A New Kind of Camp

Today was the first day for the students to go out into the village and share. We went to three different villages in a total of 8 groups.

Talk about on-the-job training! Some of these kids had never said their testimony out-loud before camp, and here they were, standing in a yard in front of a mud hut, sharing with 20 or more people!

They also shared the story of Jesus and Nicodemus today. Sharing that story brought with it some cultural issues based on what the nationals “believe” the verse is saying rather than what it is actually saying. So some groups had quite a discussion on their hands.

A challenging aspect of the camp is that the kids speak other languages, in addition to English. We had to divide the kids into groups based on the languages they were able to speak (a definite first for me at a student camp). Two of the villages spoke Alur and one spoke Lugbara, so we needed able-speakers at specific places.

These amazing students, studied the story we gave them in English, and then they had to practice translating it into their heart language for the people.

Another fun piece of the puzzle is that we have 6 Sudanese students at the camp who speak Juba Arabic, but none of the local languages. We are using interpreters for them in the village, but we realized today that their English-reading skills are so poor that they aren’t even able to read/understand the story in English to really be able to repeat it well.

SO….tomorrow, my language teacher Florence, who speaks Juba Arabic, is coming to tell the story to them in their heart language, so they can better tell it in English.

Crazy stuff, huh?

God created all these languages, so we know He will speak to the heart of the people no matter what language is being spoken.

The students also prayed over the sick, hurting, and dying. The most extreme case of the day was one man who had HIV, Tuberculosis, AND stomach cancer!

Again, I will say, this has been a camp unlike anything I’ve ever been a part of.

Even though they were a bit nervous and a little timid, the students did amazing!!

Doug got it right when he told the students they were getting to experience first-hand what God created them for: to know Him and make Him known. No wonder they felt so fulfilled after our time in the village.