Thank you for your prayers of protection from the last blog.  They were answered.

Today God moved in big ways in Palatine, IL & the devil didn’t want him to.

Today at 5pm, four of us team members [Kolby Atchison, Cassie Carsrud, Lainey Cray & Michael Towson] found ourselves on the side of the road with hearts pounding after being victims of a high impact car crash.  We were stopped and waiting to turn left into a residential street for dinner at the Mitchell family home when our little Honda Civic was barreled into by a Nissan Titan truck going 45 mph.  We all sustained whiplash and other minor injuries but are okay!  Praise God!  We were the first car in the line & did not crash into anyone else nor get pushed into another lane.  Those in the at-fault car were not injured.  The police officers said that the injuries should have been worse…the backseat should have been crushed even more.

The evil one sees too many high school students getting excited about evangelism, the team being too excited ourselves and too many seeds of the gospel being planted in the hearts of high school students.  God allowed the accident to happen, but he did not allow us to get hurt.  Rather, we had angels surrounding the car protecting Kolby, Cassie, Lainey & Michael.

Today at the Palatine rallies, 50-60% of those who turned in comment cards re-committed their lives to Christ!  39 attended the first session, and 12 attended the second.  At the first session, three college students shared their testimonies and the love they have found in Christ, encouraging students to seek a relationship with Jesus and find ways to show love to others.  The smaller size of the second session allowed for a more personalized Q&A/discussion approach.  At the Fremd rally, Cassie Carsrud, team member, explained the gospel to a high school student, Becky, who had never heard it before.  45 attended the Fremd rally, and heard Steyn speak about finding our self-worth in Jesus Christ.  This was the highest attendance so far, since the Christian students are bringing their friends.

Praise God for answered prayers!  It is thrilling to see lives being changed by God through the Uprising students and those praying for them.  Health has not been a hindrance so far to the gospel being shared, although both Uprising leaders and a couple of us on the CSP team had been feeling poorly.

God moments today:

- a misunderstanding about the Palatine prayer meeting time this morning gave the Palatine CSP team and Uprising leaders an extended time of prayer

- Cassie Carsrud felt God calling her to a special emphasis on prayer today, giving her a sense that big things were going to be happening today.

- Heather, Palatine Uprising leader, was uncharacteristically reluctant to explain one of the videos she was planning to show at the rally, asking Justin from the CSP team to take the job.  Shortly before he was scheduled to speak, he began feeling nervous and texted Michael T. for advice.  Because Michael was bent over texting back in Lainey’s car, he only sustained minor whiplash.

- One of Lainey’s non-Christian friends felt sick she had such a strong feeling something was wrong with one of her friends at 4:50, minutes before the accident.

- Obviously, God’s hand of protection was seen in regards to the car accident.

Please pray:

- that God would continue to protect our team, the Uprising leaders and members, and the high schoolers, from anything the Enemy may use to try to prevent God’s truth from being received

- that the CSP Fremd team would heal quickly

- that by the end of the week, Fremd’s rally room would be filled to its capacity of 125

- that Heather and Cassie, Palatine Uprising leaders, would receive support and encouragement from friends and family

- for continual growth in those who recommitted their lives to Christ, and those who have not yet made a decision to accept him

The verses God put on Ariel’s heart this morning at the Palatine prayer meeting are certainly fitting: “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.  Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil…  Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.”  Ephesians 6:10-13

Lainey, Jessica, and Cassie