below is an old journal entry when I recollected my 7th and 8th grade years in Victory's youth ministry, REPO. I post this to honor everyone who impacted me, and thank them for sowing into me life! As you read, remember the little things you say and do for younger people make an extraordinary impact.
Though they were not in this journal entry, I must also thank Pastor Sergio, Luis Bonilla, Adam Quinonez, Brian Baber, and Ruben Gutierrez. You made such an impact!
“REPO City Revolution.”
Ah, REPO. I entered that place in the seventh grade, totally pumped and excited to finally be there. It was the place to be and everyone seemed so cool. The fun that we heaerd happened there was enough to get us to count down the days until we get got there. I had and still have quite a big class…names like Isaac Arroyo, Paul Barth, Rachael Rauch and Amanda Prentice come to mind right away. When we finally got there the course of my life changed forever. I remember my first game of basketball at REPO. Ziko Millen chose all of us seventh graders to be on his team. I felt so special to be on such an awesome(he was a good basketball player…I’d have to see his skills now to see if he still got game, haha) guy’s team and it boosted my confidence. Then game a guy named Eric Waser. He took me under his wing and dicipled me. I remember playing basketball with him and I tried a hook shot. He called me Kareem Abdul Jabar! DO you have any idea how much that impacted my life? He compared me to a pro basketball player! Talk about cloud nine…and I still remember that to this day. I remember details as well, like how it was dark outside and what end of the court we were on. Truly a defining moment. He bought me an official REPO journal(even though I lost it, heh) and asked often to save him a seat, or he’d say that he’d save on for me. I also remember his girlfriend at the time. She was also wonderful and I remember one particular time I wound up sitting my her. To this day every once in awhile when I see her I still sit by her. The kindness of the people of REPO never faded and throughout the years I made many friends, and for the most part they were all college aged. I found that the friends that I had grown up with I wasn’t close with anymore. There was an MC student named John Sekanic. I remember the first time I met him. We were playing pool. We got o be close and many Mondays he would come over and we would go get an Aldi’s pizza for two dollars and eat. John really invested into my life and was a key in me receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit. There’s so many more who made an impact on my life…names like Justin White, Andy, Rick Johngrass, Jason Dinoble, John Giese…the list of people can go on. The incredible kindness and reaching out to the younger guy’s and girls by all of these older, much cooler people impacted me more than any actual ministry from the pulpit, because if it hadn’t been for that, would I have continued to attend REPO? If I didn’t feel accepted by the people, would I have felt accepted by God? It blows me away to think of how the course of my life might have changed if people like Eric and John hadn’t reached out to me. Early on in REPO, the foundation years were taking place. I remember going to the right side of the room for worship where all the guys worshipped. I saw the passion in the singing, the energy of the crowd, and the breaking sticks of the drummer. What excitement…what an experience(even though my glasses got broken once after being hit by a jumping worshipper). We sang songs like “The People Who Know There God” and “Lord I lift Your Name On High”, as well as the classic “REPO You”. Pastor Chilly lead with Becky Thomas and a few others singing. Pastors wife Netta and Sarah Stankich played the keyboards, while various people played guitars and bass like Jake and Scottie. Sometimes the Spirit of God was so strong that we had to continue worship the whole night. I can remember many defining moments in my life at REPO, like when we went to Boot Camp at Wesely Woods. That was the REPO City Revolution. I remember worshipping up front at an altar call or something. I wish just sobbing and sobbing, the Holy Spirit just blasted me and I can’t explain how I felt or why I was crying. All I know is that I was being changed…I remember tucking my head in my shirt continuing to cry, and Eric praying for me. That Boot Camp was incredibly powerful and revolutionary in my life. It was at the end of my first summer and it set me up for even more wild times with God...
Ah, REPO. I entered that place in the seventh grade, totally pumped and excited to finally be there. It was the place to be and everyone seemed so cool. The fun that we heaerd happened there was enough to get us to count down the days until we get got there. I had and still have quite a big class…names like Isaac Arroyo, Paul Barth, Rachael Rauch and Amanda Prentice come to mind right away. When we finally got there the course of my life changed forever. I remember my first game of basketball at REPO. Ziko Millen chose all of us seventh graders to be on his team. I felt so special to be on such an awesome(he was a good basketball player…I’d have to see his skills now to see if he still got game, haha) guy’s team and it boosted my confidence. Then game a guy named Eric Waser. He took me under his wing and dicipled me. I remember playing basketball with him and I tried a hook shot. He called me Kareem Abdul Jabar! DO you have any idea how much that impacted my life? He compared me to a pro basketball player! Talk about cloud nine…and I still remember that to this day. I remember details as well, like how it was dark outside and what end of the court we were on. Truly a defining moment. He bought me an official REPO journal(even though I lost it, heh) and asked often to save him a seat, or he’d say that he’d save on for me. I also remember his girlfriend at the time. She was also wonderful and I remember one particular time I wound up sitting my her. To this day every once in awhile when I see her I still sit by her. The kindness of the people of REPO never faded and throughout the years I made many friends, and for the most part they were all college aged. I found that the friends that I had grown up with I wasn’t close with anymore. There was an MC student named John Sekanic. I remember the first time I met him. We were playing pool. We got o be close and many Mondays he would come over and we would go get an Aldi’s pizza for two dollars and eat. John really invested into my life and was a key in me receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit. There’s so many more who made an impact on my life…names like Justin White, Andy, Rick Johngrass, Jason Dinoble, John Giese…the list of people can go on. The incredible kindness and reaching out to the younger guy’s and girls by all of these older, much cooler people impacted me more than any actual ministry from the pulpit, because if it hadn’t been for that, would I have continued to attend REPO? If I didn’t feel accepted by the people, would I have felt accepted by God? It blows me away to think of how the course of my life might have changed if people like Eric and John hadn’t reached out to me. Early on in REPO, the foundation years were taking place. I remember going to the right side of the room for worship where all the guys worshipped. I saw the passion in the singing, the energy of the crowd, and the breaking sticks of the drummer. What excitement…what an experience(even though my glasses got broken once after being hit by a jumping worshipper). We sang songs like “The People Who Know There God” and “Lord I lift Your Name On High”, as well as the classic “REPO You”. Pastor Chilly lead with Becky Thomas and a few others singing. Pastors wife Netta and Sarah Stankich played the keyboards, while various people played guitars and bass like Jake and Scottie. Sometimes the Spirit of God was so strong that we had to continue worship the whole night. I can remember many defining moments in my life at REPO, like when we went to Boot Camp at Wesely Woods. That was the REPO City Revolution. I remember worshipping up front at an altar call or something. I wish just sobbing and sobbing, the Holy Spirit just blasted me and I can’t explain how I felt or why I was crying. All I know is that I was being changed…I remember tucking my head in my shirt continuing to cry, and Eric praying for me. That Boot Camp was incredibly powerful and revolutionary in my life. It was at the end of my first summer and it set me up for even more wild times with God...
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