What a weekend!

Last weekend we had a retreat for those who were interested in serving as counselors with ISCF camp. I had a lot of little things to finalise on Friday morning for the retreat, before I headed out with the ITNAC crew to visit victims of Tropical Storm Bret in Woodlands. However, from the time I got downstairs, I was confronted with one setback after the other and I started to get flustered. Things were getting out of my control and I started feeling overwhelmed. I called one of my mentors and she reminded me to stop looking at the waves around me and to keep my eyes on Jesus so I could remain above the water. I repented for my lack of faith and left the house believing that God would work out every difficulty that presented itself that morning.

Giving a grocery hamper to a single mother with 6 children

Since Tropical Storm Bret devastated parts of Trinidad last week Tuesday, ITNAC has been mobilizing to channel relief to those who most need it. One of my friends who knows I am a part of this group messaged me on Thursday to say she was collecting donations from her friends and family. Later that evening I collected 15 grocery hampers from her, in addition to clothing which we were able to distribute the very next day. When I shared in church on Sunday about what we were doing, more people came forward with monetary donations that we were able to use to assist with the repairs to a home which lost its roof. I am so grateful to the community of believers who responded so we could bless those in need.

On the way to visit one of the homes in Woodlands

We teamed up with Pastor Kevin, who pastors an outpost of Faith Center, located upstairs of a children's home in Woodlands. From the Wednesday after the storm hit, he had been calling members of his church to find out how they were affected by the storm. He contacted ITNAC for assistance when he realised the extent of the damage. He and his wife then hit the ground, visiting families that were affected and bringing comfort and relief to them. This was not limited to members of his church, but as he saw needs, help was given to them as well.

If you look carefully you will see the white
line in the middle of the road

There were some parts of the main road which were still under water. We parked our vehicles and squeezed into the pastor's Xtrail for the remainder of the trip. The couple running the vegetable stall where we parked our vehicles told us of an elderly couple whose roof was completely destroyed in the storm. They had been sleeping in an old car in their yard until they were able to construct a makeshift shelter for themselves. When we saw the extent of the damage, we mobilized our construction crew and began work on the house over the long weekend.

Working while there is sunshine!

One of the families we met were living downstairs their house while they completed the upstairs portion. However, when the flood waters started rising, they had to abandon everything and escape upstairs so they lost everything that was downstairs. They had been stranded in their home since the storm while the water was still too deep for them to cross. By the time we arrived, some of our team members were able to cross using boots. When they were halfway across, one of the villagers who was guiding them across commented, "It does have caiman in dat water!" I was so grateful they did not hear him until after they gotten safely back across.

Wading through the murky waters

While visiting families we knew, we met other persons who were in need. Manohar related his experiences to us, as he lives right on the river shore. He told of how all his family's crab traps were washed away, and what a huge setback this was, as this is their primary source of income. We were able to bless him with a box a groceries, and encourage him to attend the pastor's church on Sunday. On the way back out, we noticed a man lying at the side of the road. When we stopped, we were advised to leave him because he was drunk and he was "always doing dat". However, we could not just drive off, especially when the rains began to fall, so we stayed with him until someone he knew came and took him home.

This elderly lady was also happy to
receive a hamper

From there I headed home to Bible Club where we had rehearsal for next week's Closing program. It was when I returned home after Bible Club that I found out that the mother of one of our Camps Committee members had passed away. For the entire afternoon, I had been getting calls about persons who would no longer be able to come to the retreat, and also about heavy rains and traffic up north and I wondered if we would still be able to pull off the retreat. When I got the news about the death and I thought about my earlier frustrations, I felt confident that God was going to move mightily at the weekend retreat, in spite of all the challenges we were experiencing. Thankfully some other committee members were able to get up to the campsite on time and were able to welcome those who got there early while the rest of us made our way there as soon as we could.  

Getting to know you session in progress

On the way up the highway I was taking my time because the roads were wet, when I realised the car in front of me stopped suddenly. I had enough time to stop, but I wasn't sure about the vehicle behind me so I started blowing my horn to alert him that something was wrong and thankfully he was able to stop in time as well. It looked like someone had gotten knocked down crossing the highway so I was even more careful after that and thank God we made it up to the campsite safely. The first session was already in progress as the campworkers were encouraged to let down their guards and have fun getting to know one another. The activities also reinforced the importance of team work and communication which are vital principles to apply at camp.

Digging into the Word

The weekend was structured to give counselors an idea of what life on ISCF camp would be like. From devotions to exercise to team duties to talent night, they were exposed to what a typical day at ISCF camp looks like. Campworkers were taken out of their comfort zones, as some had to adjust to only being able to shower once per day, and others had to learn that it's OK to act crazy at Talent night. Through these activities they learnt about the importance of trust, delegation, vigilance, and developing a strategy to get tasks accomplished. This last one was put into practise when our dedicated cook had to leave on Saturday to write an exam, so she did the necessary prep and it was up to our adventurous campworkers to finish the meal. Although they could cook, there is a big difference between cooking for your family as opposed to cooking for 35+ people. Let's just say they invented a new dish - honey stewed chicken!

Directors can cook too!

When I say that God worked out EVERYTHING for the retreat, I am not exaggerating. Half an hour before our first session which required the use of multimedia, I realised we didn't have a laptop because the committee member who was supposed to bring it was supporting the one whose mother had died. After some quick phone calls, we realised that one of the campworkers had a laptop we could use, and when they had to leave that night, someone else was able to bring up a cable to allow us to use another laptop that we had on site. We had catered for 30 persons but there were times when we fed close to 40 people and the food never run out once. Persons who were called to help with interviews just a couple hours before responded, as well as the one who just lost her mother because she had "given her word" that she would be there, so when those who had committed to come were unable to due to situations beyond their control, we were still able to complete all the interviews necessary. Even though there were setbacks in the program. we were able to accomplish all that we needed to over the time we were there - glory to God!

The real deal in schools

One of the most enlightening sessions was the one facilitated by two social workers - one who works in the schools and one who works in the hospitals. They shared candidly from their experiences of dealing with young people in the school system. Our campworkers realised that many of the issues that children experience do not start in school, but from the home, and sometimes even in 'safe' environments such as the church. They were given strategies for coping with some of the issues our campers will be facing, and also guidelines about how best to deal with difficult cases. The presentation and content shared was excellent.

Discussing case studies

From theory we moved on to more practical application, as campworkers were given case studies which they had to analyse to determine the underlying issues beneath the behaviors. Using the HELPS methods (Happening, Emotions, Listening, Problem solving, Support) they were able to experience how to walk the campers through the problems they were facing. We are so thankful for the professionals who were able to share freely of their expertise to ensure that our campworkers are equipped for the task they have been called to.

Honoring our hard working cook

 Two of our camp speakers were able to challenge the campworkers using themes which will be addressed at camp. They were encouraged to build on the unbreakable foundation of God's Word to ensure that they would not falter. They were also reminded that we have the Holy Spirit living inside us to empower us to live godly lives. The final session went back to the basics of the gospel, explaining the impact of sin and salvation on our body, soul and spirit. The campworkers were also introduced to a tool for sharing the gospel so they could confidently lead a camper to Christ. The feedback at the end of the retreat showed that campworkers appreciation every single aspect of the retreat, and many of them left feeling refreshed, with much to think about as they prepare to serve at camp. For some it was a wake up call and for others it was life changing. We give all glory to God for the good work He started at the weekend retreat, and we trust that He will be faithful to complete it at Camp 2017.

Winning team for Talent Night - Bestcreeeeeete!!!!!!

Oh yeah... remember my frustrating Friday morning when it seemed like things were just going wrong? Well God worked out EVERY SINGLE THING and all I can say is THANK YOU GOD!!!