GPA's Red Nation’s Workshop in Wisconsin

After fundraising all over the states of Ohio, Michigan, and Indiana, 5 teams all came together for a workshop in the beautiful area of eastern Wisconsin. The last 2 weeks everyone had gone through all sorts of challenges, struggles, inspired and maybe not so inspired times as well, but when they all met together something was different about everyone. The group had a much brighter spirit and naturally started coming together more like a family. Everyone was more than ready for a 2 day workshop to recharge.

We started off the morning of the first day with an amazing guidance about reflection to help them digest their last condition, and then they got the chance to share about their experience with their other brothers and sisters. Then in the afternoon they all enjoyed playing sports together and ended the day with a movie (After Earth) that helped them understand parent-child relationships. The 2nd day was the more internal,

educational day. It was filled with guidances that helped everyone understand the importance of a life of faith, our original value, and the purpose of fundraising. In the evening we did an intense, interactive activity that pushed the members to have faith in their captains and challenged them to face and overcome their personal limitations.

For the activity each member was asked to identify three fears, and then were guided blindfolded through an obstacle course by their captain as a way to learn to trust God’s voice. At the end each member was asked to run to God, but there were people pushing them down and blocking them from reaching their captain who represented God. The people blocking their path representing Satan/ our evil mind, and all of our fears and negative thoughts that hold us back. The members had to fight through until they finally reach God.

The purpose of the activity was to help everyone understand how God is always desperately reaching out to us and is trying to guide us; that many things limit us and block us but we have to choose to listen to God’s voice. Even though God’s love for us in unconditional, we still have to choose to grow towards Him. Many people gained a deeper understanding of how much each of us have to invest if we want to find God in our life.

The next morning we had a final talk about the theme of our next fundraising condition which is to “Take Ownership Over My Life of Faith.” Heading out to the next condition, everyone seems to be prepared to take the next step in their life of faith and growth as people.