Arab Church Camp

Church Camp proved to be an enlightening and fun experience last weekend. I discovered that it was officially named Church Camp rather than Church Retreat for a reason. While I laughed a lot and delighted in feeling used by the Lord, little actual rest was involved in the weekend.

I did come home encouraged by the ways God has used this church to bring people to Himself, especially after hearing testimonies from a few Muslim background believers. I also returned on Sunday with more appreciation for Arab culture, especially the relational and communal nature of it, after being immersed in it for 48 hours with no escape. It was nothing for six guys ranging from six- to 18-years-old to wrestle and play for hours Saturday night. No one was really in a rush to leave Sunday afternoon, so some of the women sat and drank tea and talked together for a while after lunch. For Arabs, life is shared with those around you, and nothing seems more important.

Leading the youth was challenging, but fun. My patience, creativity, and ability to teach were all tried and developed as a result. The youth had many questions for us in response to our times of study and discussion together regarding what a relationship with God looks like, in what ways life is better when you are a Christian, how to share their faith with their family, and how to discern between right and wrong in regards to media exposure, substance use, and relationships.

The highlight of the weekend for me was equipping the youth to perform a drama for the church's variety show. We hurriedly practiced on Saturday, and when they performed on Saturday night, they moved the church to cheers and tears. I was so proud of them. The church has never expected them to contribute, nor really pays them much notice. In turn, the youth don't recognize their responsibility to the body of Christ and don't understand the ways in which they are gifted. However, this weekend offered a different story. You can watch the drama here.

I'll tell you the rest in pictures:

Please pray for these youth to question, wrestle, and seek God individually, and with their family and this youth group. Pray that God would reveal Himself to each of these youth in an undeniable way. Also, please pray for discipleship to take place in the lives of church members.