Leap of Faith

By Sophie Alexander, Church of the Resurrection

​Two weekends ago I was privileged enough to attend Happening 67. The experience I had there completely changed the way I view my faith and the way I see others. I don't want to spoil Happening for anyone who hasn't attended yet so I'm going to keep it a bit vague. 

When I arrived at Camp Mikell Friday afternoon I was having serious doubts. The past couple of weeks had a bit rough for me and I was actually considering just telling my dad to turn around and drive home because I was nervous about putting myself out there and trying something new.The only thing I knew about Happening at that point was that it was a "weekend for youth run by youth." The thought of not knowing what the weekend was all about scared me, but fortunately at the last minute I decided that it was too late to back out and that I needed to go.

Thank goodness I ended up going because the weekend changed my life. The moment I arrived my doubts were swept away by the enthusiastic greetings given by team members and the invitation of a game of four square. The weekend only got better from that moment I stepped out of my car.

Happening lived up to my biggest expectations and surpassed them completely. The amount of love that was so freely given by everyone there was overwhelming. The assurance that God has Abounding Grace for everyone was unbelievable. The amount of special preparation for the candidates was amazing. Every member of the Episcopal Youth Community that worked Happening 67 impacted me in some way. It was awesome to know that the whole weekend was built to be special for me and the other candidates and that people we hadn't even met before the weekend had this type of unconditional love for us.

If you are thinking about going to Happening, but have doubts about signing up for something you know nothing about, I encourage you to take the leap of faith. The Episcopal Youth Community will be there to catch you with open arms and to love you unconditionally