Imagine 13 teenage boys hyped up on sugar, whizzing by you on skateboards at max velocity, while also needing to be entertained by games and activities on the hour. Most likely this description isn’t a reality you have most likely faced. At Help Boardshop we call this the All Night Lock In.
Last Friday, April 20th, the lock in started at 8pm and ended the next morning at 8am. Many parents were eager to pawn off their teenager for the night. As they made the hand off many parents wished me luck. I responded with a humorous yet serious reply, “pray for us.” Then the festivities began.
Throughout the night riders competed for many prizes; some of the contests were based on skill and some were not. One highlight was the high ollie contest. For those that are reading this that aren’t quite sure what an ollie is; it is name for the technique used to allow a skater to jump. Fifteen minutes into the contest and two riders were left. The winner would need to jump over a large construction cone and a skateboard laid on its’ side. This height amounted slightly over 4 feet high! I was amazed to see these riders push themselves to new heights, literally. Another highlight was the banana and sprite challenge. Contestants raced one another to finish two bananas and 1 liter of sprite. The mixture of bananas and sprite is a catch in the game because it creates a chemical reaction that makes it very difficult to ingest them quickly. This game took around 30 minutes. Riders laughed hysterically watching their friends work so hard to finish this game.
Most importantly, two Bible studies were also done throughout the night. The theme was God’s truth. For the first Bible study a video was shown to present logical arguments and historical evidence for believing in the Bible. Many of the riders had questions afterwards about certain parts of the Bible they doubted. We spent 15 minutes answering their questions and then ended in prayer. The second Bible study carried on with the theme of God’s truth. Each person at the Bible study was assigned a verse to look up and read. All of the verses highlighted in the study described what life is like when someone is IN CHRIST. The purpose of the Bible studies was to persuade them that the Bible is true and show them their true identities in Christ. I hope to have follow up conversations this week with riders who come to Help Boardshop to skate.
Continue to pray for JSAW and its’ riders. Pray for truth to not only be heard but received. Thanks again for your support financially and prayfully. Always remember that God is good.
Blessings,
Jake Tastad Program Manager
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