Camp

For only 24 hours, we packed quite a bit of action into our camp this weekend. Friday afternoon we departed with an outstanding 29 youth and 7 leaders for the campground in Swakop. After setting up camp, getting some dinner, and goofing around a bit, we settled down around the campfire for a talk from Steve about God’s forgiveness. The students were given time to write down those things that held them in guilt. They threw the papers in the fire, symbolizing how our sins are completely gone when God forgives us. Then we walked down to the beach for some late night Capture the Flag before bed.

We were up before the sun on Saturday morning. They mistakenly thought they could take their time preparing for the day so we had to go into drill sergeant mode to get them ready and lined up for morning exercises. After breakfast Boni continued with our theme of forgiveness speaking to us about resolving conflict with each other. We had some time to consider the conflicts in our own lives, and if the person was there, to go reconcile with them.

After packing up camp, we drove out to the dunes, then on to the pool at Dolphin Park. It was a great weekend for me, a chance to dig a little deeper with some of the students. I’ve gotten a lot better at prying, or rather not shying away from the tough questions that reach a little deeper. And at the end of two and half months, I’ve developed a good amount of relational authority to ask some of those questions. Teenagers have the same issues no matter where you go, the same insecurities, the same longings, and best of all, the same God who heals all the same hurts.