Blog Post

HYC Philadelphia: A Life Changed Forever

Hope Worldwide • Aug 15, 2016

Jade Rodriguez shares her incredible experience in HYC Philadelphia!

I went into HYC with no expectations, mostly because I had no idea what it would be like and to refrain from dealing with fear or anxiety, I went in with a blank slate. Little did I know that I was in for the best experience of my life. Being at HYC for two weeks had me going through different emotions that stretched my faith and my ability as a person. Being surrounded by people of different cultures and backgrounds I was amazed by how we were able to connect, and what connected us, was God. There is no other explanation for what brought us so close. Everyone’s love for God and the passion to carry out his mission moved me beyond words. Going in, my faith was questionable, but seeing God work through people, such as the founder of ODAAT and Camp Miracles, I began to fall more and more in love with God.

With ODAAT (One Day At A Time) I saw that despite what people went through (Drug Addictions, Homelessness, and HIV) they still were so grateful and that in itself humbled me. I saw how blessed I was to have a family who loves me, a roof over my head, and countless amount of things I took for granted. It brought me to tears to know how much God loved me and everything he had done for me despite me constantly hurting him and pushing him away. ODAAT taught me so much and to see people making an effort to better the lives of those less fortunate amazed me. I was so grateful for God’s love.

The girls that I lived with for two weeks constantly encouraged me with their lives and their scriptures. They built me up and were vulnerable with me. I was blown away from their compassion and faith in God. It was so amazing to see God work in their lives and I was honored with what they shared that with me. We cried together, laughed together, shared our fears and our struggles, and helped each other. I’ve never been so vulnerable with a group of people in my life. The guys also encouraged me with their love for God and persistence to live by him. They shared their stories as well, which was surprising to me because I was so used to guys not being sentimental. We all bonded and got so close. Seeing how much the world needed God and it was such a sobering experience.

Camp Miracles was just life changing. Spending time with kids with such a hard life, was not what I expected it to be. Despite their rough upbringing, they were so full of love. They were full of gratitude and you could see how important Camp Miracles was to them. They impacted me in so many ways because they were so full of light and just so talented and beautiful. I got close to these kids in a short period of time, and I was just amazed by how they did not let their difficult lives prevent them from having a good time. Only with God could this be possible. It’s honestly miraculous seeing how God works through people. HYC not only impacted other people’s lives, it impacted mine. Leaving HYC my faith is strengthened in so many ways and now I am so ready to begin my walk with God and see him work throughout my life. I am so grateful for this experience because it truly changed my life forever.

Since being on HYC, I have made the decision to get baptized!

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