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CAMP REPORT
Read our 2024 camp report!
The two volunteer training sessions were an integral part of the preparation for the summer camp, one of which we held during the spring break and the other right before the first week of the camp. A total of 147 young people took part in these.
In addition to community building, the main task of these trainers is to help and prepare young people for the tasks that await them, be it physical background work or room management. Volunteers are typically high school students or college-aged adults, many of whom have been returning to us for several years. For them, the training is a great opportunity to be with their friends again, and this year it was especially important for them to see what the new camp management is like.
We are grateful for our volunteers who stood tall during the summer. During the 7 camp weeks, a total of 183 Hungarian youth, 31 Hungarian adults and 89 foreign volunteers helped our summer camp. Some of our Hungarian volunteers participated in physical background work (dining room, kitchen, cleaning), while another part managed the campers' rooms. There were interpreters and coaches, and we selected some of the more experienced ones for middle management tasks.
Our foreign, typically American, volunteers helped us in language teaching, sports, crafts, choir, and acting sessions. In addition to direct financial support, our foreign volunteers also pleased us by purchasing and bringing a huge amount of tools that the camp needed.
Thank God for the campers who came to us in good numbers this year as well. We had a total of 866 campers in the summer camp.
Due to the events taking place in the world (war, increased inflation, uncertainty), fewer and fewer people can afford to send their children to a boarding camp. Trusting in God's providence, we hoped that we would not have to reject a single grant application this year either. The Lord was faithful even now and prompted so many people to pay into the Word of Life camp scholarship fund. We gave all the money we received here in the form of grants to our campers. This year, we were able to provide various kinds of discount to 735 families from the collected grants. Full scholarships were given to the most needy campers, which 46 people took advantage of. The value of all discounts/scholarships issued is 56,830 USD.
The 2024 camp was rich in novelties, as our new camp leader István Takáts (Tyupi) led the camp for the first time. Some of our young volunteers were given the opportunity to lead the programs, thus ensuring freshness and momentum.
There were also innovations in the education, since each year the arts and crafts classes were booked first, we offered them for several weeks. In addition to our sports activities (soccer, volleyball, basketball, baseball), we tried Ultimate-Frisbee, and you could also sign up for choir, drama practice, English and German classes.
In the camp, we strove to promote the spiritual development of already Christian children and young people in the morning Bible lessons, while in the evenings we explained the gospel and made a call, during which 121 of our campers gave their lives to Jesus. Many dedicated themselves to following Christ, which they later reported with joy to their peers. On our occasions, an ice-breaker game, a puppet show for the younger ones, and skits for the older ones added color to the meetings in addition to the worship.
Testimonies
"I made more and more friends. This is the place where you can get closer to God. "
– Balázs, 14
"Bible classes, meetings and big games are what I liked best. I came back to the camp for the fourth time, I converted for the second time, and since then I believe that Jesus died on the cross for me."
– Balázs, 13 years old
"I came to the camp for the third time, and although my parents attend church regularly, I always hear something new about Jesus. The first year I came alone, the second year I managed to invite three friends, and this year we returned with four friends. I hope I can bring new friends to the camp next year as well."
– Benjámin, 9
"I came to the camp at the request of my friends after their great experiences. What makes this camp good is the sports, the quiet rest, where you can talk to people, and because there are decent people here. Unfortunately, my parents could not afford to pay the camp fee, but thanks to the 80% scholarship, I was also able to come."
– Tibor, 12
"I'm here for the seventh time, I really, really like it. The company and the programs are good, and you can't compare this with other camps. Here we are surrounded by Christians and it is a very special feeling. I also converted here 4 years ago. What I take with me is an interesting thought that was said during one of the morning Bible classes, that I know I'm beautiful because other people tell me. But if someone says bad things about us, we believe them too. We form the image of ourselves based on people's opinions. I was created for love, and I need feedback, but in my opinion, it is God who says that he loves me and that I am his that matters most."
– Lili, 14
“The thought that stuck with me the most is that God's love is not like I love you because... or I love you if... but more like I love you, period."
– Gellért, 13
"Currently, I play a leadership role, I am the leader of the joker room, but in the summer I was also the room leader for children, now I help where needed. This is the 3rd week that I've been here and it takes a lot of strength, you get tired quickly, but it's great! Above all, the love that surrounds us volunteers and children here is fantastic. It is very, very wonderful to see God's work, how faith is formed in the children, how we can be a tool, participate in it all. Anyone who comes here as a volunteer can gain new experience in many areas, they can learn so much from other people, especially about God, all in a community that they would never find in the world. Acceptance: everyone finds their own little community. That is why I want to come to Bible school, to deepen my relationship with God and to learn more about the Bible. Every year, when I come back as a leader, I get questions from the children that are very, very deep theological questions, and there are similar situations in youth ministry too. I want to know the answers and answer them based on the Bible.”
– Anna, 20, volunteer
"The teachings are really aimed at young people, so we can easily understand them. The skits are also presented in such a way that it is easy to understand and really speaks to our hearts. We just want to come back.”
– Alexandra, 14
"I go to a secular school. It's not that common for me to be surrounded by Christian people who don't hide their faith and it shows that they follow Christ. I was really impressed by the fact that I can be who I am here and I don't have to hide any part of my life."
– Flóra, 15
Other years' reports
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