Its been two weeks since LOL ended, but memories certainly do remain fresh. Through the camp, lives have been touched and changed. Here are some camp reflections/testimonies by some of the campers and camp committee members!
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Nicholas Lim - Rhema - AGL of Nepaceit
Firstly, the camp was awesome!! It was the first awesome-est(if there is such a word) camp I have ever attended!! Before the camp, I felt very excited for the camp because most of my friends were attending and I thought that this camp was going to be like the other camps that I have went. But something happened in this camp, I had my very first encounter with God!! During the camp, I was encountering God everywhere I went!! I must admit that the feeling (God's encounter) was simply amazing, it was the best feeling I have ever had in my entire life.
Hmmm.. I was appointed to being a assist group leader for my group. It was not an easy job but I managed to do it with the help of the Sheena, who was the leader for my group, and not forgetting God. Without both of them, I would not know what to do, how to bring the group together. And without the effort and hardwork the camp committee invested into planning and running, and also those who went for the camp, this camp would not be a camp anymore!!
Lastly, I have learnt to live out loud!! Thank God for this camp :D
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Sheena Ang - Zoe - GL of Nepaceit
LOL is an abbreviation commonly used by the world to imply Laughing Out Loud. Now, it serves as a connection trigger, a constant reminder to myself to live my life out loud for God. The first interpretation upon reading LOL is no longer Laughing Out Loud. Instead, it's Living Out Loud.
Emmanuel, God with us.
There may be times when we feel abandoned by God and we questioned God. God knows our heart. He knows all our struggles and weaknesses. He knows what we have been going through. He knows all the frustrations, all the stress, all the temptations we have been battling. He knows all our hopes and desires. He knows all our dreams and aspirations. He understands the plans and goals we have set for ourselves. He knows everything about us, and he cares about our lives.
We asked for 80 campers and indeed, He intervened and gave us 80 campers. I was in awe upon knowing how the number of campers increased exponentially as the date draws near. Hallelujah!
God is with us throughout our day in all our activities. God charts the path ahead for us. He gives us directions as he guides our steps. God places his hand of blessing on our head, blessing us along the way. God has us in his care and watches over us both ahead and behind.
The mere thought of how God zooms into the little details of the lives of every individual overwhelms me. How great is His love.
Behind every baby step that we take, behind every decision that we make, God is in control and everything is part of His plan to bless us abundantly. I thank God for even allowing me to manage my schedule such that I am able to avail myself for this camp.
For those who know, my December schedule was crazily packed with events. I thank God for granting me a pink health and sufficient energy to accompany me throughout both CIA and DI camps, Phuket trip, and Christmas celebrations. We tend to assume that all these are possible because we're still young. Indeed, these are not all wrong, but these are not all right either. I thank God for allowing me to rest in Him, for He is the one who makes all things possible!
The LOL camp experience allows me to revisit my purpose in God's kingdom. God has a plan for me. God has a plan for every individual. We have to keep our eyes open to see what God has for us, we have to keep our hearts open to accept and trust in Him, we have to keep ours hands lifted up to receive what He intends to give us. God sees our merits and flaws, but He still loves us as who we are. His love for us is beyond our comprehension. Let us stop comparing ourselves with others and feeling lousy in return. Let us stop allowing the world to determine our worth. Instead, let's take in constructive feedbacks on what others say about us, keep ourselves in check, improve and better ourselves as children of God. Let what the world says be a fuel to our lamps, and not a shade to dim our lights. As an adage goes, "failure is the mother of success", failure is not final. Everyone encounters failure or failures in life, but whether or not we become successful depends on how we deal with these failures in life. Let's not wallow in sorrow or self-pity, instead, take every opportunity to learn from these failures and emerge as victors. Be a light that shines brightly, be a joy to the people around you. Live a life out loud for God and be a walking testimony of God's word.
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Cherie Soon - Sophia - Member of Yerittign - Welfare IC
LOL camp have been really really exciting, busy and awesome!
Firstly, serving in the committee made me view youth camps from a different perspective and i gained experiences from serving God in this camp. I'm grateful to play a part in organizing a camp for our enthusiastic campers! Seeing campers from different zones getting to know each other better, sophia growing closer(YAY!). It was really heartwarming to receive encouragement cards from different people in my sock. And we definitely want to thank God for the new friends who joined us!
Secondly, i want to thank Gladys for her message! For me, the message really spoke to me. It has reassured me that God loves us no matter what happens, who we are, and there is no need to compare ourselves or long for anything other than God!
Sometimes, our worldly desires might be so strong that we want these things more than God, but hey guys! Living out loud is not about what the world has! Neither is it about trends ok! WE HAVE A GREAT GOD THAT WE WANT THE WORLD TO KNOW! So let's go out and be a light giver, impacting the souls that God has placed in our lives!
Lastly, thank you camp comm, fun campers for this memorable camp!
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Amaris Lee - Sophia - AGL of Urstt
I really thank God for giving me an opportunity to be an AGL in Urstt. If not for that, I wouldn't have made the effort to talk to the new friends huhu! ^^ This camp had also brought me closer to God & have taught me the real meaning of 'Living Out Loud' for Him
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Jethro Tay - Phoster - Game Master
Having been called to serve in this year's camp committee, it was indeed a great challenge for me. Time was definitely not on my side as I struggled to balance army, ministry and planning for the camp's games. Many a times I felt like giving up, contented with just letting my fellow game-mistress Jeraldine handle everything. However, God was indeed gracious and faithful, and He never failed to grant me strength, both physically as well as spiritually. This was the first youth camp I did not belong to any games group, and it allowed me to see campers and the entire camp from another perspective. Serving God's people was such an awesome feeling. Though there were plenty of hiccups and obstacles along the way, God's hand was there to pick us up time and time again. Many lives were touched and transformed, and I believe God was working and moving during this camp. I really want to thank God for all that He has provided and blessed us with, and I pray that the change in the hearts of the campers will last a lifetime, and not ust during the duration of the camp. All glory be to God!! :)
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Teo Weiyang - Kairos - Member of Cestuji
Another wonderful year with DI, and another camp, with another fresh encounter with God. Even though there is a camp every year, I believe that each one is significant and precious in their own way, and unique because of the way God moves with us.
LOL camp has certainly been a camp where God moved. The games were really fun, exploring the eastern landmarks of Singapore, losing oneself in the role of a detective in a world of treachery and murder, and even the wet games, which were strangely as exciting as it was dirty (which it was, in spades). The messages were powerful and inspired me to truly use my life to glorify God, even in my youth. Of course, the people present made the camp what it was too – there is something wonderful about living four days together with your brothers and sisters in Christ!
But most endearing to me, the evidence of God’s moving in the camp, was the little things. The good weather that we so hoped for so the games could run smoothly was a testament to God’s enduring faithfulness. Friends encouraging one another, campers encouraging the games ICs (you guys did a great job!) were a representation of God’s love in our lives, reflected in the love shown towards each other. Campers who volunteered to bathe and eat later to clean up after games; Encounter Service Team members who continually cut short their mealtimes to prepare for worship; Imagine team who stayed up all night to prepare the camp video – all these displayed sacrifice, and reminded me of Jesus’ own sacrifice on the cross for us. Our voices may have been broken and hoarse, but God must have felt that this was true worship, for our voices were lost because of the effort we put in so that each camper could enjoy this camp as much as possible.
At the end of the day, I realise that God moves in large ways – powerful encounters with the Spirit of God, moving and rousing sermons, awesome miraculous healings… but also in the small ways – personal sacrifices and all. Ultimately, He is the glue that binds us all together. Here’s to a great camp that we’ve experienced!
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Surely the camp has been a great experience for all. Yet we must all remember, the camp was never meant to be an end in itself, but the beginning of a new journey. It must never remain just a memory, but what we have learnt in the camp must translate into our lives, in our drawing closer to God, in our understanding of what it really means to live out loud.
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