PYV West Camp 2019 – Day One

For some of us it was a very early start to the day to get to Halls Gap by 10.00am for camp setup. But it also meant it was a good drive through Melbourne to get to the western side.

Registrations opened at 11.00am, and as most campers were being transported by leaders, most of this happened before 11.00. It’s good to see such enthusiasm amongst the campers and leaders that they want to be here early.

As people arrived we had various games happening in different parts of the camp ground, which provided a good way for campers to meet up with old friends, meet new people, and generally mix with each other.

The introduction session is an integral part of our camps now, and in this session we just deal with the introductions of people (hence the name), explain some of the camp rules, and hear from the campsite managers. This means that having done this, when we meet for our worship session later in the day, we can have a better focus on God.

We have a great team in the kitchen again this year, and a lunch of make your own meat and salad rolls is always a winner. It makes the washing up simpler too. I expect that we will be eating well at this camp again. After lunch we had some outdoor activities on the oval. If you have a child here at camp, ask them about the game “Find the Shepherd”. It is a game that is new to me, and is fantastic! It’s a fun game for all ages.

The topic that is central to this camp is “The Gospel – what it is and what it isn’t”. Today our speaker, Russ Grinter, spoke about the gospel of Jesus by beginning at Genesis 3 and the account of sin entering the world. It is important to know why we need the promise that the gospel of Jesus brings, and sin is the problem that nothing else can solve but Jesus. It was a great talk that we heard today, and I’m looking forward to what is yet to come.

Our study groups are a key facet of PYV Camps, and as I wandered around the campsite to see each group, I was encouraged to see people talking together, praying together, asking questions, and thinking deeply about the study questions. Our leaders are brilliant in the way the encourage groups of people who have just met to talk with each other. Please continue to pray for these groups.

After dinner it was the annual night game of “Capture the Flag”. The weather has been brilliant for our outdoor activities today and tonight was beautiful. But when we came inside for supper, it was even better to watch all the campers and leaders playing various board games around the tables. I got involved with a game of ‘Jungle Speed’, which took me a while to grasp, but was a lot of fun as well.

Now everyone is in their dorms, hopefully building some good friendships there before the lights are turned off and we get some sleep.

Daylight savings ends tonight. We wonder how this will affect campers in the morning. We’ll find out.

Thanks for praying.