I’m Lizzie Kerr. Here’s how God’s enabling me to live deeply. 

“I’d been praying for clarity about my summer this year when CSPC’s Scottie and JoBeth Hill asked if I’d be interested in joining a Young Life trip to Spain. I didn’t know anything about it- I didn’t even know Young Life went out of the country! It was very outside my comfort zone- not like anything I’ve ever done before. My dad [CSPC Ministry Resident Matt Kerr] was the first person I asked about it because he works with Scottie. He was really encouraging me to go, which meant a lot- because I’ve watched him do something similar. He jumped into a completely new career path –after more than two decades, he left running a small business to go to seminary and become a pastor- because he felt God was calling him to do it. That’s scary for anyone, scary for our whole family. But I’ve seen how much happier he is doing what he truly loves, and it showed me the importance of trusting God and following what He’s calling you to do. I was so nervous because I didn’t really know any of the people going on the trip, and I literally had no idea what to expect. The thought of traveling to another country for two weeks with a bunch of people I don’t know was definitely freaking me out. I’ve never gone to Young Life camps in the States either, so really everything about it was completely outside my comfort zone. But I decided to go anyway. I was in between my sophomore and junior years of college at Samford in Alabama, and before the idea of the trip came up, I was just trying to figure out jobs and fill my summertime back in Knoxville so I wouldn’t be bored. But literally everything I had planned seemed to suddenly fall through- all my nannying and babysitting jobs got canceled. I felt like this was God’s clear answer to my prayers. I didn’t ask any questions about it- I kind of went in blind. I was just like, ‘You know what? I’ll trust that this is where God wants me.’

Our main role was serving meals and leading American games like ultimate frisbee and flag football with Spanish students. (I’d never played either before, so I was learning right along with them!) We were there for about three days for leader training before the campers arrived, and there were moments that completely took my breath away. There was a worship night for all the mentors and leaders. It was in Spanish, but they were worship songs that we sing here in the States. I’d never heard them in Spanish before. I was so lost -I didn’t understand anything anyone was saying- but I knew what the lyrics expressed, and it was incredibly comforting to hear those songs being sung. I could still kind of be there with all of them and understand the moment- even though everything else felt foreign. It was a moment where we were all connected to God, and I could feel how much bigger He was than the language barrier. One of my roommates was our translator. She’s from Panama, and it was so cool getting to know her. She goes to these camps just because she loves it so much- she wants to live the camp life because she enjoys being around younger girls and getting to know everyone. There was one day where leaders were sharing their testimonies, and she was translating for us. Sometimes she would just stop in the middle and pray for them. Seeing how deeply she cared about all of them, even though she didn’t know them that well – she was so invested in their lives and wanted to pray for them. What an encouragement! Had I not gone on the trip, I never would have met her. Another of my roommates was from London – she was 17 and had come to this camp by herself two years in a row just to practice her Spanish and be around the campers. She was the most joyful person I’ve ever met, never complained once about anything. I can’t imagine, as a junior in high school, going to a camp with literally nobody you know. But she just came and loved it. Being around both of them and seeing how strong they were in their faith was really cool and inspiring for my own spiritual growth.

We would sit at club every night where they taught lessons to all the students. I didn’t understand what they were saying, but I could see how intently the campers listened. Toward the end of the week, after one of the last talks, they did a 15-minute break where campers would go off, pray quietly, and invite God to work in their lives. When they gathered back together, some of them were crying, and they were all just comforting each other. Some of them were only 12 years old- and they were hugging each other, so happy about what was happening. You could just tell God was working in their lives and it was so cool to see that happening. Another unforgettable firsthand experience of God’s love I would’ve missed had I not said ‘yes’ to going to Spain! There were a few sightseeing moments I’ll remember, too -staring down at the beauty of the Barcelona landscape from a countryside hike, swimming out to the remnants of a church buried under a lake- but what moved me most were the people and how God was showing His beauty through them. Between the campers, my roommates, and the other leaders (we had a really great group!), I was incredibly blessed to be around so many people who were full of joy. Even though we were exhausted every day -waking up super early, going to bed super late, working all day long- we were surrounded by people who were just so happy to be there. I think the biggest lesson I took away was about fully trusting God with everything in my life. If something is scary to me, I’ve always been more likely to turn away from it. But this trip showed me in a deep way how going outside my comfort zone and fully trusting God is crucially important. Even during moments that felt a little scary, I experienced His comfort- knowing there was a reason He was calling me to do this. I would say to anyone feeling God calling them to something scary: go. If you feel God calling you to do something, it’s for a reason, and you won’t know unless you go. Anytime in my life that I’ve gone outside my comfort zone or done something that was really scary to me, I’ve left feeling good, glad that I did it. Especially this time. Following Him is always rewarding.”