I had the opportunity to pray and share with other leaders in the Youth Camp, and one of them was in tears during the prayer. After the prayer meeting, she curiously asked me and said, “I have been working with you many times and I rarely saw you shedding your tears.” People rarely see me cry not because there is anything wrong with my tear duct, I rarely cry in front of other people. I do have my tearful moments; it is often due to matters concerning young people. The following morning, I prayed for the young people during devotion, my tears again streaming down because I was so moved by their sharing. After that, I cried several times in public and private. There have been many moving moments and matters during the camp in the past few years; however there seemed be many more in this camp. This year I have not only heard the voices of our young people, but also witnessed God’s work on the lives of our leaders and the campers. I saw how they were touched by God’s word, their embraces and their tearful prayers. All these scenes moved me greatly.
The theme of this year’s camp was “HIGHTLIGHT”, we used the passage in Philippians 2:12-16 to encourage our young people to hold tight to God’s word so that they might live as children of God, shinning like a star in a world full of crooked and perverse people. Through different workshops, games and messages we encouraged the young people to grow (become spiritually mature), glow (shine for the Lord), with a goal (set a goal for their lives). All activities were closely related aiming at helping them to reflect on themselves. On the last day of the camp, we sent off those who are about to leave our church to study in different universities in all corners of the country. Bidding farewell to those you are so used to meeting up every week was hard. For many of them, this friendship is the first one they’ve built since coming to the UK. Many of them were in floods of tears. After the send-off, we reminded this group that, though they were upset for being apart from each other, they must journey on with conviction, remaining as a faithful presence for God in their community wherever it may be, making use of what they learned and experienced in MAC to become a blessing to the community they might soon be part of. It goes without saying that they are always welcome to come back, this is their permanent home.
The theme after the first year of covid was 「E-Cube」, we hoped that we could enable the young people to know people that they “Encounter” in their lives ; “Experience” God, and “Embrace “each other. Last year’s theme was 「Real Me」, we hoped that our young people are clear that there are differences between the kingdoms of God and this world. We must, in God, find our true selves. The theme this year was「HIGHLIGHT」, we hoped to encourage them to be a brave witness for the Lord wherever they go. When I sent off the latest group, I remembered the circumstances when I left Hong Kong. Similarly, we left the place where we were born and brought up. I was filled with tears and reluctancy too. Similarly, I had to step by step build my new life and adapt to the new living environment. But are we moving forward with the conviction that God gives us? Have we been a faithful witness for the Lord after we arrived in the UK? Looking at this group making their promises to God, I remind myself that I must not fall behind them and must push myself to live out the Word of Life faithfully.
To change and to grow in life takes time. The success of this year’s camp was due not only to dedicated organization, but it was also result of the accumulated efforts and the time invested by everyone who has participated in the service over the past few years. To ask these young people to shine in this crooked world is a difficult task. In addition to having God operating in their hearts, they also need the support of fellow travelers. Dear brothers and sisters, are you willing to be their companion?
Pastor Benjamin Cho