Camp Life

We have enjoyed having several camps happening here at Musana over the last month.  It is always a joy to see this place being used to impact lives for God's kingdom.  The camps have included a youth group from Kampala, a family retreat, and a Biblical manhood and womanhood camp for high school students.  We also have another Biblical manhood and womanhood camp for college students coming up this weekend.  

As I helped teach and lead activities recently, I was reminded of how I appreciate the interactive learning that happens at camp.  So many times, we as people can listen to lectures or sermons or go to seminars and conferences, but we often fail to put into practice the things we "learn" there.  Somehow, experiential learning often brings those lessons home and we begin to realize the little ways that we follow our old self instead of living as a new creation in Christ.

I have also appreciated the freedom that people often feel at camp to ask questions and dialogue about issues.  This atmosphere often comes from being in a new place with new people, out of your ordinary circumstances of life.  During one of the recent camps, we spent several hours around the campfire one night just letting the students ask questions about life, relationships, the Bible, and their faith.  Their questions ranged from, "People have told me that I need to have a boyfriend/girlfriend to be happy.  Is this true?" to "What do I tell someone who asks me what I have gained since trusting in Christ?"  As we talked through each question, I was thankful that these young people felt like this was a safe place to ask hard questions and seek God's truth about each one.

Sometimes camp is a crazy place to live, and I am not always excited to live here.  But God has a gentle way of reminding me of the good things He is doing in the lives of people through this place, and I am thankful to be part of that.