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September 1, 2001
Dear Friends,
"Well, that’s another camp completed," Rasto said
as we drove back toward Trencin. It was the end of August, and
we had just spent ten days in the hills of western Slovakia. Now,
we were headed downhill in a van with luggage, sound equipment,
musical instruments, sports equipment, and teaching supplies all
packed into the back of the vehicle.
This was our fourth camp done cooperatively with the church in
the U.S. This was a collaboration between the Brethren Church
in Trencin and volunteers from an Evangelical Free Church congregation
in Arthur, Iowa. The team from Iowa consisted of four men and
two women of various ages who taught and otherwise contributed
greatly to the camp. They often talked with campers individually
and shared the gospel with them.
The camp had both an adult section and a children’s section.
The adults had three classes a day and included what might be
called a grammar lesson, a Bible lesson, and conversation practice.
The children had one English lesson daily and also played games,
learned songs, and had crafts activities. Of course, there were
various activities in addition to the classes. Baseball continues
to be very popular among both adults and children. For the children,
water balloons were also a "biggie." This included playing
volleyball with water balloons and bed sheets. (The bed sheets
were used to both catch and launch the balloon—kind of like
a blanket toss.)
The children (and a few of the adults) also went on a long hike
one day. They hiked to a nearby mountain called Vapec. At 956
meters, it is higher than the surrounding peaks, and the view
is quite impressive. In camp, the children also enjoyed swimming
and various other activities.
During the camp, adults and (older) children were challenged
to accept Jesus Christ as Savior. About ten children and almost
as many adults responded positively and accepted Christ. It is
hoped that some of these new Christians will participate in the
Brethren Church congregation in Trencin. Such camps are an important
part of the outreach of that congregation. The camps provide the
atmosphere in which spiritual discussion can happen. As often
happens, all of the campers responded to the warm fellowship of
the camp and seemed to appreciate the opportunity to talk about
spiritual matters.
Of course, it was not possible for the church to hold camps like
this during the communist era. Then, people were discouraged from
becoming Christians, and the church, in some ways, was forced
to keep a low profile. That is why the camps are so important
now. They help the church to overcome some of its former enforced
limitations. They help make the church more visible and provide
a vehicle for service and witness to the community.
Nor is the effect of the camp entirely limited to the participants.
While doing errands in town today, I happened to meet a friend,
Paul, the father and husband of three of our campers. He told
me how much his family enjoyed the camp and that it is their favorite
way of spending their summer vacation. I was, of course, gratified
to hear this. And I also knew that his family members had shown
themselves to be very interested in the Christian teachings of
the camp.
I had visited with this family in their home and even prayed
with them. All of these contacts seem to have opened the way for
this man to speak openly with me. He and his family participate
in the church, but he feels that he is not fully a Christian.
Sometimes he feels that he is, but this feeling doesn’t last.
We talked a little about being a Christian and what that means—what
Christ expects of us. He told me something about his search for
God, and I suggested that God was leading him on that searching
path.
I was very glad to have had the chance to talk with him. I am
thankful for the contact I have had with him and his family. I
am particularly grateful that his family’s attending the
camp made it possible for us to talk about deeper issues of Christianity
and of what it means to follow Christ.
You might pray for Paul and his family and for all those who
participated in the camp. Please pray that God will continue to
lead them as they ask some of these deeper questions. Please also
pray for the church leaders in Trencin, that they might find effective
ways of continuing to reach out to these people and that God guide
them in their planning of future camps.
I continue to be grateful for your prayers and practical support,
which make these camps possible.
In Christ,
John Michael, Jr.
The 2001 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 90
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