Poland 3 – At the Camp
The Family camp I attended in Poland two years ago allows the European believers to invite unbelieving neighbours and friends with families to a camp setting where they can work on their English and spend time with their families. This gives these European members a chance to share the Gospel in a comfortable, relaxed setting and also provides them time to interact with their kids. Schedules in Poland, just as in Canada, are busy with some parents working more than one job, so time away with their children is rare and this provides them a unique opportunity to be with their families.
Each day at campe we, the short term missionaries, lived in community as a team. In itself that is a good thing – but an even better thing when we lived with God. There was such a joy, a passion and vision for what we were doing.
Our Team in 2008
During our campfire night we had planned to make smores. It started to rain in the afternoon – just a little. We were able to make a good fire but at 7pm as we gathered in the Amilolufka– or pavilion – it started to pour – I mean really pour, so much that it put out the fire that had been lit outside. The pavilion had a roof and was open to the air and it did have a fireplace. So we started a fire inside the pavillion. We were quite crammed in there with over 24 children and another 20 teens – I wasn’t keen on making smores inside. So I prayed – OH LORD, please make the rain stop!!! Those sticks were long, pointed and HOT. The kids were extra excited that night as well.
As we started to roast the first marshmallows inside the Amaluftka, the rain stopped. We changed immediately to the outdoors and all went beautifully after that. I don’t know how many smores we made but we used up all the marshmallows, the graham crackers and chocolate. No injuries, and lots of smiles. Thank you, Lord for answering prayers.
Jan has the sticks!
God had shown us that we needed to plan as a team – and pray together. We made that a priority and even though we struggled with language, personalities and cultural differences – we learned to love each other and God worked in our hearts to listen and grow together, to compromise and to feel His Holy Spirit as we prayed together. We came out stronger with an amazing sense of peace and knowledge of how God can work in each of our lives.
Prayer:
Help us to rely on You, Father, at all times not just when we are in dire straits. Help those working in lands far away from families. Be their strength and comfort. In Jesus’ Name. AMEN.
Blessings,
Jan
