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Southwest Youth Department tours division.
by Rachel Utrera –
Optimus Prime (center) awards bikes to Arturo Lozano and Daniela Cardona at the El Paso Rally.
“No sacrifice…no victory!”
These words are key to the plot of the movie Transformers and became the motto of the Southwest Youth Department as we toured the division with our new divisional youth secretaries. It was their first youth rally season, but Captains Ramon and Tina Ocaño jumped right in, firing on all cylinders.
The theme, “Be Transformed,” was based on the Scripture, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2a).
Optimus Prime (fictional commander from the movie) was on hand to award prizes, and a tally of the uniform inspection scores from all four rallies determined the divisional winners: North Las Vegas sunbeams, Phoenix Citadel girl guards, Glendale explorers, Las Vegas Citadel rangers, and Albuquerque Temple junior soldiers.
Weekend destinations included visits to Las Vegas Citadel, Pahrump, Henderson, Phoenix, Tucson Amphi, Tucson South, El Paso Citadel and El Paso Temple corps. Each weekend was filled with activities. Friday nights were area-wide youth fellowships (for middle school and high schoolers) and featured “Major Mess Nights” or “Fear Factor” themes. On Saturday mornings, Captains Ocaño met with prospective candidates. Then we held the youth rallies. Saturday nights were young adult fellowship time, including barbecues, karaoke, and café night.
Four rally weekends, 500 plus participants, 1,700 miles, and 235 seekers later we praise God for the victories won, the lives transformed, and the future results on young lives that can never be measured or seen—more than meets the eye!