A different camp
This summer, we had an interesting and motivating experience. After
years of doing ministry and camps we often feel like we did everything.
We've seen generations of youth and we feel like we know them. You
know, that feeling of "nothing can surprise me". Well, surprisingly, an
organization dealing with integration of the abandoned children in the
family homes needed some help for their summer camp. We didn't know
them, but they heard about Rei and his experience in this field, so
they invited us to help them with the teenagers program. For the first
time in my life I've been in such a camp, with adults (parents)
teenagers and children together, but each category with their own
program, run by different leaders.
We were in a remote area in the mountains, no cell phone signal, just pure nature. We didn't know the kids before, so we choose to teach them how to make right decisions in life, following Josh McDowell's book "Right Choices". That was for the morning sessions, and for the evening time, we prepared a sort of application of the morning lessons in the field of the true love, and sexuality. Since the first day, we realized that our choice was a good one. These kids never heard about this issues, so they absorbed all the information like some dry sponges. The practical approach of the God's principles spiced with many true examples (Rei's style) reached the hart of those young people in a time of their lives when these information are vital. I like to believe that they will make good decisions, according to God's will so they won't suffer the consequences. In the last day, we offered them the possibility of making a sexual purity covenant. All of them did this, promising to God, their families, future husband and children, in front of their witnesses that they will remain sexually pure until they will enter the sacred marriage covenant. Wow!
After a week together we became friends. We realized that sometimes our own kids in the church may be a little spoiled with quality meetings, camps and all the rest and there are so many other in need. The good bye was really touching and will always remain in our memory. They were so sad that the camp was ending and we need to leave so they formed a human barrier in front of our car... some were crying... Well, this is not about us, not about two "professionals" from the New Hope team. Is is about God's power, it's about being blessed and being a blessing for the others. We were blessed!
More photos from the camp here
