BASS CANYON 2018 August 2018, my first festival in a whole year since joining the mission field. So nervous and so excited. Not only to be with my best friends, or at the most breathtaking venue in the world, or that I get to listen to all the best Dubstep Dj’s in the world through down, the most exciting part about this festival is that I am coming in with a new mindset, new world views and with a heart full of Jesus. It was nerve wracking stepping back into an environment I knew so well. One where I have met so many rad people and danced my tush off for hours on hours. It was nerve wracking because I didn’t know how people in this environment would respond to hearing about Jesus. I did know that God wants to be invited into every environment, I am confident in who He is and who I am because of Him. I knew He would guide me to the right people this weekend. I know people come to these festivals to get their fix of fun or to take substances. They are looking to have an experience and and quick fix, unfortunately those fixes they come looking for are only temporary. But what if they came to a festival and had an encounter with the ultimate never ending experience? An Experience with a God who knows all His children and has amazing plans filled with love and understanding. God chose me to be His hands and feet in this place. He had been equipping me and making me stronger in Him for the last year.....for this weekend. Morning one of the festival: in the campsite I’m starting the day off with some quiet time / devotions trying to get spiritually fed and more equipped to go into the festival filled with the Holy Spirt. While studying, a neighboring camper came by and asked to borrow a lighter, sitting at the table next to me was a lighter, so naturally I let him use it. While he was lighting his cigarette I was thinking “maybe I should pray for this guy”. Once he was finished and handed back the lighter I asked “yo bro would you mind if I prayed for you real quick?”. He replied “I grew up catholic but I don’t really believe in God or religion”. This then turned into a 20 minute conversation of the two sides. It was a very respectful chat but it was very hard because he was so closed off to the thought of Christianity and God. None the less it was a good conversation, but I couldn't help but feel discouraged. What a way to start off the festival, especially since it hadn’t actually started yet. Soon after finishing the conversation with the neighboring camper, a friend of mine who isn’t very religious, came to me and told me how he was listening to us talk and how he loved the point of views I was giving. He shared he always wanted to hear how I would approach someone in the opposite spirt. That was so encouraging to me! Even though I didn’t see any fruit from the conversation, God still used that situation to speak to my friend from the outside looking in! Now it was time to go get in line to get inside the festival. My friends and I were waiting for the gates to open up sporting the shirts I had made for the weekend, shirts that said “JESUS LOVES DUBSTEP AND YOU” in big writing down the back. As we waited in line talking, joking around and dancing, some guys to our left commented on our shirts. This gave me an opportunity to tell them that Jesus loves them as individuals and that they are His sons and He has so many plans for them. Not knowing that these guys were also christians, they told me how awesome it was to see another believer at a rave type festival. We instantly clicked, and wanted to hang more with each other. Their names are Noah and Aiden. I told them who I was and how I’m a missionary that came to this festival not just to hear good music but so that people could encounter Jesus through me. They were so stoked to hear this! Instantly I was filled with joy because I knew God had set up this meeting with them to encourage me even more before going through the gates!
Just prior to the gates being opened I asked Noah and Aiden if I could pray over them and the rest of their friends. They accepted. After I was done praying Noah gave me a candy bracelet which is what ravers make to give people who they are vibing with. The bracelet he gave me had Psalms 144 on it. He said “Chase, I made this hoping one day I would meet another believer in a place like this and you are the first”. I screamed with excitement because I knew God was watching over me and was leading me to the exact people he wanted me to encounter. People that would keep me spiritually fed right off the bat.
SUCH A GOOD START!
