Two weeks ago, my team and a few other girls were chosen by some church representatives to be camp counsellors at an English Camp. The camp was aimed for kids aged between 9-17 who came from different backgrounds and experiences. I was privileged to be paired up with a squad mate and a Russian translator to mentor seven teenage girls.
Our girls had a range of different personalities, beliefs and views of Christianity. Some girls believed in Jesus but had little support in their walk with Christ, while others had support but did not fully grasp the love of Jesus. We also had girls who were orthodox, agnostic and had no interest in religion. Despite the vast differences, it was an honour to be able to listen to each of their stories, share our belief in Jesus Christ, encourage them to ask questions, pray for and with the girls, and love them like Jesus loved us.
Looking back at the week, God taught me three things:
- Psalm 142:1-2 says, “I cry aloud to the Lord; I lift up my voice to the Lord for mercy. I pour out my complaint before him; before him I tell my trouble.” It’s ok to be frustrated and it’s good to share that frustration with Jesus. Jesus dealt with the same things yet He was capable to still be “gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love” (Psalm 145:8). One of our girls would never participate in any activities unless she liked them or felt like contributing. She threw a lot of tantrums and we always had to encourage her to join in or be there and just read her book. It was a long week and there were many times that I wished we could punish her, teach her a lesson or just not deal with her. Those verses helped me a lot to give my frustrations to God and still love her, knowing that Jesus also dealt with that too and overcame it.
- Just like ‘The Parable of the Lost Sheep’ in Luke 15:1-7, God will leave the ninety-nine and run after the one. We started off with six girls but by the end of the week, we only had two. This could have totally discouraged me and made me doubt my ability to be a good counsellor, but instead, this parable encouraged me to trust God and believe that He had bigger purpose for those three girls that were left. One of those girls, was the same girl we mentioned above. She was agnostic and had many questions about God. Halfway through the week, she could have also chosen to leave camp. I’m so thankful that God pressed in her heart to stay because we were able to fully invest in her life, speak truth and break down lies and confusion she had about the bible and about God’s creation. I noticed how much God was chasing after her heart and was teaching us to be patient and love her the way that He loved her.
- Jesus weeps when one of His children chooses to walk away from Him or rejects His message but He will always love and always welcome them back with open arms and in celebration, just like ‘The Parable of the Lost Son’ in Luke 15:11-31. During the week, we lost so many girls who had no relationship with Jesus. It made me really sad that they would chose to leave the camp early and not even hear the Gospel message, however, I am so glad that Jesus continues to be looking out for them, loving them and waiting for them to choose to come back and want a relationship with Him.
Have you got any friends or family members that have chosen to walk a different path than the path God had intended for them? Be encouraged and know that Jesus is looking out for them, loving them unconditionally and waiting for them with open arms to choose to want a relationship with Him. However, continue to pray for them but be ready to throw a party when our friends and family who were once ‘lost [but now] is found.’
