Thank you for all your prayers and concern. My health is still weak, but God's perfect strength sustained me until I could crash on Sunday afternoon. I know this was yet another piece of proof that God wants us to rely on Him for strength and wisdom.
As you know, the Capricorn Community Church Youth had to 'earn' the privilege of attending Camp this year. They had to attend Youth activities, Bible Studies, participate in Fundraisers for Camp funds and show a genuine interest in being part of the physical Body of Christ, THE CHURCH! This has proven to be the most amazing lesson our youth have learned. There were many times before camp that I'd think, "Man, I wish ______ were coming with us, they really need to hear what's going to be said." Or I'd entertain the thought of allowing some to come that didn't quite earn enough points and give some grace, but I didn't. I stuck to our agreement and had no grace for those that didn't follow-through. We heard the youth numerous times talk about how much the appreciated the 'point system' and even the parents agreed with our weeding-out of those that don't really want to grow in Christ, many just come for the outings and 'fun' given. So, God is teaching us all that we must work and sacrifice. What a sweet, valuable lesson for our Capricorn Church!
This camp was vastly different than last year's camp. We had NOT ONE discipline issue. Everyone participated in EVERY activity. There was NO COMPLAINING. The youth were TOTALLY RESPECTFUL. The sessions were long and involved a lot of group participation and looking up scripture and giving feedback and being spiritually, emotionally vulnerable with each other ... and they did it all! The group of 17 youth that came with us were those that really want to grow. They're the ones that usually get punished for the errors of others and the whole group gets privileges taken away because of the 'naughty ones.' But this time, the distractions were taken away and these youth were able to focus solely on Christ and their relationship with Him and truly take hold of what God has for them. I was in tears one session as the youth were opening their eyes to scriptures that were beginning to take root. Youth were speaking into the lives of their peers - giving each other encouragement and rebukes out of God's Word. This past year and a half have been very trying to me. I've had to wait on God's timing to move forward and wait on the youth and congregation to ready themselves. My impatience and desire for them to grow has been personally difficult. But I cried because I felt so blessed to be in God's presence with these particular youth. I felt blessed that God was allowing me to tangibly see the fruit of His work. I felt blessed to have waited on His timing!
The imagery of a tree and it's roots and fruits were strongly emphasized in each session.
We took the Youth through 4 sessions:
1. Who am I? - Identity in Christ
2. Where am I? - figuring out how mature their faith is and areas where they need to grow
3. Reality of Satan - (led by Severo) - speaking of Satan's attacks on Believers, strongholds that keep us from moving forward in our relationship with Christ.
4. Reality of Temptation - (led by Meagan) - about what Satan will try to do after camp, the temptations that we have the ability to overcome through Christ.
There were tears of brokenness, there were prayers of renewed seriousness in relationship to Christ, there was power moving through our youth! God allowed our oldest youth girl (12th grader) to see how wayward she'd become and she rededicated her life to Christ! I had the privilege of praying with her specifically - and it was especially neat because we prayed for Christ to use her life after school, after she graduates... and this is a prayer and thought that rarely crosses the minds and hearts of the youth in Capricorn. God grabbed hold of her heart at just the right time; God put her on this Camp to hear exactly what she needed to hear in this crucial time in her life. I can't wait to see what God does in her and in the rest of the youth that He's growing!
We also had a time around the camp-fire where we allowed the youth to encourage each other - speak positive words into each others' lives. There were amazing, heart-felt things said to one-another, but the most meaningful of all was what one girl said to Meagan and myself: she said, "Meagan, when I met you, I thought you were boring. You were quiet and didn't play around. Mel, when I met you, I thought, 'what does she have in common with us?' I didn't think an American could relate to our lives. But, I've seen how much you guys love us and how much we can learn from you. I've seen you come to Capricorn so tired, so weary, but you come because you love us and you want to show us Christ!" I was thankful for the many months of simply showing up in Capricorn; I was proud of the perseverance that God allowed us to have. All glory to God for what He's doing through the lives of leaders that have nothing to give but Jesus - we don't have money, we don't have catchy tricks, we don't have unique gifts ... all we have is Jesus and the love He has given us for Capricorn... and that's all we (and they) need.
I'm so proud to be part of what God is doing in South Africa - specifically Capricorn Community Church!
Here's a recap in photos:
Welcomed to Camp by BABOONS (a family of 10). Judy and the kids arrived before us and told us that they were unloading the car with the food supplies, Judy turned around to put some things in the cupboard, turned around again and a huge daddy-baboon was in front of her - grabbing all the cookies on the counter. Judy screamed, the kids began to cry and the baboon got away with our dessert. Shocking, Entertaining South African Wildlife!
Session 1: groups divided into color-teams, looking up scriptures about Identity in Christ and presenting their findings to the entire group!
Saturday morning small groups
Our everything room: Worship-Eating-Game-Movies-Mail-Hangout room!
Our very own Capricorn Baboon-boys climbing trees!
Mel and Basil
Girls getting their game-faces on before Cowboys & Indians Game
Game of Human Snakes and Ladders ... with group challenge
Pastor Severo leading session on Satan and strongholds... so powerful!
Encouragement and affirmation time around the camp fire & roasting marshmallows!
Sunday morning Worship!
Meagan and Mel - exhausted but full of joy!
After each session, the youth filled out paper 'leaves' that answered some sort of question that pertained to the session just taught. Leaves were pasted to the tree branches and the fruitful lessons added to the fullness of the tree - visually showing the Youth how much they'd learned in just one weekend!
I'm full of joy and proud of our Youth!
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