2024 Summer Camp : An unforgettable summer vacation, a year of stepping forward
This summer was my first time participating as a camp director. There's nothing happier for Christians than being able to take part in and see the impact of the gospel in action.
I saw a lot of God's grace in this year's camps. For example, all the camps ran smoothly, there were more participants than in previous years, and one of the camps, the Youth Retreat, had more than enough enrollment. Given the limited equipment and resources we had, we were really pleased with how things went, and we're grateful to God for that.
There were lots of memorable and inspiring moments at the camp, and I'd like to share two of them. The first picture shows a child reading the Bible. I've always thought camps were great for having fun and playing games, but it was really inspiring to see a child studying the Bible during the break and even asking me some tough questions. It made me realize how important it is to be involved in a ministry that's truly making a difference. It was encouraging to be involved in a ministry that is truly building disciples for the Lord.
The second thing I noticed was that this year's camp had more participants from different nation, which was great, but what was even more inspiring was that one week after the camp, I met the parents of one of the participants on the street. They came up to me out of the blue and gave me a big hug, thanking us for the camp. It was great to hear that the child had enjoyed it so much and she have restarted praying before meals, before sleep, and reading the Bible again. After saying goodbye, I remembered Psalm 20:7, "Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God.”
What does it mean to practice true evangelism? This can lead to lots of different theological discussions. For me, being authentic means having an enduring relationship with God, not just a passionate immediate connection.
Finally, many of my friends have asked me how I feel about camp this year. My response is that it doesn't really matter how I feel about it, but rather how each camper feels about God. I hope they'll remember more than just what they ate, played, and listened to at camp. I hope they'll have a deep conviction that God is their lifelong Savior and that He is with them throughout their lives. That'll be good enough.
Rev.Dr. Caleb Cheng
Camp Director
25/9/2024