On August 13-15, 2023, Hope Spero BM organized a Youth Camp at Libiki Bamboo Resort. The camp’s theme was ‘F.I.R.E (Faith, Influence, Responsible, Empower).’ The organizing committee consisted of tertiary and secondary school students who were hosting the camp for the first time. The objective of this camp was to reach out to young souls and ignite their faith in Christ. Praise God, this camp had 100 participants from various colleges, universities, and secondary schools. This aligns with our church’s direction this year, which is to invest in and nurture the new generation, as they are the future of the church.
On the first day, the participants were welcomed by light rain as they walked one kilometer from the main road to reach the camp location. However, this obstacle did not dampen their spirits. In fact, they grew even more excited, with cheerful faces shining as they arrived at the camp. The ice-breaking session began with some games, with the ‘broken radio’ game becoming the focus. Participants had to convey information to others using hand gestures without speaking.
At night, we had a video teaching session, and Sister Mina concluded with a heartfelt message about personalized faith, emphasizing that we do not have a ‘Grandfather God’; we only have a ‘Father God.’ This message encouraged all the youth to develop personal faith in Christ through obedience to God’s word and personal prayer. On that very night, we were blessed with 24 salvations and rededications.
On the second day, the participants’ enthusiasm burned brightly as they engaged in a team-building program. They were divided into six groups and displayed strong cooperation in overcoming obstacles, such as wall climbing. Even though some were injured, they persevered through the challenges that lay before them.
At night, Pastor Daniel shared about “Who is the Holy Spirit?” and how we, as Christians, need the power of the Holy Spirit. We had a baptism of the Holy Spirit that night where many received the baptism and were ministered to that night. This was followed by a ‘Fire Night’ session, where participants wrote down their bad habits on pieces of paper. We prayed and burned these papers as a symbol of repentance and willingness to let go of the past and bad habits. Some of the most mischievous participants wrote down a variety of bad habits, even requiring extra paper. This deeply moved us as it showed their sincere desire to repent from their past mistakes.
We concluded the camp with a Family Day on Sunday, where families and working adult groups joined the youth at Libiki Resort for praise, worship, and hearing stories of faith from panelists. The camp ended on a high note with a celebration of 24 individuals publicly declaring their faith through water baptism.
In conclusion, this camp brought together young souls who were renewed in Christ and now serve God with increased enthusiasm. All glory and praise be unto the Lord.
