How life came from a place of death

Over the past 30 years, once I am in Trinidad for Carnival I serve at Ekklesia Camp, pioneered by Uncle Terry and Aunty Carol. This camp, held on Carnival Monday and Tuesday, is an evangelistic outreach to the residents of Point Fortin and environs. We present the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and teach campers how to use Christian principles to live a full and godly life in a warm environment through the use of discussions, craft, music and drama. I was 12 years old when I served at my first Ekklesia camp, assisting in the 3 & 4 year old class. But no one knew then that in 2023, I would be performing a much different role...

With the next generation of camp leaders :)

 The theme for the last camp we held before covid hit was God's Medallists, presented against the background of the Olympics which were to be held in July 2020. At the end of that camp, we had a relay with the Olympic torch, with Aunty Carol holding it on the last leg and bringing it to the stage. When she arrived, however, she turned around and handed it to some of the younger campworkers who were singing on stage. We didn't know then that the handing over of that baton was prophetic, as that would be the last year that she, alongside other stalwarts like Aunty Gloria, Celia and Tony J, would spearhead the planning and execution of camp.

Aunty Gloria and Aunty Carol have been instrumental
to camp planning and execution since it's inception

Covid hit Trinidad hard in 2020, so there was no chance of having camp in 2021. Aunty Carol, Uncle Terry, Aunty Gloria (who was in charge of most of the physical preparations leading up to camp, along with Tony J) and Celia (who was in charge of the camp snack shop) all started experiencing major health challenges. Then in March we were devastated when Tony J's life was brutally taken; Ekklesia camp as we knew it would never be the same again. We were still under heavy restrictions in the first half of 2022, but when things started opening back in the latter quarter of the year, all of a sudden people started asking me if we were having Ekklesia camp in 2023. Aunty Carol made it clear that her season of leading the camp preparations was over, so it was up to the next generation of leaders to take hold of the baton and continue the relay that they started.

Some of the next generation of leaders who
took the baton to ensure that camp 2023 happened

By this time it was mid-November, so we only had 3 months to put EVERYTHING in place for camp. We held an initial meeting a few days later, and persons indicated their willingness to be on board. Some of the persons who had served in previous years were not available for this camp, but God provided others that we did not expect. We formed sub-committees and person volunteered to serve on them. We decided on the theme: God's Influencers, showcasing how influencers encourage their followers to make choices based on their values, and that as God's Influencers we have an opportunity to influence those around us to follow the standard outlined in the Word. Our next big challenge was a venue: our preferred school was not available, having been booked one month prior. Our second school option was not very appealing. Candice suggested a third option: the house that Tony J was building for his family in Spring Garden before his life was taken. His vision was that it also be used for ministry, so when we approached his wife with the idea of using this as the venue for camp 2023, she readily agreed.

Without the foundation laid by Tony J, and the support
provided by Gail and family, Ekklesia Camp 2023  
would not have been the success it was

We set about planning in high gear from December. Thanks to Zoom, our lesson planning team ably led by Natalie was able to meet and provide outlines for all 3 lessons by the end of the year. For the first time, we created a prayer team, as we recognized that having camp at the same location when Tony J's life was taken would mean some intense spiritual warfare; they met twice a week to intercede for camp. When we looked back at the end of camp, we were amazed to see how every single one of the items we prayed for was answered. Many testified that they knew that they only reason they were able to make it through camp was because of the prayers that went up in advance of, and during camp.

Some of our dedication intercessors meeting on site to pray

In February many of us met one another for the first time as we had our first physical meeting since we started planning camp. It was a clean up day at Spring Garden to get it ready for camp. People came from as far east as Manuel Congo, to as far west as St. James to be a part. The intercessors prayed while the manpower got started powerwashing, scrubbing walls and windows. Later on in the afternoon, some of us went out into the community, accompanied by a car with a loud speaker, to hand out flyers and invite residents to camp. It was a great opportunity to engage with the residents of Techier Village and share what God was about to do in Spring Garden.

Hard at work or hardly working?

One of our treasured traditions at Ekklesia camp are the fish pies, which are sold at our camp tuck shop, affectionately called Manna. The fish pie recipe was invented by Celia, who was also the chief supplier of the snacks which we sold at Manna. Since the camp  was offered free to the community, the sales from Manna would help offset the expenses for camp. After our last camp in 2020, Celia fell ill with Alzheimer's and deteriorated rapidly in the months leading up to camp. One of the items on our prayer list from day 1 was for us to have fish pies for camp. Initially, Celia's husband Tony had offered to make them for us, but as Celia's condition worsened and he was her primary caregiver, we didn't want to burden him. Three weeks before camp, God called Celia home. This was another blow to the Ekklesia family, as she was such an integral and memorable part of all our previous camps. After her funeral, Tony agreed to come to camp to make fish pies for Manna saying, "What is camp without fish pies?" Alongside his helpers, he made well over 400 fish pies during the two days of camp, and we thank God for his labour of love in the midst of his very fresh loss.

Fish pies in production!

In the week before camp, Garryn, who played a vital role as the Site and Services co-ordinator for camp, put his family business on hold as he did the final running around (that Aunty Gloria and Tony J would normally do) for camp. The Tuesday before camp we bought the majority of the groceries, and he suggested that we drop them off in Point Fortin that evening, instead of waiting until Thursday as we had initially planned (since that was scheduled as a final work/clean up day) His two year old daughter fell ill suddenly that day, and by Thursday his wife was also ill, making it impossible for him to go to Point, so we realized why God had led us to drop off the groceries earlier that week. God also graciously and unexpectedly provided the manpower that was needed to do the cleaning on Thursday in his absence. We were also grateful to God that Garryn was able to gather all the equipment and other items which were needed for camp before his family obligations required him to stay at home. 

Making the Pricesmart run

On the Saturday before camp, Matthew called to say he wasn't feeling well. Apart from teaching the 5-6 year olds, we were depending on him to help with transport using his van. Thankfully, he informed us in time for Reuel, who was planning to come to Point anyway, to switch vehicles with him, so all the persons and items that needed to be transported on Saturday and Sunday were able to be moved by Reuel. God answered our prayers and by Sunday evening, Matthew was well enough to be able to drive down to Point from far east! Monty also wasn't feeling well on Saturday, but he pushed through his discomfort in order to lend a hand on Saturday, putting together the final physical elements that needed to be in place for camp. God's strength was truly made perfect in our times of weakness.

God provided the manpower we needed 
for the tasks that needed to be done
every single time!

On Sunday morning, the day before camp, Garryn started feeling ill. His role on camp as one of the main co-ordinators, as well as the person responsible for all the technical aspects of camp, was now uncertain. A last minute call to one of the AV techs at my church resulted in a positive response, and he made the journey to Point Fortin to set up the sound system and show one of the youths who was assisting how to run it. Later that evening, we met at Spring Garden for a time of prayer and preparation. Various persons prayed, but the prayer of the seven year old son of one of our teachers stood out clearly in my mind. He said, "Lord, stop any kind of evil and let everything be normal." It was a simple prayer, but so powerful that everyone broke out in applause at the end. After camp, many persons commented that, for the number of campers we had, it was incredible that there were no serious incidents or behavioural issues. God honored the prayer of His precious child.

What is camp prep without tons of cutting and coloring?

On Carnival Monday morning I woke up bright and early and discovered that my phone did not charge overnight. I refused to panic even though I knew that having a working phone was vital to my being able to function adequately at camp. Thankfully Mummy's suggestion of using someone else's charger worked, so by the time we were ready to leave home my phone had enough charge (incidentally my charger worked fine after camp was over). When planning for camp, we catered for 300 persons. It was really a guess, because although we had over 300 persons at camp in 2020, we had no idea what the numbers would look like this year, the first camp after covid, and also the first camp at our new venue. When I arrived on site the chairs were already starting to fill up, and by the time we were ready to send the children into their classes, it was clear that the rooms allocated to some of the classes would not have been big enough to accommodate the numbers. On both days of camp we had over 300 persons on site!

This was one of the biggest classes with over 60 children!

After we found spaces for all the classes the teachers were able to start presenting their lessons. On Monday morning they focused on Satan's role in influencing the angels, Adam and Eve and eventually the whole world to rebel against God's authority. Lesson 2 focused on Jesus - the greatest influencer that ever lived - highlighting the effect that His life and ministry had, and continues to have, on the world, and challenging the campers to let Him influence their lives. In the final lesson, campers were encouraged to let the Holy Spirit fill them so they could be God's influencers in the spheres in which they operate. Each class had an opportunity to visit the Expo center, where they were shown how influencers got their message across before the days of social media, and they were introduced to the components of an influential message. This was vital information that was used when they had to do their class presentations on the last day of camp.

Children enjoying the Expo presentations

By the time I sat down to have lunch on Monday it was well after 2pm. Garryn checked in with me to find out how I was doing and I honestly felt drained. Apart from being on the go all morning, locating items which were needed by various persons, having to make decisions about how to deal with the flood of challenges which were presented that morning, and trying to do damage control after some classes had to wait two hours for lunch due to logistical challenges, I felt like I had nothing left to give. I wasn't even sure how I would muster the energy to drive back up to Dow that afternoon. Garryn and his wife Leannya took the matter to prayer, and I don't know exactly when it happened, but somewhere between 2:30 and 3:30 God renewed my strength and I was able to lead the closing off session, get everyone on the maxis to go home, and drive back to Dow Village. I have never before gone from zero to one hundred in such in short space of time, with nothing but the prayers of the saints to keep me going.

They may not have been on camp physcially but
their impact was certainly felt!

Jehovah Jireh showed up BIG TIME for Ekklesia camp 2023. A fisherman promised to donate fish for those who did not eat chicken, but up to a week before camp he was unable to catch any fish. One night Aunty Gloria prayed, inspired by the biblical account of Peter's miraculous catch of fish, that our fisherman would be able to catch fish even though all his previous attempts were unsuccessful. The next day she found out that he caught 900 pounds of fish - his biggest ever catch of fish in a single night! The weekend before camp there was rain almost every day; apart from one small sprinkle, we had favourable weather for the entire duration of camp. When we realized that we were running out of chairs, Garryn was able to locate a company which was able to deliver 100 chairs and an additional tent by mid-day on Carnival Monday - another miraculous provision. 

The 5 & 6 year old class made full use of the sunny weather

Coming out of covid with higher prices in the groceries, we were able to get all the flour and rice needed for camp donated free of charge, and the prices of vegetables in the market dropped just in time for camp! Three companies that we rented furniture and equipment gave us substantial discounts. We got sufficient financial donations to cover all our expenses for 2023, and have enough left over to start Ekklesia camp 2024! Talk about exceeding, abundant provision above all we could ever ask or think! Gail was also on hand to provide anything we needed - from tablecloths to serving trays to coolers to cutlery to an additional tent - it seemed like almost anything we found ourselves in need of she had at home, only two streets away :) I don't have room to mention all the human resources that God provided in every single area of camp - from workers in the kitchen to those who served at Manna to those who were in the classroom to those who supervised the children during lunchtime to those who provided medical services - we were not lacking anything!

Kent and his wife Kathy-Ann laboured
in the kitchen to provide lunch for over 300
persons each day

When choosing the songs for camp, Aunty Carol looked at the depths of the lyrics before considering how simple the melody would be for the children to pick up. As such, there were a few songs which even us as adults struggled with as we were preparing for camp. We were particularly concerned about how the theme song, 'Under the influence' would be received. Imagine our surprise when, following the first day of camp, we asked the children which song they wanted to sing, and this one was the top selection! On the journey back to Dow Village, the children from Bible Club sang all the camp songs without the help of the song sheets. God really planted the songs in the hearts and minds of the children, as many of them continued singing the songs days after camp was over. We pray that the message of these songs will infiltrate the homes and lives of all who heard them.

Music is always an integral part of camp

This year marked the first year ever that Aunty Gloria missed being physically present at an Ekklesia camp. Although she is abroad seeking medical treatment, she was still very much a part of the camp planning process. She made phone calls, solicited donations, recruited volunteers and lifted us up in prayer. When we decided to honor her and some others who were foundational members of Ekklesia camp from its inception, God ordained that her daughter would be traveling from Trinidad, so she could be presented with the token in person. Thanks to Zoom, she was able to tour Expo, and view all the class presentations on the Tuesday afternoon. We are grateful to God for the invaluable guidance that she, Aunty Carol and Uncle Terry provided as we accepted the challenge of leadership in camp this year.

Grateful for the opportunity to say thanks
to our visionaries while they are around
to appreciate it

In our review meeting, teachers thanked God that, despite the huge numbers, there were very few incidents or illnesses on camp. In the 4 & under class, there were parents who stayed with their children, giving them the opportunity to hear the Word being taught. In every class, the children were very attentive and responsive to the lessons being presented, as the teachers used interactive teaching methods to keep the children engaged. The teachers were able to improvise when the numbers were twice as much as they expected. There were persons who jumped in to assist when they saw the needs were overwhelming the assigned teachers. There were children who responded positively to the call to salvation, and teenagers who felt the warmth and love of their teachers. There were adults who usually play mas, but decided to come to camp instead. 

Grateful for these teenagers from my
church who said "Yes" to serving
at Ekklesia camp this year :)

We saw God multiplying the items at Manna and providing new items for sale when stocks started running low. Despite my uncertainty about how the Tuesday afternoon class presentations would come together, each item demonstrated that the children firmly grasped the lessons that were taught. We were able to honor the stalwarts who have been serving since the inception of camp, as well as those who passed on to glory. Although Garryn was not able to be on camp physically, he was able to co-ordinate a lot of the logistics remotely, and he and his wife prayed real-time for issues as they arose on camp. Persons who volunteered for certain areas of ministry recognized that they were specially gifted by God to be massively effective in those areas, and are now offering their services to their local church in these ministry areas. All glory to God for the resounding success that was Ekklesia camp 2023!

Could not have done it without Gail at
my side, and Christian had my back straight through

Gail did a phenomenal job in getting the house at Spring Garden ready for camp. When we did the first site visit in November 2022, it was clearly a construction site, with exposed electrical wires, no tiles, fittings, fixtures or doors in the bathrooms, and building materials that would have been unsafe for children. By the time we had camp in February 2023, it was safe for children, with 5 fully equipped bathrooms, a kitchen sink, a water heat and a water pump, and temporary railings where there had only been exposed staircases before. Gail and her family worked assiduously to ensure that the site was ready in time for camp, and we are grateful to God for all the sacrifices they made. For many who were close to Tony J, it brought a level of healing that this site which before was remembered as the place where he died, was now going to be remembered as a place where God brought life through Ekklesia camp 2023.