This is a repost from a different era in my life, the dark year for me, 2005. Anyway, all my bags are indeed packed, for moving house and for church camp. I think from now on I will add on to this post everytime there is camp!
Here the original post, posted on 9 December 2005.
This camp is a step out of my comfort zone, not because it is in Malaysia, but because of something else. At Go Forth, was challenged to step out of my comfort zonel; God told me to go for AnnTiC (Annual Teach In Camp). At first, it really didn't seem like a challenge. Then, I realised what I was in for. God immediately told me to SMS Amy and Kelvin (Tan) what the dates of the LTC and AnnTiC was. And guess what, it was a clash!
That was a step out of my comfort zone, because for the first time in a long time, I am playing a very different role at a camp. It's easy for me to stand in front of a lot of youth and give them a lesson on how to lead songs. But very difficult for me to just be contented staying in the background and "feeding" but not giving out.
But God has a way of planning my timetable. Emotionally, I'm burnt out, that's what pastor said to me today. (And if you thought you say me crying during YM today, you weren't imagining things.) I need a rest from ministry; and so, while I planned to go for this camp months ago, the reason is only apparent now. That's how God works. If I had chosen the LTC instead, I think I wouldn't have been in the right frame to teach or lead. Well, that's God's timing.
More than just missing the LTC, this is the first Youth Camp I will be missing since Fresh Encounter 1996. Yup, if I am not mistaken, the only other person with such a track record is Amy. But anyway, here were the camps I attended, for memories...
1996 (December) Fresh Encounter
This was a camp that changed my life. To many of you, you had a touch from the Holy Spirit during Changed for Real or MAD for GOD 2003, well, this was when I experienced mine. This camp was at the Presbyterian Girls Hostel at Telok Kurau. I will never forget this camp; it was one of the first few times I cried during worship. I remember the last night of camp, there was this sharing session, I was asked to share, but I chickened out, didn't know what to say. (I was sec 3.) Well, if I had the chance to say something now; I would say that Fresh Encounter was the start of a long journey for me. The other thing I will never forget in this camp was the last night; sabo session. I was saboed bad... really bad. Won't elaborate, but that was the last camp in which the sabo-ing was really fierce!
1997 (December) Adventure Camp
O Levels just ended for me. This was a camp to mark the end of 4 years inscondary school! It was held at Pasir Ris PA Campsite (near Alvin's place.) It was fun, we went canoeing, did street bandy and abselling. It wasn't a super serious type of camp, it was a fun camp; not had one of these type of camps in a long while. Soon hopefully!
1998 (June or September) MAD Camp
This was the first of the camps with the acronym MAD in it. MAD is of course Making a Difference. Anyway, the reason why all the LTCs are called MAD is because this camp was my LTC. Nothing has changed much from the current LTCs, but this one was more catered to the old ISS format. Worship, games and evaluation. Something like that. This was where Ryan led worship, his one and only one experience! HAHA!
1998 (December) BAD Camp
Don't ask me where these acronyms come from! BAD is Being a Disciple. It had not 1 but 4 theme verses, one for everyday of the camp and we had to recite each one each day before every meal! It was at the BB/GB campsite, BOFORE the renovations! That means, the toilets were in containers! Disgisting! On the second last day, we went canoeing, and we had no choice but to bathe when we returned right? So we got fed up of bathing in the containers, a lot of us just took a shower in the open (in our swimming attire). This camp was where we were given the WWJD wrist bands. I still have mine, it's on my bag; it's red in colour.
Another thing about this camp was that we were given journals. I journaled a few times, I still keep the journal, and the things I wrote on the first day was about a vision God gave me. And now, 7 years later, that vision is being fulfilled. Won't elaborate. Another thing I wrote in my journal was how "envious" I was of the another church's YM; Charis Methodist Church. We shared the camp with them, we numbered about 3o-40 campers, they were like 100. And their YM was so alive! I told myself that that was the standard I wanted our YM to reach. We've since surpassed that; but unfortuantely, we are on the downswing rather than the up. My prayer is that we regain that momentum when we start the Youth Service next year.
1999 (June) Making a Kingdom Difference
This camp was about Acts of Kindness. That is passing out free tissue, drinks etc on the streets. Washing cars, doing community service etc. This was a great camp, refreshing, definately not the usual camp, but very tiring. I remember I had to go for my SAF medical check up on one of the days of this camp. I thought I would be able to return back to camp after the chckup, little did I know that the check up lasted from 8am to 4pm!
1999 (September) Eagle's Wings Worship Camp
This camp set the direction of my ministry in the Youth. It taught me a lot on what worship was all about. It was also a time for me to find peace amidst the A levels and my impending enlistment. I was hurting a lot from my back; I was diagnosed with a slip disk just 6 months prior. But that camp, something so wonderful happened (those who were there would know); and the pain in my back disappeared, and I didn't feel it again until the first 4 hours of NS!
2000 (December) King and I
Was held at NACLI. This was a camp in which I was not really involved, I had my back operation just barely 2 weeks prior to this camp and was still walking around the campsite with a walking stick. But I thank God that I was able to attend! Indeed it was a miracle that I could even walk! I don't remember much of this camp except that a few days after this camp; on 10 December 2000, One Voice was formed.
2001 (December) Body Building Camp
First time I sat in the camp committee. It was a good camp; I believe many of you were touched by this camp! Well, I was the worship coordinator for this camp; but I was running the show literally on my own power. But overall it was an experience to remember! I really wish we could go back to camp christine for the next camp! But they are like fully booked till like 2007 or something!
2002 (December) Changed for Real
This was a long camp! But held in church so that logistics wouldn't be so jia lat! I wasn't in the camp committee due to my commitments in the Jesus is the Rock Sunday School camp. But anyway, was pulled in to handle the worship again. Before the start of the camp, I told the camp committee that this was going to the "fresh encounter" for many of our youths. And yes, it was! I remember Augustine telling me on the 2nd day, "Tomorrow, altar call!" I was like, "HUH?!". I went home that night, to pray about it, and yeah, God also told me, "Altar Call." Nothing could hav prepared me for what happened the next night, and every night after that!
It was one of the most amzing sights I've seen happen in the YM. We were in the sanctuary, August led, I played, and it looked like there was a wave moving, the front row, people started to cry, then it just kept moving, row after row, youths began to break down and cry. I had never seen anything like that before! And the last night, 5 people separetly confirmed that something was going to happen. And what happened? Well, vesper lasted from 12midnight to 4am. I'm sure many of you will remember that. I slept a total of about 5 hours that week. I was truly tired but really refreshed at the end of that camp!
2003 (June) God Factor
This camp, everything ran like clockwork. And I was Camp Commandant. But what you all didn't know was that this camp was planned in 8 weeks flat! A lot of help came from what is now called the "administrative instructions" document; or the monster. I'm sure those in the TOFU Team would know or will know soon what this document is! Anyway, this camp was the biggest YM camp held to date. And the name God Factor was almost reused for GAP. In fact, a God Factor 2 logo was even designed but never used.
2003 (December) MAD for God?
Another LTC. And from now on, all LTCs will be called MAD or something like that. Anyway, I had just gone for the J21 conference, and was super fired up for this camp. I threw everything I had to offer into this camp! And now, besides the "AI" document, we had another one called the "Alignment" document, and that one made a huge difference to how we ran the camp! Well, this year's LTC is the same name, but difference is, it's going to be a huge drain on resources. But God will provide!
2004 (June) GAP Camp
We never gave GAP and official acronym, the whole idea was to leave it up to all of you! Anyway, the highlight of this camp was certainly the IPC Youth Rally. Yet, there were some who had problems with this camp. Hurts and pain still linger in some people. But well, God will make a way; He always will. One thing I did not like about this camp was it's location. And, the report to the next camp committee (whoever they were) was NEVER to us the GB HQ again. Guess what happened?! Read on...
2005 (June) One Purpose Camp
The very next camp, the camp committee had to use the GB HQ AGAIN!!! ARGH! And I was in that committee! How ironic! Actually, I was volunteered myself into this committee after going through a huge personal crisis. And, Ber was KOed in Japan. Anyway, in my opinion, form now on, camps should have the spirit of this camp in mind, and that purpose is outreach. This is the call given to all of us; and that should be the focus of our camps from now on.
13 camps in a row. Some of you must be wondering how I remember so much detail! Well, simple, I kept all my campfiles! Including the campfile with oranges on it's front cover! :)
Well, MAD for GOD 2005 will be the first camp I will be missing in a long time, but it's a break I need. To seek God and ask Him for answers to the past 2 months. And if the answers don't come, for direction in the next 6 months.
This post is post-dated, so it will stay on top while I am away at AnnTiC and my blog will be unupdated till I return. Original posting time: 4 December 2005, 11:36pm.
Here's are the add ons, 9 June 2008.
2006 (Dec) Absolute Truth Camp
This was a camp held after the renovations to church were completed. This was the biggest camp to date with close to 90 participants. This was also the first time there was a dedicated worship team for the camp. The last time something like that was tried was at Changed for Real 2002, but it didn't turn out very well. This time it worked very well! The highlight of this camp was the Omega activity, something which was years in the making.
2007 (June) Ignition
This camp had no name for long time. The name was based on the Ignite conference. Other tentative names included "explosion" or words to that effect. This was the camp where I was given a task, "make facedown worship happen". Yup, I had no idea how to go about doing that, but somehow, it happened, not by my might, but by the Spirit of God. I posted about Ignition a year ago, it was a start of a new life for me, in AHS. It was a good 6 months, since then things have gone downhill. But I digress. Back to Ignition, this was a camp where the comparisons to ATC where a little obvious, same camp com, same style, slightly different outcomes.
2007 (Dec) MAD for God 2007
Leadership Training camp once again. This time is was far toned down as there were too many participants! Well, hopefully this was a first for many. Learning from the BB, I have come to realise that as the number of participants grow, Leadership Training Camps tend to become more like Management Training camps. Topics covered are vastly different. I feel its time to bring back shock and awe tactics.
Well, RAW Camp 2008 is going to be very different from the previous 3 camps. A lot tougher, a lot more brainless and a lot youthier. We'll see what happens!
