The question we grapple with is not so much who is our neighbor, but what does a neighbor DO?. (Luke 10: 36-37). How do we LOVE our neighbor and why is it important? That's what Youth Camp July 2017 was all about.
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Whenever someone goes on one of the Mission Trips they are
amazed by the love they receive from the people at the church in Cuba. So having a youth camp about love and
relationships may seem a bit over the top. Don’t they have this love thing down pat?
Not really.
Cuba’s culture is for the most part relational. People are interested in people; they
talk to each other easily and like to know what’s going on in the neighbors’
life. But that does not
necessarily play out into reflecting God’s love or loving God.
So this camp was about establishing relationships on the foundation of God’s love-- loving God, loving ourselves, loving people we don’t like or marginalize. It was about reconciliation and forgiveness; and key components of love—compassion, involvement, inclusive community, and support so a person does not feel alone.
Juan Murillo, who is part of our team and was the Camp
Pastor, focused the young people each day to truly search their hearts – taking
off the masks we so often wear—to get to the bottom of how to put love in
action from the heart.
Moving “head” knowledge to the heart. Getting in touch with emotions and deciding how to put love into action. The Camp Program provided many opportunities to practice it. That’s what this Youth Camp was all about.
Each year Camp gets better. It’s become more inclusive, more to the point, more youth
involvement in the program, more thoughtful activities that help young people
discover the path God has for them.
What is left for us to do now is to earnestly pray that all
they’ve heard this week, all they have done, will take hold of their hearts and
become an expression of how we love God.
Until next time.
May the grace of God and His peace be with you till we meet again.
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