Camp to me

While I must comment that the committee and the camp commanders did a good job on the camp, on the more serious note, I think it is important on certain things that must be shared in the camp.

A sister shared during one of the discussion sessions regarding the camp and it really caught me off guard because her point really didn’t occur to me at all but it was really important. The point was :

“Did you had an aim when you go to the camp?”

I confessed that I went there not knowing what to aim for or expect, I just went because to me it was second nature that Youth work is my priority. Although that thought in itself is alright but having that thought alone does not suffice God’s work to be fully realized in my faith at the camp.

I did my homework of studying the hermeneutics(science & historical research) of the epistle of Hebrew and even read up commentaries of it, but all that was just preparation. It wasn’t an aim to work out something and to ensure that objective is reached.

What made it worse, I did not pray of what God would want me to do whilst in the camp, rather I was praying for things I had in mind for the camp. Again, while the thought of that is not to say “wrong” per se, I believe it is not the right approach for something as important as camp. Many people placed in loads of effort and costs to make it happen, is it really alright to just go there without seeking the Lord’s will?

If God told me to reach out to a certain specific person, I would have placed in my top of priority to that person rather over the things that I “felt” like doing during the entire period of camp. If God told me to support and encourage the committee before, during and after the camp, my priority would’ve been placed on that. Even If God told me to simply ensure that my faith needed to heed the message that was spoken by Mr.Andrew, I would’ve gave my utmost best in listening, digesting and reflecting upon the sessions he spoke.

Problem is, none of them were achieved, I just went with the flow.

Of course plenty of beautiful bonds were made with the younger youth and learning some new things like I can’t teach (I really can’t). It is still an irony that God’s will may not be done ultimately due to lack of listening.

You may or may not agree with me but I hope it is something you would consider upon the next camp you go, did you go because you knew what God has in mind for you there, or you go because of every other reason except for that reason?

If you felt happy because you had fun in the camp but came back learning nothing about the word of God and deciding to apply it in your life, then that aim in itself has defeated the whole purpose of organizing the camp in the first place. But if you did, fret not, there’s always the next camp and I hope that I too, will learn to come humbly in seeking God’s will and not taking each of these privileges to learn God’s word in such comfort lightly again!

Ephesians 5, 15-17

“Be very careful, then, how you live--not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is.”

- Gary Heng

Images are taken from :

http://bijuachan.webs.com/links.htm
http://www.wishfulthinking.co.uk/2006/04/24/creative-flow/