Bear. He told me that their retreat was packed out with over 450 young people and that God was speaking to the young people every service.
The next day I hopped on a plane again! To go to our last winter retreat of the year, the North Cal./SGV East & West/Tulare County/Central Cal./Pacific Northwest/Northwest, I got many calls that the weather tried to mess with our retreat. Nevertheless, all of our young people with over 750 in attendance made it safely (thank God!). It reminds me of a song we sing “You Can’t Stop” – devil you can’t stop our young people from going to winter retreat! As I arrived around 10 p.m., I met up with the youth leaders and Pastor Sonny Jr. in the green room. They begin to tell me how the retreat was going. It was encouraging to hear Pastor Sonny Jr. talk about how powerful the retreat was and how far our youth have come from the very first winter retreat in 1993 with only a couple of hundred young people to now with eight winter retreats with thousands of young people in attendance. Wow… look how far we’ve come – to God be the Glory!
As I began to preach in the morning about how “God Knows our Name” and like Jacob, many of us have wrestled with the call of God upon our lives; you can sense that many young people were being spoken to as they realize that they are not what the world or the enemy calls them, but that they are truly God’s Anointed Now Generation. It was awesome to see the young people run to the altar. We left the Mountain so proud to be wearing the words GODS ANNOINTED NOW GENERATION printed so clearly on our new gear. We truly are an army! I was so blessed and humbled to be able to be used by God. I know that not one of us left the winter retreat the same. I can’t wait to hear and see the testimonies that come from these mountain top experiences.
Please let us know about your experience at Winter Retreat.
January 23, 2009 at 7:15 pm
Winter retreat was off the hook till this day i cant stop listening to the mesages and God continues to move through thoes great men of God. its 1-22-09 winterretreat has been over for a litle while but that fire has yet to be quenched, evedent in our GANG! Fresno county region Nor. Cal.
June 12, 2009 at 5:51 pm
Winter retreat was crazy ever since i left i knew that i was a changed gang girl and the preachings its like they knew me so well there preachings were the bomb they have wonderful singers very beautiful.If u didn’t go man u missed alot that has got to be the most greatest retreat in the whole world.jesus moved in that place like nothing he knew what the gang has gone through and i bet that he removed all the problems in there lives.but the retreat was great!!!!!!!!!!!:)