CCL's first Kid's Camp

Recently we were blessed to have a Kid’s Camp for the kids of Calvary Chapel Lakeside. We were excited to see that Pastor Stephen had a heart to minister to the children of CCL during their Holiday break and as it is common here to have a sort of kid’s camp or what many Americans might call a VBS, plans began to unfold in that direction. As time began to rush by we started talking about what it might look like and how it might run. Our great friends and fellow missionaries Steve and Dianne Warn who work with Agape are well seasoned in putting on camps for kids and have a passionate heart for the Lord and the Gospel. In working together it was our hope to put something together that would be a sort of model that CCL could use in the future. After a leadership meeting, choosing and planning curriculum, finding leaders and volunteers, prepping the craft, lessons and teachings and one last three and half hour meeting, the camp called, “Decide to be Different” began on a Thursday. We really didn’t know what to expect as far as numbers but had planned for around 60 children. Since many of the boys have gone home for the break, Agape graciously allowed us to use their grounds to hold the camp.
In true Kenyan fashion many children arrived late but the amazing part was we reached 60 children immediately and the number started climbing. We quickly started rearranging groups and finding other leaders to take groups. The number grew to 80 and then to 90 and by the end we had about 100 kids. There was a huge excitement as worship began and the kids sang with great enthusiasm. A memory verse was shared, puppets performed a skit which was led by Pastor Stephen and some of the older youth, and a great teaching was given. The children then broke into groups for different stations. There was a game station, a memory verse station where they played games to learn the verse for the day, a response to the teaching station and a craft station (which I, Peg, got to run). The children would line up and when the whistle blew they would march to their station singing the theme song that Matt wrote. Not only did the children love the song, they got points for how well they did their transitions, so needless to say the transitions went smoothly. Every station was visited by everyone and then we all gathered together to see what team won the most points for the day as well as who the “king” and “queen” were for the day. These children were honored for their good behavior by sitting in decorated chairs and having crowns put on their heads. They were also served lunch first sitting in their chairs.
For the craft, the Lord gave us the idea to use bottle caps that had been pounded out flat to make a necklace. The bottle cap represented themselves. The first day the memory verse was 1 Corinthians and we taught that being new creations in Christ means we are different than who we were before. This went along with the lesson of Daniel deciding to be different by purposing in his heart not to eat King Neb’s food and “contaminate” himself. (Daniel Chap.1) We emphasized that as new creations in Christ we needed to decide to be different from the world. This day the kids painted the bottle caps artistically symbolizing a new creation.
The second day the story was the “Fiery Furnace,” and the memory verse was Joshua 1:9. Each bottle cap had a hole in it at the top and we talked about how the hole represents the trials and difficult times in our lives. We reminded them that we are new creations when we are in Christ, but we are not without trials. We talked about the trial of Shadrack, Meshack, and Abednego going through the fiery furnace and how God was with them so they didn’t have to be afraid. The string of the necklace represented God and as we threaded the string through the necklace, we shared how just like God was with Shadrack, Meshack and Abednego in the fiery furnace and saw them through that trial, God will see us through our trials and hold us up just like the string holds up the bottle caps. Then we shared as we tied a knot in the string, how when we go through trials it brings us closer and tighter to God. The necklace was to be a reminder of what they had learned. This day the kid’s threaded the string through their bottle caps, tied the knot and then wrote the letters, D for decide, T for to, B for be, and D for different.
Something great happened the night before while Matt and I were in our kitchen preparing for the “string,” day. I discovered that the string, made mostly of plastic was not tying and staying tied. I began to get frustrated knowing the younger kids would never be able to get their necklaces tied. My amazing husband had an incredible idea. He showed me how the plastic would melt together when the knot went through a tiny bit of fire. Amazingly the knot became super strong after the melted part dried. I was thrilled with the idea and knew the kids would love the fire analogy, so after we demonstrated the tying of the knot, we put the knot through the flame of a candle. As we did it we talked about how when we go through fiery trials it brings us even closer and tighter with the Lord. When the kids finished their necklaces they each brought up their necklaces to be put through the fire. It was a fantastic object lesson.
For the third and final day, we didn’t have a craft but instead had adults spend time with the children and pray with them. The verse for the day was Hebrews 4:16 and we talked about how we can go to the throne room of grace with confidence and pray anytime and anywhere. For the rest of the time adults talked and prayed with the children in small groups. It was during this time that many children gave their life to the Lord. I had the privilege of leading one girl named Millicent to the Lord. She was an older girl and very emotional. She really wanted to be “saved” and seemed to understand what the Bible said. Please pray for her and that we would be able to reconnect with her as she came from across town and we weren’t able to get a contact for her.
It was so encouraging knowing that there were children who received the Lord as their Savior and were also hiding scripture in their heart during those three days. Something else that was a huge blessing was how we were really in the background and apart from running the stations and worship it was the Kenyans doing the camp. We also had several people come from church to volunteer which was very exciting. We truly praise God for a wonderful time and the lives that were saved and for His Word going forth. We trust it will not return void and thank Him that He allowed us to be a part of something so sweet.