First Camp - Sremska Mitrovica

     Hey everyone, sorry it has taken so long to tell you all about our first camp. Internet access and time have been scarce. So without further wait...

     A bus of about 25 of us (including three interns as well as Ross, our fourth intern who joined us from Belfast for the rest of the summer, our intern leader, a couple of translators/members of local church, and of course students) left Sremska Mitrovica two weeks ago heading to Opovo, the camp facility. The facility is actually a Bible school in the fall and spring. It has a bunch of dorms and staff of about 8 which were absolutely wonderful, solid believers. It was great working with them and such a blessing to have camp held at a facility as such! Once we arrived there, we met up with the 10 members of the American team who came to partner with all of us to host camp for the week. This team consisted of a much younger team ages 17 to 27. Also, many students not from Mitrovica met us there. There were just about 40 of us in all. Out of the 25 students that were at camp, 15 were nonbelievers. This was a great dynamic to have as the believers were eager to chat about their faith as soon as conversation was led in that direction.
     The students were divided into four different levels of English classes. In each class were two Americans to teach the actual English lessons, one translator, and one intern. All week long the English classes were in competition against each other in various activities, games and challenges.
     Each day basically followed the same schedule. The day began, officially, at morning meeting at 8:30am with the Americans, interns and leaders for prayer, devotional and the day's plans. I say officially because many people woke earlier such as myself at 7-7:30 and some earlier! Then we have breakfast followed by program. Program was with the entire camp where we played the camp dance song! This was a fun, rowdy way to start camp. Also, each day we had a theme (freedom, chaos, hope, greatness, myself...) related to our camp's name, Greater Than. The theme was introduced during program where we would play a music video related to the theme. After this, students broke into English classes to discuss the theme and what it meant to them and their life. Of course each level chose if this discussion be in English or Srpsky. Next we had two sessions of English classes. English classes are meant to focus on learning English but in a non-classroom setting. Many sessions included games, challenges, and interactive activities. Students often forgot that they were learning English. This provided great opportunity for conversational English. Then we had lunch and break followed by sports and crafts time. Students chose which they did. Sports included American games such as Am. football, baseball, and kickball. Crafts were a wonderful time to get to know students on a more individual and personal level. After that we had "initiatives" which were like team bonding challenges against the other English classes. Then dinner and evening program. Evening program was the time when we got more serious with the students. Either Steve or Matt, the American team leader would speak. The story of the week was about the prodigal son. It was divided in such a way that each night, they would reveal a tad bit more the story including testimonies from various Serbians. Students seems very responsive especially as many were Orthodox and hearing stories from the Holy scripture, as they call it, is a new/foreign idea. After the talk, we broke in discussion groups again to discuss what kids thought. My particular class was the third level from the top. Even though they spoke well, they chose to discuss in Srpsky. I often found myself simply praying for hearts at this time as the conversation went right past me. Then lastly we would have a themed party each night (American night, Serbian night, karaoke, games night, etc.). This simply got the kids tired before headed to bed which for my room wasn't until 2am or 3am.
     The evening discussions led up to the last night of camp. On the last night of camp, we set up a labyrinth. It was a time for the students to meditate on where they were with the Lord. There were five stations for the students to walk through. They went one by one to each. It started by students writing down on a stone what they treasured most, than write what got in the way of those treasures, then sin keeping them from God in their life. At the fourth place students buried the rock. At this point they decided if they wanted to leave the rock in the ground for Christ has already taken the payment for this sin, or they could chose to unbury it and take that way of life with them. If they took the rock with them, they would simply go back. However, if they chose to leave it with God, they could go write a letter to God getting personal with Him or talk to a person about what their feeling. It defintily got hearts and minds thinking. I was stationed at the third station about sin. Almost every kid left crying. We had pictures of the brokenness of the world, music and props to represent sin. Each station really was prepared well. I also know there was such a prayer team behind the walk. God was definitely at hand. The rest of the evening and next day, many kids starting asking more eternal questions.
     Thank you all for your prayer about students, camps, myself and our team. I know God did many things in campers' hearts! I am eager to go back to Mitrovica in a week to follow up with students and hear more about how they were impacted. I will write more about that then! Thanks again so much for the support you all are! God's timing is perfect. I trust this is the beginning of a revival of faith throughout this country as so many youth are eager and open to hearing these truths foreign to their upbringing!