A special day

 Christmas Day was never mentioned in the Bible, nor were we ever encouraged to celebrate Jesus' birth. But over the years, it has been used by Christ followers to focus on the Son of God coming to earth in the form of a man. This was the only way that He could qualify to take from us the punishment of death which was our penalty for sin. As someone who was fully God, He never sinned, yet as someone who was fully man, He could die instead of us. He did this so that our sins could be removed, and we could once more be in the presence of a holy God, which was not possible because of our sin. I don't celebrate Christmas the way most people do (cleaning, decorating, shopping), but I use the opportunity it provides to share this message of hope for eternal life with Christ with persons who I would not normally come into contact with.

Their mother was hospitalized a few days before
Christmas so they were very surprised to be 
showered with food and gifts on that day!

For years ITNAC has had a tradition of going out on Christmas morning to deliver breakfast boxes, hampers and gifts to families who are not well off. As a faith-based organization, we also use the opportunity to share Jesus with them. We get donations from persons locally and abroad who are happy to support us sharing the love of God on this special day. This year our list was longer than ever, as we had met so many families this year who were negatively affected economically due to covid-19. We divided the families into geographical areas and assigned volunteers to visit the families in each area. One of our team members baked the bread (32 loaves!) and another one baked the ham. 

Is it really a Trini Christmas if there is no ham?

Up to Christmas Eve, we didn't have any fruit or additional items to go along with the bread and ham sandwiches. My friend who I used to work with 13 years ago messaged me at 8.30am on December 24th to say that she had a financial gift towards our Christmas outreach. When I asked, she agreed to go to purchase apples that could go in the breakfast boxes. Imagine she was prepared to walk through Tunapuna market on Christmas Eve with 130 apples in a bag! Then, around 8.30pm Mummy told me she would be doing pastelles. To top it off, when I called a friend after 9pm that night to ask if she could bake something sweet for 6am the following morning, she said yes! My family and friends are simply the best :D

Roped in my friend from high school to keep me company

At all the homes we visited, the families received us warmly, and the children were so excited to receive their presents. When we asked, most of the children said that what made the day special was getting gifts and eating food, so we used the opportunity to share about the importance of Jesus' coming to earth, and how His coming enabled us to draw close to God. We challenged the parents to read Luke 2 with their children after the presents were opened as the food was consumed, so they could hear the details about how Jesus came into the world. We prayed with each family before we left for the next household.

Smiling faces!

We thank God for the privilege of being His hands and feet to bring joy and a message of God's love on this special day. Thanks to all those who support our organization in any way, because without you, we would not be able to do what we do :)

Wrapping up 2020

 As I reflect on how 2020 turned out, much differently than I could ever have anticipated, I continue to be in awe at God's faithfulness and provision. Thanks to the technology available today, we were still able to reach out and impact the lives of many, with some slight adjustments to the conventional method of delivery. Singles Camp was one such ministry that we were able to execute using the Zoom platform. Over the last weekend in November, single persons from a variety of backgrounds (including overseas participants) engaged in this year's event entitled "Cabin Fever". We focused on issues affecting our target audience arising out of the covid-19 restrictions that have been in place over the past nine months.

Camp flyer

On Friday night we examined how social media can hinder our relationship with God if not used wisely. The acronoym SIGHT was used to encourage us to set a godly Standard for our social media use, ensure that our behaviour reflects Intimacy with God, is God-centered and displays Humility, and that we employ proper Time Management. On Saturday morning our facilitator offered practical strategies to deal with the effects of fear and anxiety which have accompanied the pandemic. Later in the day we hosted a panel discussion in which the panelists shared how they dealt with feelings of loneliness and isolation resulting from covid-19 restrictions. On Sunday afternoon participants were encouraged to check their "temperature" to ascertain their spiritual health. When asked about spiritual decisions made at the end of the camp, here is what some participants had to say:

[I was convicted] of changes [that] needed to be made in my life and [received] fresh motivation to make them. It also provided me with the tools and techniques to reach those goals.

My spiritual decision coming out of this camp is to actually make the time to spend in God's Word and in His presence. At present my time with God is limited and almost small and God needs so much more than that from me.

Cabin New Normal really made me sit with myself and start changing myself for God. I had a strong conviction to cut out all my hesitations and just do.

Panelists from Solitary Confinement Cabin

Last year we held a massive breakfast and concert for the Venezuelan children and their parents who were a part of our English classes. This year, that celebration was held on Zoom, with games and dancing to local gospel parang. I shared the Biblical account of Jesus' birth using as simple English words as I could find, and I was astounded to hear a little boy's voice translating everything that I said into Spanish for those who may not have understood! I have no idea who the child was, as I was operating a Power Point presentation at the time. We began at creation when sin entered the world, and spoke about how Jesus was God's solution to sin, giving us the chance to once more be close to God. The only thing that was missing was food and gifts, but these will be provided to the children by the leaders of the organization next week God willing.

Playing "Dance and Freeze"

I stayed up until 4am last week Friday wrapping presents for the children from Bible Club, and after seeing their reactions upon receiving their gifts, I was so glad that I did. They were not expecting anything - we just told them that it was going to be the last session of Bible Club for the term. The Bible lesson was about the significance of Jesus' birth, and the children quickly realized that He was born so that He could die for our sins. There were some funny moments, such as when they were asked who were the first visitors after Jesus was born and their response was "the disciples", and the reaction of the teens when they realized that Joseph was not the father "So how Mary get pregnant?" They also thoroughly enjoyed their snack boxes which contained pastelles and candy canes in addition to the usual treats.

The younger ones couldn't wait to open their gifts.
The teens wanted to save theirs until Christmas because
they said it was probably the only gift they would get this year.

Later that evening, I headed into St. James for ITNAC's Thanksgiving service. We still have a little over $300K outstanding to complete the payment for the transition house, but we wanted to acknowledge how far God has brought us, to praise Him for what He has already done, and to declare our trust in Him to complete what He started. Our servant leader Avonelle organized tokens for all the team members who have been labouring in the fundraising efforts, and we really enjoyed an invigorating time of worship, thanksgiving, challenge from the Word and fellowship (while observing covid-19 protocols). On the way home from the event, the car containing 4 of our team members was hit but thankfully there were no serious injuries although the car was badly damaged. We refused to let the enemy dampen our joy, and continue to rely on the faithfulness of our God to see us to the finish line of paying off the outstanding balance on the building.

For every mountain You've brought me over...
For this I'll give you praise

One of the things that our church family missed from our pre-covid-19 days was our times of fellowship. I was asked to serve on a committee to plan and execute an event that would facilitate persons coming together for a time of sharing, testimonies, encouragement, and also some good old fashioned fun. We had a getting to know you activity in which we learnt some very intriguing things about one another. We went into break out rooms to share about what we were thankful for, and what we have learnt during the pandemic. At the end of the event, persons were challenged to maintain the connections with one another. The feedback we received was very encouraging, as those who attended enjoyed themselves fully and were encouraged by all the testimonies and experiences shared.

I am not sure what 2021 will look like, but I am convinced that the same God whose faithfulness took me through 2020 is going to be with me next year every step of the way, and for me, that is enough.

Moving forward

 Since covid-19 appeared on our shores in March, all the organizations I am involved with had to find an innovative way of doing things, since we could no longer meet in person. One such organization was ALTA, which holds free literacy classes for adults in various communities throughout the country. Some of our tutors were able to use a mixture of WhatsApp, Skype and Zoom to finish teaching the outstanding lessons for the remainder of the last academic year. With the arrival of remote schooling where there is a greater reliance on the role of parents in their children's education, we see more than ever now the need for adult literacy classes to continue.

After months of adjusting and planning, the Admin team was able to tailor our training of new tutors to be delivered over 3 weeks via Zoom - the platform chosen for our classes for the upcoming academic year. It was a steep learning curve for many of our volunteer tutors, as they had to grasp literacy concepts and learn it within a virtual environment, but with lots of practice and encouragement, we were able to teach them how to deliver the ALTA program via Zoom. At the end of the sessions, the group I was responsible for training said they appreciated the level of patience I demonstrated with them as they learnt to navigate teaching ALTA via Zoom.

Starring in a video demonstrating how
to teach spelling strategies

One afternoon in May while walking in my neighbourhood, I met some children and adults whom I knew from Bible Club. One of the adults asked me to tell her nephew to do some school work, because he was due to write SEA this year. I offered to do some revision with him on afternoons, and he brought along his cousin who was also writing the exam. When they arrived, everyone washed their hands and we studied a Bible verse before we began doing school work. As the weeks went by, there was a marked improvement seen in their performance. 

After we had been meeting for over a month, a grandmother who lives nearby saw us doing work and enquired if I was giving lessons. I told her I was just doing work with SEA students, and she informed me that her grandson was writing this year too so he joined the group. He was struggling a lot more with his school work, so I was sorry that I had not started working with him earlier. During one of our sessions, I had the joy of leading him to Christ, so I knew that even if he didn't perform well in the exam, my time with him was not in vain. Imagine my extreme joy when he passed for Benedict's College! I was blown away by the faithfulness of God, because we had prayed that he would do well in spite of his limitations, and he did :)

Check the concentration on the little faces :)

Although we had executed camp online via Zoom, I knew I needed to find another way of engaging with my Bible Club children. I thought about using WhatsApp and sending videos, but I was not convinced this would reach them. Last week Sunday God answered my prayer: I got an invitation from the Lausanne Children and Evangelism Network to attend a session where they would be sharing about 6 models of Children's Ministry which were successful during the pandemic. When the 4th presenter shared, I knew immediately that their model would work in our context - children from unchurched families who live in a limited geographical area. I decided to try it out on a few families last week Friday and it was so well received! 

I called the parents beforehand to let them know I would be coming to do Bible Club with their children. When I arrived, the children came to the gate, and I stood at the side of the road. I asked one of them to open in prayer, then we sang a song and I taught the Bible lesson. I asked them questions afterwards to ensure they understood and then taught them the memory verse. They were so excited to get the worksheet I had prepared that some of them started working on it right there in the yard! I gave them a snack before I went on to the next house, and promised to give them a prize if they said their memory verse next week. One of the parents said she was glad that we were coming because she had seen a change in her children's behaviour while they were at home and she knew it was because they were no longer coming to Bible Club. I am so excited to see what God will do with this edition of Bible Club in de road :D

Checking out their worksheets

A few weeks ago I was contacted by the head of LARMS - the organisation that I started volunteering with in September last year, teaching English to Venezuelan children - to find out if I would be available to do remote teaching. I missed my children a lot so of course I said yes. I was a bit apprehensive as to how it would work out, since I was not sure I could maintain discipline through the internet. Thankfully the parents/caretakers stayed with the children for the duration of the session, ensuring that they were not being distracted and were responding when being called on. There was also the additional benefit of the adults learning alongside the children. After the first two sessions, the parents expressed that they really enjoyed the classes and the children loved it.

We were all so happy to be reunited, even
though it was just virtually

In my last blog I shared about ITNAC's latest initiative, Project Homebase, in which we are trusting God for the funds to acquire a property in St. James that can be used as emergency short-term housing. We continue to get requests from persons who are being evicted because the landlord can no longer wait for them to be able to pay their rent, and with the scarcity of available jobs, we anticipate that it will only get worse. We were unable to raise the outstanding funds by our first deadline, and the vendor has graciously extended the time by two weeks. 

We have launched a "Plenty for Twenty" campaign, where we are encouraging persons to get people in their network to contribute $20 towards Project Homebase. We would be grateful if you can join us in spreading the word: if we can get 70,000 persons to contribute just $20 each, we will be able to reach our goal. Those who are on facebook can share this link of an interview that TTT did about Project Homebase: 

https://www.facebook.com/377693645609/posts/1015852893214061

Trusting God that this building will soon be
ours to use as a transition house

As we move forward in faith, here are some ways you can help:

1. Make a deposit into one of our bank accounts (please let us know the amount after your deposit):

Name: Is There Not A Cause

Republic Bank: 510009446802

First Citizens Bank: 1660410

2. Make a financial contribution online: https://fundmetnt.com/campaign/itnac-home-base

3. Support one of our fundraising food sales, usually held every weekend. Follow our facebook page for details: https://www.facebook.com/itnactt 

4. Purchase an item from one of our Thrift Stores located upstairs Flo Essence on the Western Main Road in St. James, or at 47 Bombay Street, St. James

A place to call home

What would cause an NGO to embark on a journey to purchase a building in the midst of a global pandemic? Some may call it a crazy move, but we are a people of crazy faith in a God who is able to do exceeding and abundantly above all we can ask or think. Over the past ten years we have been flooded with constant requests for emergency and transitional housing from persons who were affected by fire, flood, eviction, deportation and domestic violence. We believe that as followers of Jesus, we cannot just say to those in need, "Keep warm and well fed" and do nothing to help their physical needs (James 2:16). Project Homebase was born out of a desire to provide a safe, temporary space to meet these needs.

Property purchased for Project Homebase

God moved on the hearts of our generous donors so in early July, we were able to make a downpayment of $200,000 to secure this four-bedroom house on Bombay Street in St. James that we have named Beth-el. We have until the end of this month to pay the outstanding balance of $1.8 million to close the deal. Due to covid-19 restrictions, we cannot host large fundraisers. However, our team of dedicated volunteers have been working assiduously, coming up with creative fundraising ideas that fall within the safety procedures outlined by authorities. Every week there is at least one food sale, and there is a thrift shop that is open everyday. Our team members have been utilizing all their talents and resources  to eat this $1.8M elephant, one bite at a time - from cooking sumptuous meals to baking delightful treats to mixing punches and juices to selling a wide variety of Homebase "merch". We thank God for the talents He has blessed us with, and for the support we have been receiving thus far.

Some supporters donate fresh fruits and
vegetables that we can sell or use as
ingredients in our sales

Here is a testimonial from someone who has benefited from finding temporary housing at Sa Maison - our first property in St. James:

"My family and I had lost our place of security, our sense of comfort. We had lost our home some years ago. I am grateful that a good friend pointed me in the direction of  Avonelle Hector Joseph and her ITNAC Trinidad team, where my family and I were provided with a temporary place to stay - otherwise referred to as transitional housing. Not even the government's "emergency housing" did any work on our behalf nor did family. Sometimes our families are not always in a position to help at the time of our calamity. Frankly, I just don't think such service as governmental emergency housing exist! 

One of our youths
advertising our avocado punch

"In fact without a shadow of a doubt, I say this: When you support this cause, you are providing not only temporary shelter for many families out here who are currently displaced due to unforseen circumstances; you are also helping to pay utilities at these Transitional Homes, purchase food for families, purchase clothing for both parents and children, since some families may have lost everything. Lite moment lol, you know how much ITNAC Thrift Store brands, my kids and I have worn. Really great stuff too! I can assure you, whenever we went out, family outing, (and, YES even in that situation we could have had family outings), school, appointments, wherever it was, WE DID NOT LOOK LIKE OUR SITUATION, GLORY TO GOD! Thanks to the INTAC team who took great care of us, by the means and support of their faithful sponsors. 

Project Homebase merch :)

"I remember in this stage of my life I was also due to give birth to my beautiful son, and Avi, Aunty Jackie, Aunty Claudette, Liz (oh my Liz was a darling, my girls loved her and I felt very safe leaving my children with her). Anyways, these ladies when we first met were strangers to me and one can only imagine the mental space I was in....had my home today and tomorrow nothing and I could not afford for my children to be tainted or fall prey to the unlimited hazards one could be faced with if displaced or homeless. These ladies, very soon, proved themselves to be trustworthy, strong, loving, empowering women, they became our family. I remember my baby, when finally he was born he had the love of so many. The doctor appointments, I never had to go alone. He had so much more than just his mommy and daddy. I always had their support."

You can fill your belly while
supporting a very worthwhile cause

 Here is another story of a life transformed as a result of the support provided through ITNAC, as told by one of her mentors:

"Seeking to escape a life of abuse and victimization, this twenty-two year old young lady was living in a galvanized shed with no water, no electricity, no toilet facilities, and not even a proper door. However, God miraculously opened the right door for her through ITNAC (Is There Not a Cause) and their Sa Maison residential home. She remembers, “I heard about ITNAC through my pastor, Pastor Dwayne Franklin. When there was no other place for me to go, my pastor contacted Aunty Gemma who got in contact with Aunty Avonelle.” The rest is history. 

Display of shoes available at our 
Thrift Store

"She has been with ITNAC for the past several months, including through the covid-19 lockdown crisis, when she worked tirelessly with the ITNAC team to deliver hampers filled with food and supplies for families all over the country. She expressed why staying at Sa Maison means so much to her. “Being at Sa Maison provides me with a much-needed place to stay, and ITNAC is doing things that I love to do. I love helping people. I love giving. I love seeing smiles on people’s faces when they get food to feed their families.”

Breadfruit pie courtesy one of
our bess chefs!

"ITNAC has also helped to put a smile on her face through a variety of support efforts that go beyond the meeting of her basic material needs—to medication provision, counselling and prayer support, and care for her child. “ITNAC helped me build myself up from where I was before to where I am now. Staying at Sa Maison has helped me greatly. It has shown me that I can do many things, once I put my mind to it. One of these things is the writing of her first book, “A Broken Heart Made Whole by Love: A Book of Poetry from the Heart. Assisted by Aunty Marion of LegacyMakers, an ITNAC partner organization, she launched her book this past August. God has begun to open doors of ministry for her to share her story."

Although it looks good enough to eat
this is actually cheesecake soap!

There are various ways that you can help:

1. Support one of our fundraising food sales, usually held every weekend. Follow our facebook page for details: https://www.facebook.com/itnactt

2. Purchase an item from one of our Thrift Stores located upstairs Flo Essence on the Western Main Road in St. James, or at 47 Bombay Street, St. James

3. Make a deposit into one of our bank accounts (please let us know the amount after your deposit):

Name: Is There Not A Cause

Republic Bank: 510009446802

First Citizens Bank: 1660410

4. Purchase Project Homebase merch online: https://www.customink.com/fundraising/itnac-project-homebase?utm_campaign=mobile-campaign-page-share&utm_content=itnac-project-homebase&utm_medium=messaging&utm_source=text&side=front&type=3&zoom=false

5. Make a financial contribution online: https://fundmetnt.com/campaign/itnac-home-base

6. Share details of our fundraisers on your social media platforms - you may not be in a position to support, but someone in your circle may!

Initiative of our youth arm - coming up this Sunday!

 I will close with this challenge from one of our faithful supporters:

"To my friends who are fortunate and well off: yes, I believe and I know you have worked really hard to be where you are, and I commend you. However, just think with me for a moment: natural disaster, retrenchment, deceased bread winner, domestic violence, dishonest landlord, property dispute; I mean the list goes on and on and on. Just think for a moment about the lifestyle you can afford now, but then something unfortunate happens, like what I have listed above, where today you have and tomorrow it's all gone. but you still have your children/family to provide for. Won't you want to have the option to stay afloat in a safe and family friendly environment with your family, while being counselled, provided with resources to guide you through and out of that situation, until you can become self-sufficient again? Who wouldn't want that? Trust me it can happen to anybody, it can happen to you."

Tik Tok - Time's Up!

 With the exponential growth in popularity of the social media app Tik Tok, especially since the lock downs associated with covid, Christian Assemblies Camps decided to use this as our theme for August camp 2020 - "Tik Tok - Time's Up". Our Easter camp had already been cancelled earlier this year, and we did not want 2020 to pass by without engaging with the young people who normally attend our camps. Some campworkers were skeptical about whether the online version of camp would succeed; some of the highlights of our camps include the crazy sports, the pool time, the hike, the food - none of which would be possible over the internet. Even though it was unchartered waters for  a ministry with over 60 years camping experience, we were willing to try something new in order to adjust to the changing dynamic with which we were now faced.

Camper craft showcasing theme and memory verse

We started off with the Senior Camp, to allow for participation of the younger ones who were writing the SEA exam the following week. We had an average of 20-25 campers between the ages of 15-21 years old in attendance. They were challenged about the urgent situation we are currently in: things are getting progressively worse in the world. We shared with them about the need to accept God's plan of salvation in these urgent times, because this is the only way we would be guaranteed the victory. We encouraged them to have a sense of urgency for the things of God, and to be passionate about their role in building the kingdom of God.

These truths were taught during our virtual "Pool time" using
the analogy of a race

We also took the campers on a virtual hike, where they were encouraged to see the Bible as a tool to help them live a victorious Christian life, allowing it to guide the decisions that they make when they have to make choices. They were challenged to consider the persons who they have in their circles, ensuring that they were those who would influence them positively. The hike also brought out the application that even though they may fall due to trials they face, they should not stay down, but get back up and persevere until the end.

Lessons taught during this virtual hike were
etched in the campers minds during dorm time

The final camp speaker provoked the campers to think about whether they were using their limited time on earth to be salt and light, recognizing that they are not guaranteed tomorrow. They realised that there are many persons around them who do not know Jesus, and they all have a role to play in sharing the good news with them. One camper admitted that she had let her relationship with God deteriorate over the past few months of lock down, and she was committed to making the effort to do better by the end of camp. We had a Spoken Word challenge based on the theme and memory verses, and this is an excerpt from one of the entries:

The campers got involved in the dorm discussions, where we were able to hear from them how they could apply the messages to their lives, and spend time praying with them. There was also a Fill the bottle game using water and a sponge which the participants enjoyed, as well as a Bible Jeopardy game which was hotly contested. We welcomed a camper all the way from the Bahamas who enjoyed the fellowship with us. The following week, we moved on to Junior camp, where we had over 80 campers ranging in age from 5 to 14 years old from Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, St. Vincent, the Bahamas, and the USA.

Singing our theme song lustily - The countdown's getting
lower everyday!

One of the speakers for Junior camp used the biblical account of Josiah as her scriptural focus. She used his story to illustrate to the campers how they too can seek God, turn away from things which seek to take God's place in their lives, build on the good things in their lives and depend on God's Word for guidance. She made the application to things they could relate to in their everyday lives, like persons who use social media to dictate how they should pattern their lives, and they were challenged to place God as top priority in their lives, regardless of how young they were.

Powerpoint used in teaching the lesson

On the day that I was responsible for the message, I used the parable of the ten virgins to illustrate the importance of being prepared and having your own oil (salvation) when Jesus returns. It was also the day that we took the campers on the virtual hike, so I was able to use scenarios from the hike - someone falling asleep when they were supposed to be getting ready, which resulted in them being left behind; someone not purchasing water before the hike and then trying to get others to share their own on the hike when they got thirsty - to drive home the necessity for us to make the decision to serve Christ for ourselves NOW before it is too late. I also shared with them the importance of having the right gear (the armour of God) to keep them from falling for Satan's traps, much like how those who were wearing sneakers on the hike were able to keep from falling.

Taking in the view which was the reward for those
who finished the course and kept the faith :)

Junior camp was filled with lots of energy as the campers participated in the various games - the scavenger hunt was the biggest hit! They enjoyed running all over the house retrieving random items - even their family members got involved :) Another highlight was the memory verse competition. The campers were encouraged to represent the memory verses visually, using a song, poem or spoken word piece and we received entries for all 4 categories! The creativity displayed by these children was simply amazing, and we thank God for this outlet for their artistic skills to be displayed.

Entry by one of our youngest
competitors - 6 years old

This child clearly has a future as an artist

Can you guess what are the verses
represented by each of the items she created?

When we asked the campers in our dorm what they had learnt from camp this week, here were some of their responses:

• I realize that I need to spend more time in the Word of God in order to strengthen my faith
• I need to encourage my friends to learn more about Jesus before it is too late
• You are never too young to be in the Word of God
• We need to seek God, and stand up for what is right
• Always put God first
• We need to use the armour of God so we can stand against Satan's plans

We thank God that the message was indeed received, and pray that it would be rooted deep in the children's hearts and transform the way that they live.

Painting representing Revelation 3:20

Taking a leap of faith

Winner of "People's Choice" from Memory Verse Challenge

When the ISCF Camps Committee came up the plan to have Camp 2020 online, there were a lot of doubts about whether it would work. Many youth leaders reported that they were struggling to attract their young people to online youth meetings. Past campers expressed their unwillingness to consider a camping option which, in their opinion, could never be as fun as "real" camp. We were not sure that we would be able to get the campers to feel comfortable to open up about issues they were facing, giving that we were "meeting" the majority of them for the first time. Two weeks before Senior camp was scheduled to start, we only had 3 confirmed male counselors, and 36 campers in total registered. But we were convinced that this was a God-ordained idea, so we continued our planning in faith believing that God would bring those who needed to come, and that we would be sufficiently staffed to minister effectively to them. 

Counselors meeting for prayer before the start of camp

One week before Senior camp began, God opened my eyes to two persons I could ask to serve as counselors for Senior camp, and they said yes! One of them was hesitant initially, because of work commitments, but he was able to serve for almost every day of camp :) In addition to these, we received a request for someone from St. Lucia who was involved with ISCF over there in the camping ministry, who wanted to come to our camp as an observer. Not only was he able to function  as a counselor in the dorms, as well as bring a whole Lucian contingent with him, but he also initiated an idea that we did not conceive would work via Zoom - worship before chapel! It was so encouraging to see the campers singing alongside 'A Minor' as he led in songs of worship. We also thank God for 'Prarie Dawn' and 'D Las Ting' being able to join us for a few days from Australia and New Jersey, USA respectively - it was so lovely having them back as a part of the counseling team :)

A Minor leading in worship

By the time camp started, we had approximately 65 campers showing up every day, the majority of whom had never been to an ISCF camp before. They came from schools all over Trinidad (from Diego Martin Central to Guaico Secondary School, from ASJA Girls College to Chaguanas South Secondary, from Point Fortin West Secondary to Rio Claro West Secondary) and Tobago (from Bishops High School Tobago to Speyside High) We also had campers from 3 different schools in St. Lucia joining us, and it was wonderful to have that connection with our Caribbean brothers and sisters! Our camp speakers were very engaging and relevant to the youths - they were able to speak to issues which were very real, so by the time they got into their dorms for the break out sessions, the campers were sufficiently pumped and ready to share. For this, we give God all the credit, because it is an openness that only He could have brought, in such a short period of time.

Campers were encouraged to respond to the speakers' message
using the Chat feature of Zoom - probably the first time they
were allowed to "talk" while a message was being presented :)

You know the campers were sufficiently engaged when, during the "Hot Topics" segment in their dorms where they were free to bring up any topic or ask any question, the Administrators had to leave the Zoom call open for over an hour after the camp session officially ended! We really thank God for providing this avenue for so many of our young people, the males in particular, to share about their struggles and to receive godly counsel from our counselors who drew from their own experiences. Topics covered included:

• Effects of being on lockdown due to covid 19
• Racism in T&T
• Identity, comparison of self against others
• Self pity
• Having a new body in Heaven
• Transitioning to adulthood- what is needed to positively transition?
• Knowing your self worth, finding out your purpose
• How to heal rejection 
• Dating/relationships. What is the appropriate age for dating?
• Sexual sin - what does the scripture say and practical ways to overcome it 
• Finding your purpose 
• Recognising the need to cut off negative influences in our lives
• Recognising that God saves us with a purpose in mind. 
• Building a relationship with Jesus through reading his word, prayer, and telling other about him

ISCF Senior camp 2020 - the online experience!

We knew the Senior campers would have loved the games and baking and Memory Verse Art and Video challenges that we had done in Primary Camp. Some of us were not too sure about how they would receive the Fancy Hat Challenge - would they be interested at all, or would they think it was too childish. Let me tell you that we were BLOWN AWAY by the creativity expressed by these young people! From a hat with a lighted candle, to a hat which contained LED lights spelling out the word LIT, to a t-shirt and earring designed to match the hat, these campers certainly took the Fancy Hat Challenge to another level. The amount of vibes that was present as each of them presented their creations just made it even more enjoyable.

This camper took the "Get Lit" theme literally :)

Based on the campers feedback, many of them enjoyed the interaction and the general vibes of the meetings. One of them stated that "Camp brought life to the at stay home lockdown." One said that they appreciated that fact that everyone was so welcoming, and that they could freely express themself because they could be shy sometimes. Others expressed that the mentors were funny, and that everyone was nice to each other no rude comments or mean attitudes. One parent said that her daughter was very skeptical to join, not knowing what to expect, and she thanked us for making the camp such a fun and memorable experience. 

A sample from the creations of our budding bakers

On sharing what they had learnt from the camp, one camper said they learnt that the key thing is to tell your friends about God even if you can lose them. Some stated that their relationship with God has grown stronger. Others benefited from listening to what was said and looking at themselves and seeking how to apply the principles taught to their lives. One camper was grateful for the opportunity to make new friends from another country, and to learn more about following in God's footsteps. Others learnt new bible verses. We are so grateful to God for His faithful provision for this camp, both in terms of counselors and campers, and for allowing us to see the outcome of this leap of faith which was ISCF camp 2020 - the online experience.

One of the entries from our Memory Verse challenge

How do you have a camp online?

When the ISCF Camps Committee met for our monthly planning meeting in early March 2020, we had no clue how everything would change in just one week. When the first confirmed case of covid 19 hit our shores, everything stopped. Schools were closed. Persons were working from home. The country was placed under lock down - only essential services were allowed to go out. We had no idea how long this would last for, or what it would mean for ISCF Camp 2020. 

The only thing we knew for sure was
what the theme would be

We continued to meet online, brainstorming ideas. The hardest part was the uncertainty. How long would this last? Would we be able to have any camp activities in person? How would we advertise our camps if schools were closed? The only thing we were certain about was that we wanted to have an event - how it would look was what we were not sure of. By mid-May we decided to envision having a camp online. We knew there were elements of camp that we would not be able to replicate online, and that the lack of physical interaction would be a hindrance, especially for those who have been exposed to the joys of ISCF camps before. But we figured that something was better than nothing, so we started planning for our very first ever online camp, to be conducted via Zoom.

By this point, "Zoom" was now a part of our everyday vocabulary,
even though before March we did not know it existed

We started planning online training sessions for our counselors, and reached out to our pool of campworkers to see who would be available for this new format of camp. There were more questions than answers at that point, and we really are appreciative of those who took this leap of faith with us. With no prior online camp experience, we had to depend heavily on God's guidance to determine what elements of traditional camp we would be able to incorporate, and what new features could be added since it would be done online. In July we had 3 training sessions for our counselors. We focused on how to lead a young person to Christ, tools for discipling youths online and how to help youths navigate challenges incurred as a result of the lock down. We also had a dry run of our online camp, so counselors would have an idea of how it would work.

One of our counselors entertaining campers online

Since everything was now online, we started using social media to promote camp. On the first day that the flyer was launched, 8 persons registered. Two weeks later, just before camp was scheduled to start, we had 67 registrations. 17 persons registered the day after the official registration deadline, but we still had space so they kept on coming in. Even after camp started, new persons were added daily. The interesting thing is that the majority of those who registered had never been to an ISCF Camp before. As a matter of fact, most of our 'die hard' seasoned ISCF campers wanted no part in an online version of camp. They knew what their camp experience was like, and there was no way an electronic version would be an acceptable substitute.

Since we could not play conventional camp games we had
to get creative

The first 5 minutes of camp were the hardest. The counselors were nervous as we had no idea what to expect. The campers were shy as this was the first time they were meeting each other. But once we started interacting with them, they warmed up and started talking. We actually got to the stage where they were all talking at the same time - it was at this point that we appreciated the beauty of the 'Mute' button! We introduced the counselors, shared the theme and the memory verse for the day, then handed over to our camp speaker, who was phenomenal! Kosi 'Cosy Bear' Graham really has a gift for Children's Ministry. Using a combination of storytelling, puppets and object lessons, he brought the scripture passage to life in a way that was engaging for all our primary campers - from the 3 year old to the 11 year old.

Showing how the Holy Spirit empowers us to live a godly life

One of the highlights of our online camp was the time the campers spent in break out rooms in their dorms. Like in traditional camping, we placed the campers in dorms headed by counselors with others in their age groups. After the chapel sessions, the counselors were able to use this time to reinforce the message, answer any questions the campers had, hear from the campers their thoughts about the message, and pray with them. For many of the campers, this was one of the few opportunities they had to interact with the peers since school was closed four months ago. It was hard for them to stop talking. In one of the sessions, we allowed the campers to share about issues they were facing, and how they were feeling about the changes brought about by the pandemic, and offered them encouragement from the Word of God. We are really grateful for the opportunity we had to speak truth into the lives of these campers.

We even had campers all the way from Barbados!

One unexpected benefit of having camp online was the level of parental involvement in the program. Normally when children go to camp, the parents pack their bags and send them off. With the younger campers, parents were in the room with them, listening to the message with them. They helped them when they had to do the Scavenger Hunt. They assisted in making their hats for the fancy hat challenge. One parent messaged me excitedly after sending a video of her 6 year old son saying his memory verse - it was the first time he had learnt a memory verse in his life, and she was so proud of him. Some of them messaged afterwards saying that they thoroughly enjoyed camp, even though they were adults!

One of the winners in our "Fancy Hat Challenge"

One of the reasons why I have remained active in the camping ministry for the past 25 years is because I have seen first hand the transformation that happens with a camper between the first and the last day of camp. It is amazing to see how children who were shy and withdrawn initially start to open up as they begin to socialize with the other campers and counselors. We were not sure how this would translate in our online camp, because physical interaction plays a huge role in this process, so we were very encouraged to get this message from the aunt of one of our primary campers:

"My nephew is enjoying the camp. Initially he was a bit apprehensive, didn't want his camera on, however, yesterday he REMINDED me that he had a session. Also yesterday, I heard him singing along loudly during what I guessed was song time (he is by nature a very quiet child, so this is noteworthy) Today, half an hour before the session, he put the IPAD to 'charge' even though it's capacity was more than 50%; he wanted to ensure the battery didn't die. Already, he is looking forward to 'baking' tomorrow. You guys are making an impact, I am sure of it."

One of the pieces created by a Primary camper,
depicting a Memory Verse - John 15:5

In brainstorming ideas for our online camp, one of our committee members who usually serves in the kitchen had a novel suggestion - that we should have a cooking segment! She found a simple recipe for cookies with basic ingredients, which we sent to all the parents so they could prepare in advance. The campers could not wait for this session, which was held on the second to last day of camp. The response was so fantastic that we are thinking of integrating it into our program when we go back to camping in person :)

So proud of their creations!

In the weeks leading up to camp, I was telling one of my prayer supporters that we needed a lot of prayer because we had no clue what we were doing. She assured me that it would all work out. I told her that when it did, God would get all the glory, because we didn't know in advance what would work, or how the campers would respond. Looking back at our inaugural week of camp I can truly say, "To God be the glory, great things He has done!" He brought us through the uncertainty, the challenges of dropped internet connections, and the awkwardness that comes from meeting persons for the first time online. On the day after our camp ended, one camper was insistent on logging in to the zoom call, even though her parent told her there was none. Such was the impact of ISCF Primary Camp 2020 - the online experience! We trust God that the seeds of His Word which were planted would take root and grow and bring forth much fruit in due season.