July 2008 Youth Camp

Liberty Allen,

Youth Camp couldn’t have come at a better time for so many of our lives. I, for one, was totally confused and didn’t even know if God still loved me. Our youth, as a whole, had taken a big hit from Satan. He was causing division, stress and confusion. Some kids were moving forward, while others felt as though they were being pushed back. Secrets and lies were being uncovered, our faith was being tested, and the war in our heads was really affecting us. We definitely needed to spend time with God…

We went out to camp on Friday night and our first meeting was on the Saturday morning. We were all bubbly and excited!  Pastor Marshall started out with a game… whispering a sentence in Ralton’s ear and one by one we passed it on .By the time it reached the end of the line, it was something COMPLETELY different than what had first been spoken…just like gossip!  Then we argued for awhile, trying to figure out who was to blame. Some said Pastor Marshall, some said Ralton… it was a mystery! Hannah was the last to say what she thought, “We are all to blame, because we are all responsible for what we say and how we interpret what we hear”.  Pastor Marshall went on to teach us about how we shouldn’t gossip, giving us all great tips. The meeting ended with Gideon and me apologizing to the youth for our own gossip which had caused some major hurt and division among us.

Outside the meeting, photos were taken and fellowship was strong. We all connected with kids we never really had before. We played rugby, uno, ate, danced, and hiked. We were all stuffed full of food, and TIRED by the meeting on Saturday night. I, for one, was VERY emotional and had to sit outside for a minute to cry.  Marta (Pastor Marshall’s wife), told me that God was preparing me for something and I needed to stay open!

When I had pulled myself together service stared with Gideon and The Living Testimonies (a group of the kids that had starting singing and dancing earlier that night). Soon everyone was on their feet singing and dancing and praising God. Something powerful was happening that I feel could have only happened in a room full of teenagers! By worship, everyone was really into it, and I felt (for the first time in what seemed like a long time) God’s love. It was so strong around me that I really realized that even when I don’t love God the way I should he will always love me. “Jesus Lover of my Soul”… those words became so real to me. Aunt Nicolette (one of my second moms) began to pray for me and I truly felt her love as we both began to cry. She really does love me, even though I have deceived her and gone behind her back. She has always given me another chance and that’s something that doesn’t happen often, in fact it could have only happened with the love God has given her.

My Dad was the speaker out at camp. He spoke about Samson, a story we all know but he brought a new light to it, as he so often does. He started by telling us a story about 300 whales that beached themselves along the U.S. coast because they were chasing sardines!!  They DIED because they were chasing small dreams!! He went on telling us the story in Judges 15:3-5 where Samson caught 300 foxes, tied their tails together and put torches between their tails!  Then he released them to burn down the Philistines fields!!!!  He told us that Satan is harvesting lives, the lives of our friends, their futures and their homes. He told us that we are called to be Samson's!!

The next day, a few of us were asked to share what we felt about the message.

Tupac said that he was done chasing sardines!  He was ready for the big dreams that God was going to provide for him if he just stopped chasing small things.

I had said that I was sick of the enemy harvesting my friends! And it’s about time we stood up, caught some foxes, and burnt down the fields of Satan before more of our friends get harvested!

Sunday morning and it was time to hear about the “He-man with a She-weakness”. My Dad started by reading Judges 16:1-21 about Samson and Delilah. He spoke about not compromising, not playing with temptation, and how there are ALWAYS strings attached. He talked to us about unhealthy relationships, and not pretending, that we needed to talk about our problems and get help. One thing that really hit me was when he asked “how far can a person go before God won’t deal with them anymore?”  And then he answered by saying, “ No one knows the answer because no one has ever gone far enough to find out!”, meaning God will always forgive you and will always love you! That room was full of kids that have made mistakes, bad choices and stupid moves. That day we got prayer so that we wouldn’t fall for the Delilahs of the world. Almost every one of those 50 kids went up to the altar crying out to God and giving Him everything they had! God’s power, love, and anointing were sooo strong in that room!

Once most eyes were dried and most people were back in their seats, one of my best friends, and even more so he’s my brother, got up and asked for Pastor Marshall, Pastor Leon, Mark, Apostle Steve, Ashwell, Keith and Dave (all our male leaders) to come to the front. Between sobs he began to thank them for being the father he never had; for picking him up off the street and showing him who God was. It was so powerful we all started to cry. This young man is only 18, and full of God. It is because of those leaders, those fathers! Watching him cry, thanking these men for basically saving his life was awesome! It was a moment in my own life I will never forget. After Tupac was finished, one by one, kids came to the mike crying and thanking the leaders (men and women). My friend Chelton is 20, his father left when he was very young. Since then he’s been the man of the house with 3 sisters, his mother and grandmother. Chelton called his younger sister to the front with him and thanking the leaders for the fathers’ love they had given to him and his sister, was more than some could take. More and more kids came, all saying “thank you for being the father/mother I needed.”   Some apologized for what they had put the leaders through. We were thanking each other for being brothers and sisters. We were taking stands; we were declaring change and we were feeling love. Not one person in that room wasn’t crying. Not one tear wasn’t of joy or love. Not one person didn’t say ‘I love you’ and not one person walked out of the camp the same person they were when they walked in!! The rest of the day was full of “I love you,” hugs and laughs.

God truly proved to me his love and power! I have given God complete control! I am changed, I am happy and I am loved. Never again will I  doubt God’s love. I am the Samson that’s going to burn Satan’s crops.  I’m not going to fall for the Delilahs of this world. I AM controlled by the Holy Spirit along with the other 49 kids that joined me at camp! God is going to change Humansdorp, God is going to change Africa, God is going to change the world and he’s going to do it WITH US!!!!!!!

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