From July 8–11, more than 1,000 WELS teens gathered at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa, to attend the 2009 WELS International Youth Rally. Teens and their youth group leaders came together at the rally for worship, education, fellowship, recreation, and service projects, all under the rally theme, “Follow the Path, lead the way!”

“This rally had teens from eight countries, which was a youth rally first and a really awesome thing,” notes Dr. Joel Nelson, former administrator for WELS Commission on Youth Discipleship. This year’s rally included 28 international attendees—12 from Canada, seven from Grenada, one from Pakistan, and eight children of world missionaries.

The WELS missionary teens participated in a panel discussion, which included time for them to explain what it’s like to live in another country and the challenges and opportunities that they face. The audience responded by giving them a standing ovation to thank them for serving the synod in world mission fields.

Erin Nitz, daughter of Malawi missionary Paul Nitz, says, “I decided to go to the youth rally because I thought it would be an adventure. I thought it would strengthen my faith and confidence in Christ. I’d definitely go again . . . and again . . . and again! It was a once-in-a-lifetime chance and so much fun! I’ll be wearing the ‘Follow the Path, lead the way’ T-shirts for a long, long time.”

Teens from Emanuel, New London, Wis., were blessed to participate closely at the rally with the teens from Grenada. Emanuel has adopted Grace, WELS’ congregation in Grenada, since Grace’s beginning in 2000. Over the years, mission teams from Emanuel have traveled to Grenada to help with Grace’s outreach efforts. Emanuel’s members have also sent mission dollars and other supplies to Grace.

The youth rally presented Emanuel with another opportunity to assist Grace. Members of Emanuel helped seven of Grace’s teens attend the rally. This included paying for registration costs, hosting the teens at their homes before the rally, and transporting the teens to and from the rally site. Fifteen of Emanuel’s teens also went along on the trip, and the interaction between the two groups was a highlight of the rally experience for both of them.

“Our youth shared openly how awesome it was to make friends from another culture who share the same faith as themselves,” says Jack Vande Guchte, staff minister at Emanuel, New London. “They are excited to have made new, lifelong friends—many have already been connecting through the Internet. They loved being able to talk so openly with each other about their faith and that these new friends will be in eternity with them.”