The phrase “God can make a way out of no way” rang especially true for student literature evangelists participating in Youth Rush this summer in the Southern California Conference (SCC) territory.

Gabriel was having a particularly bad day before knocking on a door where he thought he would be brushed off. The woman who answered said she was busy taking care of someone, so he did a quick canvass (a one-sentence explanation of each book). He noticed a large parrot sitting on top of an empty bird cage. The parrot flew down to the floor and walked toward him. Gabriel reached out, and the parrot climbed up his arm. The woman was impressed, saying, “That never happens!” Through this unexpected encounter, she was drawn to what Gabriel had to share and bought four books.

One afternoon when the team had five books left to reach the day’s goal, Benjamin prayed for motivation. He walked up to a house with a gate and shook the gate, but no one answered. As he turned to leave, he heard the gate open. He strolled in, and just as he was looking up to the sky to give thanks to God, he stopped walking at the sight of a menacing pit bull. Suddenly an older man ran out of the house, yelling at the disturbance. As he got closer to Benjamin, the dog startedto bark and protect Benjamin from its owner, moving the man back toward the house and away from Benjamin. The owner was shocked, saying, “My dog does not do that. He will hurt people who try to come to my house. Why are you different?” Benjamin cautiously approached the man, with the dog staying by him the entire time, and the man opened up to Benjamin. He admitted to not being a good man, sharing how his relationships with his wife and children were suffering and that his life was falling apart. After speaking with Benjamin, the man took five books: Simply Fresh cookbook, The Great Controversy, Christ’s Object Lessons, and two books for his children. That day, Benjamin realized that “God not only answers the prayers of canvassers but the unseen prayers of families as well.”

Although the parrot and pit bull did not speak to their owners directly, as Balaam’s donkey spoke to him, through these animals, God was able to create unforgettable connections to minister to families.

“This summer has shown our student literature evangelists that their Heavenly Father is a living, active God who continually works to do extraordinary things through ordinary people today,” said Lizelle Oreño, SCC Literature Ministries assistant coordinator.

Each year as students and leaders minister to those they encounter, they, too, are impacted by the ministry, which goes beyond the summer program.

Mike and Topaz, parents of Christopher, shared that their son came home a different person after the program. “He had a much more sense of confidence about him,” they said. “Christopher had a powerful spiritual experience while in the program that led him to make a decision to be baptized.”

“This program helped my son become bold about connecting with people he didn’t know,” Vinh Nguyen, SCC Asian/Pacific Region director, said. “He grew more confident with each door he knocked on. It’s fostered a spirit of witnessing in him, and I believe he will be more inclined to spend time talking to others and sharing the gospel.”

“Literature evangelism is a unique and powerful way to spread the gospel, reaching individuals who might never enter a church,” Andy Villanueva, SCC Literature Ministries director, said. “SCC Youth Rush participants have the opportunity, through the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit, to continually plant seeds of faith, often leading to life-changing encounters with Jesus.”

To learn more about SCC Youth Rush, visit sccyouthrush.org.