United Youth Camp Updates

• Australian Summer Camp Is "Awesome!"
• 104 Campers Come From Chile, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina
• 63 Teens Enjoy Camp in Kenya
• "Out of This World" Winter Camp Held in Wisconsin

Australian Summer Camp Is "Awesome!"

"Awesome, awesome, awesome!" is how one camper described the Australian UCG Youth Camp held from Dec. 22 to 31, 2006. There was definitely an international flavor this year, with representatives from Tonga, New Zealand, Singapore, Sri Lanka, the United Kingdom and the United States.

The theme was "Developing Godly Character," with the Christian Living classes and sermons on both Sabbaths focusing on different areas within this topic.

We hit the ground running with activities kicking off just a few hours after all the campers had arrived. Some activities were old favorites, including dance, softball, Christian Living and speech club, but there were plenty of new things to try out such as raft-building, ultimate Frisbee and T-shirt printing.

One of the most popular activities was the challenge hike, which tested not only the campers' physical stamina but also their mental and spiritual strength as they battled against Haman, clung desperately to their entry points into the Kingdom of God and decided whether or not to accept the mark of the Beast!

Hike coordinator Stephen Clark explained the purpose of the challenges: "In some ways, doing something like [this] has more of an effect on our learning than a Bible study or a Christian Living class."

Another great highlight was the ever-popular speech night in which campers addressed diverse topics such as the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia, how to have a positive attitude and a hilarious explanation of why everyone should attend the Merimbula Feast site.

One evening saw the culmination of all the teams' efforts in drama classes, with highly entertaining performances of famous Bible stories. Some of these stories took on a new twist, including David telling Saul about the lions and bears that stole his KFC, and Jacob giving Joseph a hat of many colors!

Two of the older campers also had the opportunity to give a sermonette on the two Sabbaths during camp. David Fawcett from Queensland spoke about his experiences at the United Youth Camp in the Philippines, and James Moore from New Zealand spoke about the importance of standing up for the truth.

The last night ended our very successful camp with the traditional formal dinner, awards and dance competition.

The following comments summarize the good things that came out of the Australian summer camp:

"We saw how to apply God's way of life in everyday circumstances."

"As parents, we hear some of the camp stories from our kids. Yet we are only seeing the tip of an iceberg. The lessons taught, the challenges faced, the relationships which are built and the dedication of the staff combine to produce an atmosphere that is memorable, encouraging and heartening."

"For 10 days I was surrounded by peers who held similar Christian beliefs and moral standards to me, and for that I am blessed. One of our Tongan brothers summarized how everyone felt in his final good-bye speech. At camp we are all the same. There are no different races. This is our family. This is God's family."

—Natalie McQueen

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104 Campers Come From Chile, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina

This year we again had our youth camp in the town of Paine, about 30 miles south of the city of Santiago, Chile. Camp began on the morning of Dec. 26 with a total of 111 people present, of which 104 were youngsters and seven were adults.

Activities began every day with breakfast prepared by the personnel of the camp. In fact, all of the meals were prepared by the staff.

After breakfast we had an hour we called "Remember Your Creator." In that hour everyone looked for a quiet place to pray or study their Bibles.

The following hour we had a Bible class given by one of the ministers. Most of the subjects of the Bible classes had to do with strengthening our relationships to God and to each other in order to be protected from the pulls of the world.

The next hour was dedicated to a tradition here: Mini-speeches given by the campers. These mini-speeches have become a very important part of camp. Every day we planned five speeches from campers. But on the last two days more volunteers wanted to express their thoughts to the rest, so we had to raise the number of speeches to nine on the last day!

Then lunch time came. After lunch, siesta time was on the program every day. However, this year nobody took the time for that purpose. Since several of the youngsters do not see each other frequently, they used every moment to get to know each other better.

After siesta time, two hours of swimming were on the program. This activity was very well received, since the weather was really hot because December is normally that way in the southern hemisphere.

After using the pool, everyone got together to have a traditional Chilean "once," a time to have a drink and something light to eat. Then came sports such as basketball, soccer and volleyball. Then dinner. After dinner an evening activity was planned, such as a dance, organized games and an improvised talent show. It was difficult to send campers to sleep at midnight.

At the beginning of camp Esteban Rodriguez, a Church member in the Santiago congregation and a psychologist, gave a wonderful lecture on the need to have a clear vision for the future.

Later in the week Carlos Hernandez, also a Church member in Santiago, spoke to the youth about his experience growing up in the Church. Later in his teen years he left the Church of God to look "for a better life." Then he came back to advise the rest of the youth never to make that wrong decision.

Carlos Hernandez is now married and has a daughter. He now says he is the "bad father" who wants to keep his daughter in the Church. He now recognizes his own father really loved him and wanted him to stay in God's Church always and not suffer unnecessarily.

This year we had the blessing to have seven youngsters from Peru attend the camp. There was also a young boy from Bolivia and another one from Argentina. Several youngsters from other countries in the area could not come due to the cost of transportation. Even though the Church pays for their food and lodging, transportation is many times a problem for them to attend this yearly activity.

We feel camp this year was very productive and inspiring. The priority was cultivating a better relationship with God and with each other. Physical activity took second place during camp.

At the beginning of camp we told the youngsters to use the time to build strong friendships among themselves in order to prepare for the strong pulls of the world and Satan. We believe this purpose was fulfilled to a high degree.

Gerardo and Marisol Roig, a couple who are coordinating the youth in this part of the world, have done a great job in keeping the youth focused on the Church of God and strengthening the unity among them all.

—Saul Langarica

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63 Teens Enjoy Camp in Kenya

Imagine a huge grassy campground beneath giant acacia trees with monkeys, fish eagles and giant eagle owls beside a picturesque lake with hippos, herons and white pelicans.

Now add 63 teens and 22 staff members. Welcome to Camp Kenya on the shore of Lake Naivasha!

For five days in December, teens from around Kenya and Tanzania enjoyed action-packed days of bicycling, swimming, hiking, team building, sewing and playing sports such as football, volleyball, basketball and Frisbee football. Other mainstays of camp were campfires and Christian Living classes.

The teens appreciated the opportunity to experience the fun and activities in a millennial setting among peers of like mind.

Many thanks to all the staff, including United Youth Corps volunteers Jamie Franks and Christina Davis and newly appointed associate senior pastor Tim Waddle, who were part of the team that contributed to a unique experience for all involved. Everyone helped make our second annual Camp Kenya a great success! It was a lot of tiring work, but the results were well worth it.

Youth Corps Volunteers Share Their Journals

During college break in December, Youth Corps volunteers Jamie Franks and Christina Davis came to Kenya where they served as staff members at Camp Kenya.

Both Jamie and Christina brought with them experience and expertise, and they received opportunities to mentor future leaders in the Church. They also received the gift of an altered worldview.

Jamie and Christina both wrote journals about their experiences, and excerpts are included here.

Jamie: "I think before adventuring to Africa, we all had preconceived notions of what we were going to encounter. We had heard the stories, read the articles and seen pictures of this place on the other side of the world. However, there are some things that books, pictures and secondhand stories can never prepare you for.

"Upon arrival in Africa, one of the first things that struck me was the sheer beauty of the country. The wildlife, the trees, the mountains, all truly beautiful, but the truly amazing part is that all this beauty serves as a backdrop to such great poverty, corruption and, at times, great suffering.

"With all that said, though, once we arrived at the camp and had the opportunity to travel around to the different churches and interact with the people, it was obvious that the people were just as beautiful and strong as the land. I admired that despite their hardships and difficulties, as a whole they had such unwavering, positive attitudes and were all striving forward to the same vision of the future that we all share."

Christina: "The entire staff all really worked as a team to support each other through the challenges and eye-opening experiences we faced each day. Apart from Mr. and Mrs. Elliott, none of us knew each other prior to the trip."

Jamie: "The summer camp, from day one, had many similarities as well as many differences to the camps that we had all been used to in the States. One of the major obstacles for us, as internationals, was the language barrier. We required a translator for almost every interaction, while we found some expressions and gestures to be truly ‘international.'

"We found the children to be very warm, friendly, attentive, willing to learn and always ready and waiting for our attention. And just like our camps in the States, there were many adults who took time away from their jobs and lives to serve and give of their time to help out at camp. But, just like our camps in the States, at the end we were all exhausted, and ready for a break!"

Christina: "It was amazing how we were able to relate our thoughts and passions with each other in such a dynamic setting. Traveling with two ministers also proved to be a fantastic learning experience for both of us. While driving and during meal times, we had in-depth discussions about being a youth in God's Church, what challenges members face living in Africa and our daily adventures.

"We would like to thank everyone who assisted us at the summer camp. Deacons and Church members took time from their work to aid the children."

Jamie: "We had the opportunity to travel to some of the more rural congregations. Some of these churches proved fairly challenging to get to, due to the roads or lack of roads, but we always made it without any major complications. Upon arriving, we were always received with an extremely warm welcome.

"It is amazing how you can be so far from home, around people you have never met before, who do not speak the same language, and then instantly you hear the familiar sound of hymns being played, and suddenly you feel right at home in a mud hut in Africa! Another good thing to know is that, even in Africa , after church there is always a potluck!

"I will continue to learn from the experiences I had in Africa throughout the rest of my life. The people have amazing hearts and at their very core, they are all striving for the same goals and future that we all are. I will never forget my time in Africa, and can't wait to go back and visit all of my new friends!"

The contribution to Camp Kenya that both Youth Corps volunteers made was very warmly welcomed by all the teens and greatly appreciated by their fellow staff. We hope they and many others like them will volunteer again to serve in a Youth Corps project like Camp Kenya!

—John Elliott

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"Out of This World" Winter Camp Held in Wisconsin

"Out of this world!" What does that mean to you? Perhaps it means something is fantastic. For campers and staff members at Winter Camp this year, it had another meaning—but more about that later.

Who would imagine—Winter Camp without snow? But the lack of snow didn't stop the campers at Winter Camp from having an awesome camp experience. Temperatures were perfect to enjoy outdoor activities if appropriate clothing was worn.

Montello, Wisconsin, was the place where 103 campers and staff gathered to experience that special environment we call the Zone—that key element of each of the United Youth Camps. The Zone is where campers are immersed in a godly environment for 24 hours a day for the duration of camp.

This was the first year Winter Camp has been held in Montello, a small town about 30 minutes from the Wisconsin Dells. The camp facility proved to suit our needs quite well, providing a gymnasium for volleyball, stables and horses for horseback riding, open fields where we played football and a pond where campers could ice skate.

There were also ice rinks to play broomball, a sport that has been played by many youth up north. Broomball is like hockey, played on ice but without ice skates, hockey sticks or pucks. Instead it's played on ice with boots, a "broom" and a ball. This was a uniquely fun activity.

Campers also participated in various games and team challenges, both indoors and outdoors. They even learned some outdoor cold weather survival techniques.

One perennially favorite activity at Winter Camp is dance class. Campers are able to learn how to do the swing and various other dances. One evening we have "flex time" when campers can choose from various activities, and dance is always one of the most popular. It's nice for our teens to learn more advanced dancing skills than what is typically depicted on television.

While the physical activities were fun and educational, the most important aspect of camp is the spiritual. By far, most campers acknowledge that's part of their motivation to attend camp.

The theme of Winter Camp this year was "Out of This World—Into the Kingdom." Truly, there were many opportunities for campers to learn more about God's way of life at camp.

The campers had five days of focused attention on what it means to come out of the world. They were also able to consider their ultimate destiny of being leaders in the Kingdom of God.

Mornings began with Compass Checks—half-hour messages related to the theme. There was also a leadership workshop and a life skills class. Life skills focused on how young ladies can learn to apply Proverbs 31 in today's world. For the young men, it focused on masculinity.

There were also a couple of Christian Living question-and-answer sessions. Campers could ask the ministry any questions that were on their mind—and there were a lot of questions! The ministry present for the Q&As were Gary Black, Dan Dowd, Clyde Kilough, Scott Lord, Gary Petty and Randy Stiver. They were happy to give personal attention and direction to issues affecting the teens.

One new activity this year was Fear Factor PS. This workshop taught what to do if a young person is ever called on to speak in front of others. "PS" stands for public speaking. Fear Factor PS provided a unique opportunity for campers to face one of the most dreaded and feared activities—speaking in front of others. It not only provided a challenge, but also helped them experience success—one of the immediate outcomes we seek from the camp experience.

It was amazing how well the campers did once they had a little instruction and encouragement. Plus, many campers found the workshop fun.

We look forward to holding Winter Camp in the same location next year from Dec. 27, 2007, to Jan. 1, 2008. For more information, please watch for the upcoming United Youth Camps Magazine.

—Gary Black

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