Ambassador Youth Camp 2008 – An Invaluable Experience!
After many months of anticipation and preparation, Ambassador Youth Camp 2008 is now behind us. All attendees and staff heard in advance how “life-changing” this two-week experience would be. However, only in retrospect can the full impact of two weeks in the deep woods of Western Pennsylvania—with God’s people!—be realized.
Two Weeks of Amazing Fellowship – What It Can Do for You!
Most of us have been around friends who don’t believe the same things we do. And we have all experienced criticism about the way we live. And what about the feelings related to those situations? Many times these bring stress, and sometimes feelings of loneliness.
Peer Pressure – Positive and Negative
In leading a Christian life, we as individuals have responsibilities. These responsibilities come with pressures that can be positive or negative. At home you are surrounded by the world and your human nature may begin to negatively impact your life. These pressures, of course, can be very great. But at AYC 2008, these pressures seemed to fly away instantly. Being with others in God’s Church offers a positive pressure that helps build strong character.
Youth Camp in a Second Language
It was Friday evening. I completed my last exam and went home to get everything ready for camp. I was so excited to attend AYC in America. I would meet heaps of people and was hoping to make some new friends. I was so looking forward to it. There was only one little problem: It wouldn’t be in my mother language—Dutch.
Giving It Your All!
As ambassadors to our peers, it is of the utmost importance that we learn to work as a team. We have to learn to communicate and work effectively, united with our peers in the Church, while still setting a good example.
Living Without Nearly All Technology
What if you woke up one morning and found almost everything that fell under the category of “technology” had disappeared?
Friendships: An Essential Part of Life
Imagine this scenario: You walk shyly into a crowded room filled with people of varying ages and nationalities. All around you the sounds of laughter and glee drift through the air. You stand alone, wondering what to do next—suddenly you see a familiar face among all the unfamiliar ones. You rush over, bearing excited hugs and acting as if the long time you have been separated was hardly anything at all. You break out of the shell that had been holding you back, recalling memories of past events.
Procrastination – A Waste of Time!
It’s the middle of May and you are in your last year of high school. Your English teacher is explaining how to write your Senior Thesis. Dozens of topics come to mind, desperate to manifest themselves on paper. You pay no thought to the grueling work you will be putting into these ten pages because you are more excited about having the opportunity to write about anything your heart desires.
A Sabbath in the Woods
A typical Sabbath for me begins in the comfort of my own home, in Michigan. On a Sabbath evening, I might catch a news program with my family and have some restful sleep in my own bed, waking up the next morning when I desire (within reason).
Whitewater Adventures
Anticipation had been building and the day finally arrived. If you were to ask many of the campers what they were looking forward to most throughout the eventful two weeks of camp, they would enthusiastically answer, “Whitewater rafting!” Less than a handful of the campers had ever even been whitewater rafting, and excitement, mixed with a little bit of nervousness, filled everyone’s mind.
The Height of Enthusiasm!
Shouts of encouragement echoed throughout the forest. Young campers’ faces portrayed their enjoyment as they worked their way through both mental and physical obstacles.
JULY-SEPTEMBER 2008
