The Bible says that when we are weak, THAT is when we are strong (II Cor 12:10b)! Our weakness is most visible when we are praying. By that meaning we are clinging onto God as the only means by which anything good will happen. We have chosen to trust him only… as opposed to hoping our meager efforts will somehow win the day. Now we are most helpless in the face of weather and choices of another person’s heart! We have no control over either of those, and (honestly) we have very little influence over either no matter how hard we try.

Task: Hold a 40-hour retreat event in East Texas the first weekend of spring break where 130 international college students will pay $79 to come have fun in the sun and do Bible study. (Oh, and you have to sign a contract a year in advance that guarantees you will pay $9,750 no matter what happens—bad weather, low attendance, pandemic sickness, etc.)

Feel helpless, weak, and inadequate yet?!

A week before the event this year, we had just four students registered!

But we had been praying… faithfully hanging onto the promises of God and his call on our lives.

The ISI staff team held a 40-day prayer effort where we prayed each day for God to work in and through the Tejas Spring Break Retreat and we fasted each Monday as a team. The small group Bible study student leaders and their student assistants held a 7-day Jericho prayer effort right before the event where they prayed together for an hour each evening between 10-11 p.m. on a conference call [the library closes at 10:00 p.m. in case you forgot]. Each of 12 local ISI staff members asked seven of their prayer partners to commit to pray daily during the three days of the event and asked their church leaders to join us.

In the end, more than 300 people were praying and asking God to do what only he could do… AND THE WEATHER AND PEOPLE’S HEARTS WERE CHANGED !!!

We knew it would be a good retreat because of all the spiritual warfare we experienced prior to it. The Enemy of God was worried we could see. Because of the prayer efforts, something was happening in the heavenly realms amongst the authorities who rule. Something we could not see directly, but knew was happening because of the collateral damage we could see.

There was a 70 percent chance of rain on Saturday early in the week. Saturday is the big activity day—horseback riding, shooting, high ropes, fishing, canoeing/kayaking, etc. After praying intently, it dropped to a 40 percent by the weekend. HOWEVER, it never rained at the camp until Saturday night about 4:00 a.m. when everyone was in bed! By noon on Sunday there was total blue sky! So all of the wonderful activities were accomplished… even the S’mores late on Saturday night!

And hearts were changed! Of the 85 international students at the retreat, roughly one-third were already believers (as 20 were small group Bible study leaders or assistant leaders). But…

· Of the 60 people who do not follow Jesus there, half indicated an interest in following Jesus or learning more about Him!

· Of the 60, 25 percent wanted to join a Bible study on their campus! ONE-FOURTH!!

Those kinds of responses are supernatural and only happen because you prayed with us! THANK YOU for your investment of time and faith! God answered YES!.