The Best of Our Camp Diaries
From around 350 participants in 2005 to over 500, the 2007 Youth Camp was set to be an incredible event, and an opportunity for the Lord to communicate His vision to the youth. CTMI asked a few attendees to record their thoughts, comments, and impressions in a daily journal. What follows is a summary of the best of these entries, written in their own words... What a blast!
DAY ONE-
Buzzing excitement and expectant hearts - it's Youth Camp 2007! All kinds of faces, races, and languages all in one place with the same focus - our Lord God!
"From every nation, from every tongue"; the youth this year are so diverse but united by this gospel. It is awesome to behold…
It was an early start to be at the church for registration… On the way to camp I was singing on the bus and now I have no voice and it's only the first day… All I know is that I want to be hit by God and not a small hit but Lord hit me hard… My heart is thirsty for what the Lord has for us at this time…
The meeting tonight with Marc was wonderful. He spoke about the Samaritan and about how we need to have the same heart for one another because Jesus had this heart for us…
I am so blessed to be here amongst brothers and sisters from all over the world, and to be surrounded by the elders and those ahead of us on this road… I managed to get a few trickles of cold water for shower and now I'll bed down on my flimsy mattress to find a gecko over my head, lovely! The first day is over already, I can't believe it.
DAY TWO-
Today is was a little harder to wake up in the morning, but after a quick, cold shower I was ready to hit the day… I want the Lord to refine me by His power so Lord, please turn up the heat…
It is great to get to know my team and it's clear that the Lord wants to build lasting friendships, formed in the spirit… Each team is so very different and it is so awesome to see the oddest group of people working together…
The games today were so incredibly challenging but I saw clearly that the Lord is faithful to equip us in every area of our lives… The games really brought out the best and the worst in all of us…
At the meeting this evening, Lindsay shared the Word powerfully and simply. He made it clear that that we cannot stay bound to things of the world or of the flesh if we want to serve the Lord. Lindsay spoke about Joseph and that although he had a vision from the Lord about his future, it would be a long time before the Lord made that vision a reality… The Lord is at work people, Lindsay shared in English tonight!
The second day of camp and my only desire is to be set free more and more…We celebrated the tenth year of camp with songs and sketches, it was great! I washed dishes for a whole hour today but after chores it was great to get to bed.
DAY THREE -
It’s raining this morning; I hope the clouds go away soon… After a good breakfast we head out to the games field for the second leg of the Treasure Hunt! Before we started the games our team prayed together; it was truly amazing to see what happened within the team after we had placed the day entirely before the Lord. I learned today that when we are weak and lack endurance, the Lord strengthens us using our brothers and sisters in Christ… Being part of a team is good ground for the gospel - it shows us how to give our life for one another…
My teammates and I are going through real situations and we are looking for reality… This camp is just for us… There were times during the day when I was so tired and I had to cry out to the Lord to help me keep a good attitude and to keep me going…
Today I saw how just as in our teams on camp, within the body of Christ we cannot be independent and selfish but that we have to work as a team in all things… It has continued raining for half of the day and we got drenched on the games field! We got so dirty, wet and smelly but we managed to get a quick shower before the meeting…
Through Miki's message tonight, the Lord has shown me that being a Christian should be my whole life and not just a part of my life. I desire that I be consumed by the gospel so that I desire it, live it and testify it each and every day… Today I realised what a privilege it is to be a part of this church and to serve God with the support of a man like Miki, he carries something in the spirit, which is so so special!
I don't think I am going to have a chance to meet the other 500 youth here, time is flying by and I'm so sad about that… The night ended after hours of praise and worship and we fell into bed exhausted!
DAY FOUR-
The tent was way too hot last night and I woke up way too early this morning… Today was the final leg of the Treasure Hunt and it was so cool, so well thought out… We did quite a lot of running but not a lot of thinking… We didn't get the treasure, but we loved the hunt anyway! We really learned to go into battle with a good attitude… These games are awesome and I'm learning that it is so worth it to give of myself for my team… During the games we saw how much we needed each members' input in order to stay motivated, to complete the task and maintain team spirit…
In my team the Lord has really exposed my lack of co-operation and a selfishness in me, but I am encouraged and want a right attitude so that I may be an asset rather than a hindrance to my team… I realised that today was not about finding the treasure but rather about discovering the hidden jewels in each one of my team-mates, that the Lord has put there to contribute to His kingdom…
Miki's vision for the youth was overwhelming! He told us that he would trust us to go out and spread the gospel… The message from Miki was so clear - that we should live according to the standard that the Lord has set for us, without compromise, by relying on His grace and strength to carry us through…
I just cried to the Lord that He not forget me and that I want to know His plan so that I can take my place in it… After an amazing praise and worship session, we spent time with one another in fellowship and it was awesome! Tomorrow is our last day, the time has just flown by!
DAY FIVE-
Another early morning after a late night, I am shattered but we are all leaving with smiles on our faces because we know that, although it is the last day of camp, we have a rich deposit in our hearts!
The elders have really encouraged us today not to lose the deposit that we have received during these last few days…It is evident that God is truly at work! It’s increasingly clear that a generation has been set apart for Him and will be raised to spread the true gospel to the rest of the world…
For lunch we had a fish sandwich, which was quite new for some of us! My team has truly become like a family… It is sad to leave camp but I realise that it is not the end but really it's the beginning! The Lord really humbled me and made me see that without Him I am absolutely nothing… Camp was wonderful and what we received during these last five days is the fuel that we will need to keep us going during the year ahead…
For me, Camp was amazing because I saw first hand the ability of the gospel to melt a heart and change a life… I was really touched this weekend and have a renewed vision to serve the Lord… It is only by the power of God that a life can be changed and He requires no human intervention…
At this camp, it became clear to me that this gospel we are hearing is the true power of God. It is time to go home but thank you Lord… I was so blessed!
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