Camp cameron 2013

"Give me life in Thy ways" Ps119:37 is the theme verse for this 20-days camp at Chefoo, Brinchang. Although everyone was far away from home, but in this camp, we were all given a family of our own. and My family is Judah ^^ so we Roarrr~~

Introducing the Yudites : Grandma EuPui, Grandma Fredda, Uncle GohKeatPeng, Uncle Andrew, Papa Wye Hon, Mama Emily, WaiKit, WaiQuan, ChienLi, GraceAng, Melinie, JiaHui, WernJun, JoyceLing, Jo'Anne, Candice, KeLin and Nicholas~ I really thank God for this awesome family. Every imperfection was made perfect as a family ^ ^ Together, we laughed, cried, played, and grew stronger in the Lord!

The 1st week, we learned about redeeming self with God, followed by redeeming relationship with friends, courtship, gender and family, and finally, redeeming relationship with the world. As Darren once said, the currency of heaven is our personal relationship with our surrounding people.

This year IKUPM managed to send 6 of us to be better equipped and I believed each of us has our own personal encounter with Him that last a life time.

As for me, I experienced His ever-presence during the 1st week. Before the camp, I was wondering why I lost God's presence, and I could not find Him anymore. At the same time, we learn about the book of Genesis where God's presence was so tangible and He can talk to Abraham personally, as goes with Isaac and even Jacob, the deceiver...but not me. So for that few days, it got me very jealous. But I persisted and still ask and ask God to reveal Himself to me.

Then, until a session called Chapel, and as I sat in this Holy ground,just as Moses encounter the burning bush, I finally found Him; A thought came to me while I was half awake, that all these while, I have always been looking forward, searching ahead, keeping my focus on the future, but forgot to look who is at side me...How silly of me! and that all these while, God has always always been besides me, watching over me...

Then came 2nd week; unbelievable I finally fall sick after a year. Papa Wye Hon diagnosed me with tonsil infection, and it got me to have a very bad flu with headache that kills my concentration. However, the encounter continues even in such difficulties. This week sessions was more of knowing that He knows me, in n out, all my past, just as Psalms 139 said:

As He starts to reveal who I was, whom I have met and how has my past shapes me, I recalled that there is a certain close friend of mine that I needed to get in contact with..and I was filled with guilt for neglecting her. But Thank God that things got better in my friend's life. And at the 3rd week, my sickness got better, despite the super cold water for mandi and rainy weather. It kinda freaked me out when I was reminded of how powerful is God. Yes, we always hear and know that He is all gracious and merciful and full of love, but do we know the other side of God? remember that He is also Holy and hate sins, which is why He destroyed Sodom and Gomorah.

In the old testament, the fear of the Lord lives in the people of Israel, and they have to follow so many laws and everything was "do this when...", "do not do...when..."; most importantly, sacrificing blamishless animals (without defect,flaw, taint, imperfection,blot, stain,damage, spoil,mar) was necessary for the forgiveness of sins. But God knows, it would still be impossible for man to be with God. So how? Is there any other way to go to heaven? Yes, only when someone,a person without sin/ blamish, take the place of the animal and died on behalf of man. so the question is who then? 

So yes, more than 2000 years ago, a child was born, willingly come to this tainted world and teach the ways of God, and because of Him, salvation through grace was freely given to every man. Everyone don't have to fear God anymore cause we are saved through His son, Jesus, who died at the cross and was resurrected after 3 days.

Today, it is so common for Christians to live life as we pleased, took things for granted. But what IF, we really understood the situation WITHOUT Jesus Christ? would we then know how to appreciate and cherish this salvation now? ...maybe human life is like a journey of experiencing certain things in order to experience another thing. So the question came to me on that 3rd week was: If one day, I were to stand in front of God, and God were to ask me: "Li Na, why have u taken my Son's blood for granted?" I pray this would not come true for anyone...

 ~ Camp Cameron 2013: Let's live life in God's way~ 

Li Na

8 Aug 2013