My name is Caroline VanDam, and I am an eighth grader at Saint Clement School. I recently attended the God Squad lock-in, and had a great time!

The night started off with a small team building activity. We were split into small teams, and we had to come up with a team name. Then, we had to make a video about our team. Each team discussed God, and how He helps people, and the ways He can help you. It was funny to hear the other groups' names, and their unique creativity and humor.  

After that, we were put into another group, and assigned a healing miracle story. We had to recreate that story in a short skit, and perform them for the group. After the skits we talked in small groups about how you pray to God, and how different activities and exercises help you to think about God.  

After our discussion, everyone went to the gym to play some games!

The games consisted mostly of relay races. Everyone grabbed a partner. You had to run from one side of the gym to the other with your and your partner's legs tied together. When you got to the other side there was a bag of clothes and you had to put them on your partner and do a wheelbarrow race on the way back. After a some more team-building activities, we went back downstairs for more discussion.

At almost midnight, we went to the library for a short prayer service. We wrote a small hope to God for our future on a slip of paper. Everyone's paper was put in a hat, and everyone drew from the hat to pray for someone's wish.  

We also got God Squad sweatshirts. Overall, I had so much fun at the lock-in!  I feel that I really learned a lot about how to find God in my life, and when I need Him, how to reach out to Him.

"Your beliefs become your thoughts, Your thoughts become your words, Your words become your actions, Your actions become your habits, Your habits become your values, Your values become your destiny."  Ghandi