A taste of the WEC Japan summer camps...
Early morning is the nicest time of the day in August. A typical summers day will start clear and cool and get progressively hotter and hazier as the day goes on. With afternoon temperatures up in the thirties its very pleasant to enjoy the relative coolness of the twenties at around 5 a.m. The WEC campsite offers not only this coolness but also the sight of Lake Biwa spread out before you, the fishermen chugging around in their boats after the morning catch. Across on the other side of the lake some six miles away a range of mountains loom 4000 feet up. A hawk may suddenly swoop into the water in front of you and come up dangling a large fish. A group of ducks come by and they too dive down into the water after the fish. All is peaceful with just the occasional sound of a door opening as someone else gets out of their bed and starts the day. Dotted around the beach are the early risers among the missionaries with their Bibles and maybe their early morning coffee.
By half past seven all but the most exhausted campers will be up, chatting and waiting expectantly for their breakfast. Will it be Japanese style or Western today? As the meal progresses one of the staff members stands up for life sharing, a testimony of how they met with God or how he has met with them in some special way. The life of faith is a very real one and most people listen with interest as one of our Japanese translators puts the words into Japanese.
After breakfast its time to split into reflection groups where we read and consider a Bible passage together. One group can be seen in an animated discussion while in another the leader is desperately trying to prise some response from the almost completely silent campers before him.
As the day goes on some people will don lifejackets to have their first ever attempt at windsurfing. They might not cover much distance or even stand upright but, not to worry, its a good experience, lots of fun and its nice to get wet on a hot, sticky afternoon. Others have opted for canoeing but begin to look just a bit nervous when they are told that first of all they have to roll the canoe over and practise capsize drill. The water activities are usually enjoyed by those who opt for them and those returning to shore may look tired and very wet but also happy. The only slightly anxious face to be seen is likely to be that of the camp leader if an unfavourable wind has taken the windsurfers in the wrong direction, especially if they have disappeared around the headland out of sight. What about the next meal? and Well have to change the programme around. are the thoughts running through his head as, one by one, the lost windsurfers are towed back to the beach.
Those keen on improving their language skills are indoors out of the sun, enjoying the chance to learn some English with a native speaker. This year German and Korean are also on offer. Then theres the orienteering/treasure hunt around the campsite and beach. One year some campers got their instructions totally wrong and were found heading off down the road, but we got them back again! A games session and beach volleyball provide further light relief and also a lot of noise and a fair bit of sweat. Basically we aim to keep the programme action packed.
It might be action packed but we also make sure that there are opportunities for campers to consider Christianity. Thats why in the evening, things quieten down for the evening meeting, with Bible messages on a theme. On Sunday morning there is a fairly typical service and on Saturday night we all watch a Christian video with a campfire afterwards on the beach. This is the time when some fall into their beds exhausted while others sit on the beach and talkand talkand talk, well into the night. The Japanese are far more likely to open up at night and many profitable conversations have taken place on the beach as the embers smoulder.
Thank you for praying for our camps. In addition to the International Friendship Camp, described above, we run International Family Camp, a weekend for families to come and relax, have a go at water sports and hear some family-oriented Bible teaching. Its difficult to estimate the spiritual value of the camps. Many have been attracted by the activities and have heard the gospel. Many have been challenged to think about their lives and been deeply impressed by what they have heard and seen. For some people, the camp can be seen to have played a significant part in leading the person along the road to salvation. Local Christians have been encouraged through the opportunity to work as staff alongside the missionaries as translators or in the kitchen.
My own personal highlight is of one young woman who came with a Christian friend, having never before been to any kind of Christian meeting. Converted on one night and publicly declaring her faith on the next, she was soon baptised and became an active member of a church. May there be many more like her.
