God's perfect timing

Since ISCF Camp Grenada was restarted in 2014, it has been a struggle to determine an ideal time for it to be scheduled. Most churches have programs and activities scheduled for the Easter weekend. July is normally full of Vacation Bible School, and August is Carnival and church camps and then preparations for back to school. We finally decided to use the first weekend after school closed in July. For one reason or another, the children who signed up for the camp scheduled for July 2017 started dropping out one by one until less than 10 remained, so a decision was made to postpone camp until when school closed in December. I was already planning to be in Grenada for a December wedding, so I decided to come in a few days earlier so I could be a part of ISCF Camp Grenada too :)

Campers getting ready to serve breakfast

I only told one person that I was coming (she was my ride there) and she did an excellent job in keeping my secret. It was so much fun seeing the reaction on my friends' faces when I showed up the first morning of camp! The Administration decided to not assign me to any dorm or team so I could just fit in wherever and that was quite fine by me. I was very encouraged to see some of the same students who were a part of ISCF when I first relaunched it in 2013 at the camp (they were in form 1 at the time). Some of them proudly informed me that they were serving on the Executive committees in their schools. To me, they represented the fruit that remained.

Sophie has been a part of ISCF Grenada
since we started the group in her school

The other set of students who brought me great joy were the students from the schools that didn't even have ISCF groups when I left Grenada two years ago. Schools like SAASS and St. John's Christian Academy that we had visited and shared the vision of ISCF, but up to 2015 had not yet been able to identify a teacher who would be willing to take up the mantle of leadership for the ISCF groups. Through the persistent efforts of the local staffworkers, groups were started in these schools, and in the case of the latter, the sponsor even accompanied the students to camp! And then there were the schools which never sent students to camp before, and the schools with students I had never seen before. To me, they represented the new fruit.

Students from Wesley College receiving prayer at chapel

One of the things I love about camp is how it gets campers out of their comfort zones, and encourages them to use talents and abilities that they never knew they had. From participating in team sports to writing songs for talent night to create costumes for banquet night, camp really brought out the best in these campers. As we waited for one of the sessions to start, I asked a student who I had been observing in the previous worship session if she leads worship in her church and she said yes. I asked her if she would be willing to lead some songs and she readily agreed and pulled together some other students to back her up. After that session was over, many other students came up asking when they would be able to lead worship next.

Worship team consisting of students from 3 different schools

 Another element that made this camp ultra special was the presence of a team from the Logos Hope. God's perfect timing allowed the ship to be in Grenada during the exact time of ISCF camp, and connections were made through the advance team for them to send a contingent to serve as counselors on camp. They worked alongside local counselors to lead devotions and exercise, co-ordinate games and provide one on one counsel to students who needed prayer and encouragement. They shared powerful testimonies of how God helped them to overcome struggles in their lives, and gave a clear presentation of the gospel, showing that although the struggle is real, we can overcome through the cross. When one of them realized that many of the students did not have bibles, we were able to organize with one of my friends from the Bookfair who I had met when I was volunteering in Trinidad to get free bibles for each camper, as well as devotionals at a highly discounted price! We are so grateful to God for this wonderful partnership.

Celebrating Grace's birthday on camp with a marshmellow cake
complete with tea lights!

The theme for camp this year was "The struggle is real". Camp speaker Wendiann Ruffin challenged the students to not view struggle as something negative that they needed to get out of, but rather as an opportunity to build spiritual muscle as they persevered in spite of the challenges they would be facing. Board chairman Thandiwe Lyle conducted a session on the struggle with sin, using the life David as an example of how we should deal with sin in our life. One of the students was amazed when they realized that, after all David had done, God was still willing to forgive him when he came in repentance before God for his sin. During Sunday's chapel session, the Holy Spirit led Wendiann to address the same issue we had dealt with in devotions that morning - relationship between children and parents. As she prayed for the students afterwards, there was real breakthrough as campers recognized there was a need for healing in that area of their lives.

Campers being prayed for by counselors

Camp is not camp without some element of crazy fun. The Logos team ensured we had some fresh ideas for games which included campers running around in the yard at midnight with lighted candles, or fishing in a bucket of water for a bar of soap. For banquet night, campers were encouraged to dress as they interpreted the theme. The prize for the most creative boy went to a well dressed young man who said his struggle was with his finances - that even though he looked good on the outside no one knew he was actually bankrupt. For the girls, there was a young lady who had her clothing on backwards and her hair half combed - her struggle was with laziness. The campers had great fun creating their looks for the evening, and the cooks did an excellent job preparing the meal. The camp administration's struggle was how to decorate using the limited materials they had, so I was happy to help them out with my toilet paper flower making expertise :)

Even the counselors joined in the fun :)

The message of camp was definitely received by the campers, as could be seen in the winning song at Talent night:

The struggle is real

But God is greater still

My father don’t want to look after me

I have no friends in school or family

My mother beating me like crazy

I dancing like congoree

No money to pay the school fee

Now I am failing in my CXC

But I want to go to university

Oh God, please help me

We are more than conquerors

We shall not be overcome

We know the devil try to keep us down

But in Christ we have the victory

Morning devotions

I was so grateful for the opportunity to be a part of what God did at ISCF Camp Grenada 2017. Each conversation I was able to have with the campers, each piece of advice given to the camp administration, each toilet paper rose that I was able to make, each devotional that I was able to give to the campers allowed me to share in the ministry to students and I felt so privileged to be able to see the fruit of the seeds which were planted four years ago.

Sunrise over Morne Longue campsite