PYV East Camp 2016 - Day One

PYV used to have a Winter Camp. I don't remember it ever having snow.

It's very different to Summer Camp

But this year at East Camp we did! It was very cold today, and the snow on the ground when we arrived tells me it was colder here over the last few days. Will we get to see any fresh snow on Sunday? We'll have to wait and see.

Once we had everybody here, their bags in their rooms, and a chance to catch up with friends, we had our first worship session together. Once again we are blessed to have such excellent musicians helping us in our singing. A huge thanks to this team, and to the tech team who have to work really hard at the start of any camp to get things working.

Our first worship session at East Camp 2016

Rev Stephen Jones from Melton Presbyterian Church is our speaker for East Camp this year, and like the other regional camps in 2016, he is preaching from John's Gospel. Today we were reminded of how Jesus wasn't afraid to break the rules of culture to talk with someone, and rather than using this to motivate us to do the same, Stephen helped us to see that we are like the woman at  the well - we need Jesus. It was a good message.

Some afternoon tea lead into a time of activity, and with our theme being "Space Age", it was a classic battle of Aliens Vs Humans. I wasn't all together sure who won round one, but round two was to come later in the day.

Dinner was fantastic. The crew at Rawson Village know how to make a simple pasta meal be very satisfying to a large group of people on a cold night. Lots of happy faces in the dining room, and the volume of conversation suggested people were enjoying the chance to chat together too.

Study groups are always a key element to a PYV Camp. Here we give the campers an opportunity to sit together and talk through some questions based on the talk that has been given. Tonight the groups looked again at the account of the Samaritan woman meeting Jesus. You can find it in John 4 if you would like to follow along. One camper told me he enjoyed the discussion on 'worship in spirit and in truth', that we can have the truth - the form - of worship right yet still miss the spirit. I found it a helpful and relevant insight.

Outdoor fun in the afteroon

Then it was time for round two of Aliens Vs Humans. Campers chased each other, stole balloons, tagged others, and did all they could do defeat their enemy. I think the humans won, but I got a bit lost in it all. If you have a camper here, ask them when they get home. They might be able to tell you who won.

After some free time and supper it's time to go to bed. It isn't really very late, but it feels it. (Of course that might just be me, but everyone went to their dorms without complaining.)

Tomorrow will bring it's own delights. Will there be snow??