[20th Dec
2013]
Hello springy creaky
bed! I’m back with my squishy shoes and damp bags that are the perfect
conditions for mold right now. Indeed, I’m back from camp, but in case you
think I went trekking or something...
Thank God for putting
all of us here in camp this year. So, usually I at least have a few rather good
friends to spend camp with, but this year the number seems to have dwindled. On
the first day, soon after receiving the file, I flipped to the timetable. I had
expected fewer games, more serious stuff. But I was a little surprised to find,
not fewer games, but ABSOLUTELY NONE. I was talking to FH on that first day at
the back of the music room during a break. We lamented, why are we here? Our
friends are both overseas, probably enjoying themselves, while we are here,
stuck with a sermon a day… We sighed, saying God must have His reasons for
planting us there. Whether that was said to comfort ourselves, merely in jest,
or really an expression of genuine trust in God, I don’t quite know either. It
was a mish-mash of all those feelings I guess.
So it began. I must
say, even without any formal ice-breaker time slot allocated, my group adjusted
very well to each other. I have been in the same camp group as few of them
before, and the ones I haven’t, mostly the younger ones, were all very
enthusiastic and sociable, making getting to know each other not difficult. Although
we were a little passive sometimes, with one or two quieter ones (me..) with a
little probing, discussions mostly rolled smoothly. It was one of the most
comfortable groups I’ve been in for a while. Thank God for YY laoshi because
she’s really such a sweet and caring and lovable teacher too!
Everyday had two main
things, sermon in the morning, and self-planned evangelistic activities in the
afternoon. The sermons taught me several things which I felt were good, but
sometimes the message didn’t really impact me very much. More notable was QX
laoshi’s testimony, which really showed God’s awesomeness in her life – that we
hear His voice better when we are weak and have faith in Him, and that He has
great plans for us.
Self-planned
evangelistic activities mostly revolved around house-visiting, project blessing
or meet-up with friends. Being the bulk of the timetable, I felt the times
spent outside were really enriching, interesting experiences. Every group had
different things to see to, and even within the group, everyone experienced God
differently through the activities. It was really comforting and encouraging
whenever anyone of us managed to successfully plan a meet-up with a friend –
even just calling up someone to meet, on the pre-text of evangelism, is already
hard, but by God’s grace, we needn’t worry about having nothing to fill our
slots. We also did project blessing, which isn’t a new experience exactly, but
still one I am very bad at. It takes real courage to go up to random strangers
with a packet drink in hand, and trying to explain to them what we are doing.
(This was supposed to
be continued. But it’s been in drafts for too many days. Too stale for me to go
on. –edited 31 Dec 2013)
Well, so, in all it was
a good camp with lots of new experiences amid familiarity. Hopefully all that
we’ve learnt, and all the relationships we’ve forged through this camp does not
waste away in the days that come, but instead grow stronger with each passing
day! Especially the wonderful relationship with our Lord, and our role to execute
the Great Commission!