California Youth Camp

By Becky Sha

The first day of the California churches Apostolic Faith Youth Camp, held this year from July 27-31, consisted of the ride to the camp and getting the feel of the site and the campers. The area was beautiful. People had said the camp was right on the lake, but when you are there, “on the lake” takes on a completely different meaning. It was breathtaking: high in the mountains amidst lots of trees. From the craft area we had a beautiful view of the lake and the boats in it. What a place to do crafts! The campers were so enthusiastic and enjoyed the crafts that Gale Wilson had prepared.  

The morning devotions were great! We had good lessons, and interesting question and answer times. Some of the questions were hard to answer, so I am  glad that we can breathe a quick prayer and God gives us wisdom. When you get close to the campers you find out that many of them have a lot to face in homes without Christian parents to encourage them. It is important to pray for these precious children who attend all of the Apostolic Faith youth camps.

The chapel services were wonderful. Reverend Mark Staller from Tehachapi was our mascot for the camp. He dressed up in a crazy old suit and wig and did activities each night that had us rolling in laughter. He was a sight to see!

The camp theme was based on game shows. One night was “Jeopardy” night and campers competed in answering questions about our cabin devotions. Another night a couple from Tehachapi played “Let’s Make a Deal.” The husband made a bad deal and went to Hell. His wife chose God and received eternal life. The lessons were comical, but we learned positive instruction from them.

God’s Spirit was present at the camp in a special way. We always say that, but it is always special because we pray and ask the Lord for his blessing. At one of the meetings I was privileged to pray with a little girl who was about eleven years old. She started crying before the service ended and said she wanted to get saved. Together we started praying and she got saved! What a special memory I will have forever! It was such a blessing and encouragement for me to pray with others. Many campers were saved, some sanctified, and others were filled with the baptism of the Holy Ghost. Some campers were praying for other campers. I cannot say enough about how precious our time at youth camp was. All the work and time spent preparing for this week was well worth it.