Togetherness and Volunteerism

Togetherness

One of the highlights of my year is our annual church camp, so much so that when I booked my last ticket to Dominica I made sure that I would be returning in time for camp. Apart from loving any opportunity for a good camp, I look forward to this particular one for two main reasons:
(1) I have nothing to do with the planning or execution of the camp so I can come and just enjoy the experience. Sure they may ask me to lead worship or devotions but at least I do not have to worry about the actual running of the camp
(2) There are so many opportunities to connect with people you do not normally speak to, and have deeper conversations than are possible on a regular Sunday morning

Always enjoy any time spent with these lovely ladies :)

What made this year's camp even better was that it was down south! For once I didn't have to drive up the highway on a Friday night to get to camp :) The theme for camp this year was "2gether" and the emphasis was on the value of unity in the body of Christ. The devotions and chapel sessions reminded us that we are stronger when we live in community, rather than trying to make it on our own. One of the sessions that impacted me was a drama that was done depicting how persons can make assumptions based on how others behave, without understanding the root issues influencing why the persons behaved in the manner they did. This reinforced to me the importance of making the time to discover the truth behind the masks that many times we as Christians present to each other. Another aspect of the weekend I valued was the opportunity to meet people who had been attending church for the past couple months, but whom I had never seen or spoken to before. It was great to engage with these 'new' members of my church family.

Helping a youth express his words of appreciation on our 'wall'

Another meaningful aspect of the weekend was that each person randomly selected the names of 3 persons who they had to make time to meet with over the weekend. We then wrote encouraging things about the people we met with on our 'wall'; by the last day of the camp this wall was covered with lovely tributes to members of the body of Christ. It was uplifting to read the comments and positive aspects of each person whose name was on that wall. In all it was a lovely time of fellowship and mutual edification, and all who attended left with the clear message that "2gether we're stronger!"

A church family that plays 2gether stays 2gether

Volunteerism

Earlier this year, I had tried to engage the teenagers who attend Bible Club in community service. They have been receiving so much over the years, I felt it was time that they learnt about giving back. I figured one way of doing this was taking them up to ITNAC's headquarters in St. James to help with sorting the donations of clothing that come in faster than we can sort and distribute them. They didn't seem very eager about this idea, and when the weekend in question was approaching no one wanted to go.

After returning from my last trip to Dominica, I did a presentation to the teens class at Bible Club, showing them pictures of what the damage was like, and the work that we were doing to bring relief to the persons affected by Hurricane Maria. At the end of it, I invited those who were interested to come with me the following weekend to help sort donations. Every single one of them put up their hands.

Bible Club Crew at ITNAC collection point in St. James

They started off well, helping to build back up cases of water which had burst open due to poor packaging. They also provided the manpower to move bags of sorted clothes to one central location, and to offload donations from a van that came to drop off supplies. However, after their lunch break, things started going downhill where productivity dropped and the wildness increased. They had such a good time that they are already making plans for "when next you taking us up there to help".

Working diligently to secure all loose water bottles

Stopped off at a park for some old
fashioned fun on the way back home

I pray that the impact of the pictures they saw and the time spent volunteering would help them to recognize the need to focus on the needs of others around them, and show them that even though they are young, they too can make a difference in this world.