My dear friend Oscar Gutiérrez, has grown up in a world of soccer, partying, and girls. His life has been changed through the ministry of Vida Joven (VJ – In English, Young Life). Now soccer provides a way for him to invite kids to VJ, where he is preparing to be a leader while continuing his education in the university that he withdrew from three years ago. This is his story...

Shortly thereafter I had the opportunity to go to my first VJ sports camp. At the camp they took us to a labyrinth and taught us about listening to God's voice. I tried it out, but it was very difficult for me to hear Him. The camp was good because, while they were somewhat restrictive, but they were not legalistic. VJ made me not want to do the things I had been doing.

Following this I was invited on another VJ camp. When we were there, we had a time of worshiping God. Something moved me to tears during the singing. I was closing my eyes, and when I opened them, I looked down at the floor and I saw the face of Jesus. I sobbed uncontrollably as I felt the Lord calling me. I felt him intimately; I knew then that he cared for me. This motivated me to give my testimony about my life and what I was still doing to the others that were with me. They were people from my city that knew me or knew of me before. Before I started talking, I didn't feel like I'd have the words to speak because I was embarrassed, but my heart compelled me. I wanted to express that yes, I can change and others can too.

My next camp was a follow-up camp. There we went on a walk of faith. They blind-folded us and had us walk around. It reminded me of Catholic tradition we do here in Granada in which they blind-fold a statue of Jesus and parade around the street carrying him on their shoulders. They do this a lot the day before his death. It's called a Procession of Silence. The idea is that Jesus is walking through the crowd – the world, but he's blind to it, he is not of it. During this walk we were put through a barrage of tests.

In one of the tests they had me grab onto a rope and to imagine two worlds – this world and the one Jesus calls us to. The devil started speaking to me then, reminding me things of my past. I remember a moment when my past was all I could focus on. I felt pretty confused and I cried because I did not know what to do. I felt very alone. But I kept walking and tried to focus on God's voice alone. Then he spoke to me. He told me He is the way and the truth and the life. After this, the things that the enemy was saying to me did not matter at all. As I continued walking, I felt closer and closer to God. Later, we were given the opportunity to go to the labyrinth again and invited into intimacy with the Lord. This moved me a lot. I felt great meaning and purpose in this relationship I was introduced to. It was one of the most impacting experiences of my life.

By the fourth camp I was playing soccer and stepping into leadership. I felt incredibly incapable and ill prepared, but every time we had a meeting or I was pushed into something, God gave me the words to say to the youth there. These kids were into drugs and after a number of activities. We encouraged them to cry and let their emotions out. I said then, "Lord, I want you to change these kids' lives. I know that they need you and I know that you're the only one who can touch their hearts. You're the only one who can change them."

When we got back, I followed up with these kids. I saw that they truly desired God and this brought me great joy. True joy. It brought meaning into my life.

I pray you all had a blessed Easter, and rejoice! He is risen!