The youth camp last week created a unique mix of emotions. There was the shared excitement of participating in the conference, not as a separate participant, but alongside other youth from my host church. But solidarity brings repercussions; like a six o'clock whistle to wake up to and an enforced prolongation of bedtime until after twenty-three o'clock. However in the final analysis, all things are excused by a butt-load of amazing food.

The term for week was “ I and II Timothy, Letters to the JAEBECI (Youth)”, so many of the events encouraged us to be models and leaders in our milieus. For example, we worked in teams to write songs and skits based on these epistles and performed them the last day. I posted two snippets of the songs by Steph and Jessica's team and Tricia's team. (should be in my videos if I can upload them)

The pastor of my host church was one of the invitees to the conference and stayed in the same dorm as me. One night we were sitting on the front porch talking, and he ended up sharing his testimony of how God called him to be a pastor. Throughout his youth different pastors and mentors told him God wanted him as a pastor, but he was not interested. This continued until he was recommended as the yearly nominee his church would send to the Bible School. He still was not going to accept, but he woke up blind one morning. At first he thought it was a curse from his grandmother, but she vehemently denied it and subsequent medical treatment was ineffective. About a week later while praying for healing, he had an inaudible discussion with God convincing him to stop refusing and inscribe himself at the Bible school. Some time later his vision started coming back at the peripherals, so he drove his motorcycle with his head sideways to the Bible School to enroll. By the time classes started a week later, his vision had returned. What has birthed from this is a man rigidly set on following God. And it suddenly brought added meaning to hearing him talk repeatedly last year about Isiah 6:8. One could easily say I wish God would be that direct with me, but I imagine when I look back over the entirety of my life, His hand will be just as evident and his providence just as spectacular.