What is Camp

The following post is long and it is my response when I was asked to write a letter telling people why it is important to continue working at the camp in Severin and what are some of the important things that God taught me while there. I realized half way through that I was slightly off topic, but hey it all needed to be "said." So here it is.... ___________________________________________________
The thing about camp that blew me away was the Bible Elective I lead about Sexual Purity. We gathered all 28 campers together and allowed them to pick one of three topics. When we were all separated I had 19 of the campers waiting for me to talk to them more about purity. One hour later, we were there still talking. I gave them the freedom to leave, to enjoy their free time, and no one left. They all asked if we could eat dinner together and talk more, because there was so much they wanted to ask.

Young Christians need to be assured that it is okay to ask questions about sexuality and they need to have adults in their lives that are wiling to talk to them about it. Remaining sexually pure is one of the hardest things to in today’s society. I am forever grateful to God for allowing me to have the time that I did with the MK’s. Even though it was such a short talk, hopefully it will give them the confidence to ask their parents, pastors or youth leaders for help if they need some to help them remain pure.

The other thing about MK camp that hit me hard actually came on the last day and the day after we returned to Zagreb. I was privileged to receive special insight on what it feels like to be an MK. On the last day of camp so many of the girls that I had gotten to know asked me if I would come back next year. One girl told me that no one ever comes back, that you meet once, form a relationship and then it is over. It struck me at how little consistency the MK’s have and how much most of them want something “permanent” in their lives. No human or object or place is ever permanent in this world. Yet we were created to be very relational beings. How do we live our lives full of constant goodbyes and satiate our need to be in communion with others? How do I go on loving these wonderful people, these wonderful children of God knowing that I will never see most of them again? How do I make sure that they get their consistency in Christ and stop looking towards people to fill them up.

As I write this, I am amazed at how intertwined these two seemingly different topics are. I believe, that deep down, people use sex to try to fill a void in their lives. A relational void that they feel will be filled when they find the right person, the person that fits that spot perfectly. Only, the void never fills up. The hole changes shape constantly – every sin making it deeper and wider; temporarily being filled with your drug of choice only to discover when the “high” wears off the hole is still there.

It could be so easy for an MK to fall into the traps of sexual immorality. I saw how being around other young Christians lifted their spirits, encouraged them and then the pain of having to say goodbye. My prayer for them is that they would be protected from the temptation to use people to fill their void. Even in a non-sexual way, it is still wrong to complete yourself with earthly relationships. But these unhealthy relationships can be the first steps down the road of sexual immorality.

So, how do we maintain healthy, supportive and loving relationships with others who are just as alone as you are in the world and avoid the temptation to use them to fill the void that belongs to Christ? That is the big question. My fear is that if one or two people or a one place becomes the only tangible consistence in someone’s life than whenever they see that person or go to that place they will try to fill up while they can and slowly lose life when it is gone. My other fear is the opposite end of the spectrum. That the pain caused by goodbyes will push someone to the point of not wanting to make any relationships.

Solitude is good for a season, but if you live your life never letting anyone in you will do just as much damage to yourself as if you let too many people get too close. That happy medium; to the left, the boundary between appropriate relationships and impure relationships and to the right, the boundary between letting people in and solitude. When Christ leads you to a relationship that fits there, cherish it. But you need to remember that it was Christ who gave you that friendship, it was Christ who filled your void and it is still Christ that is making you whole. Because of the communion you find with God, through Christ Jesus, you will be able to form deep friendships that are Godly and pure. Friendships that have an impact on eternity because we can prayer for each other and with each other and know that no matter how alone we feel on this planet, we are not.

We are never alone. No one is ever alone. God is always with you, and at the times you are feeling most alone He will bring to mind those friendships He has blessed you with. That is what Severin has taught me. It has showed me that no matter how far away from family, friends and familiarity, you are never alone. God put people in my life this summer to represent His love for me. When I all needed was a hug, I got a hug and shoulders to cry on. I know that when I go back to America, and I feel alone in the world I will be able to remember this summer and how alone I felt. I will have those tangible moments where God let me feel Himself. And though I may never see some of those wonderful faces or feel some of those hugs on this planet again, I will always have the memory that I am not alone – they are out there somewhere and God is inside of me and all around me.