Landmark achievement - through both trials and joys, Shalom camp is back on our program! Friday supper was served in the wee hours of Saturday morning – prepared by only the finest and most daring chefs UCSF has yet known (Kinah is of special mention). We owe this supper-breakfast (which I will refer to here as superb) to logistical challenges in transport arrangements (we miss the old red van, and the high powered VW kombi); though not something that could significantly dampen the traditional camp fever. In typical UCSF fashion, our camp can be said to have begun somewhere along the way to Shalom, with much jubilant song and drumming.It is Saturday morning, just after superb, and things are already underway. Under the careful and humorous instruction of our camp master (Size Eliah) and mistress (Yvette Chahwanda), we are introduced yet again to the camp theme “Serving Christ” and what remains of the Camp program. In three balanced groups, we retired for the morning, to rise again to a bright and hot Saturday. The breakfast team was already at work in the kitchen and so was every other group settling for their devotionals. Our morning devotions were centered on the 8th Chapter of Romans, covering the first four verses on Saturday morning, and stretching from there-on to verses 11 on the morning of Sunday. This was strategic for the group which has been looking at the book of Romans already in its weekly Friday bible studies. Gathering from the feedback, the devotionals were a life-changing encounter with the word of God.
After breakfast, Lennon served us with our first camp Talk on Salvation, which sought to expose the biblical fundamentals of “being saved” - as an act of grace, and a response in faith to the work of Christ. Similarly, Simbarashe presented the second talk after lunch which focused on Baptism as an essential component of the individual's relationship with Christ and with the community of faith – the church. As an integral part of the camp's theme, and building from the previous talks, Willard made a follow-through with a talk on Spiritual Gifts touching on areas such as their nature, source, and their use in the context of Church. This led to Amos' final Talk on Sunday morning which gave an exposition of the subject of Love as seen in the Scriptures: how it is to be understood, experienced and lived out. These were complemented by discussions on particular questions which arose from the talks and followed by moments of prayer.The music team, lead by Barbara and Simbarashe, were exceptional in ushering the group in song before and after the talks. Songs relevant to the camp theme of Serving Christ were selected and complemented the teaching ministries.
Our activities were emphasized by an energetic Samantha who led the portion of “games and activities” on the program. In our groups, we were challenged to a “sweet and sweat” inducing game of chair-ball, followed by something very akin to beach volley-ball. Indoor mini soccer was also a highlight of the activities. Shalom is indeed a breathtaking playground with an assortment of outdoor activities. Of mention is the fooffy-slide
and water-slide some 300m from the base. Our team of happy-campers had their share of this too. Saturday evening would not have been worthwhile had the traditional bonfire been missed. Despite being a late night activity, it registered a hundred percent attendance rate, and gave all an opportunity to reveal the camp-long 'game' of Angels and Mortals, a 'game' which is meant to foster relationships with the view of discipleship. The fire burned till Sunday morning, with shrills of giggles and laughter punctuating discussions and games alike. Come Sunday, what was meant to be a tour of the dam turned out to be a splashing and water-dipping activity that sealed the Sunday program on activities. The stand out feature of Shalom campsite - a massive granite kopje (hill) that rears brooding over the campsite was the venue of our last camp talk. There, on top of the kopje is a stone altar with a bronze plaque inserted, bearing the words “I will lift up my eyes unto the hills from whence cometh my strength” (Psalm 121:1). As Andrew Grant put; “Surely there would be fewer more spectacular scenes for these words to grace.”
All in all, in the words of our camp master - the program was a compact-sized one, which was wide enough to cover a broad spectrum and yet pin-point the various areas of people's lives that needed confronting and ministering to by the Word. Indeed this is one camp we will never ever... Well executed guys!
By S. Manyureni (See the photo gallery for more pics)
