REPORT EB 2009 (dječji kamp MBG- kids camp MBG)

I ove smo godine imali priliku poslužiti djeci koja dolaze iz obitelji korisnika organizacije Misija bez granica. Za punovremeni tim i voditelje je ovaj kamp bila “milja dalje” u svakom smislu. Ovaj kamp je uslijedio odmah nakon dječjeg kampa ecbih tako da smo ponavljali program, ali sa malo više djece a manje vođa.

Imali smo 67 djece koja su došla iz Livna, Mostara i okolnih mjesta. Skoro sva su došla iz obitelji koje su u potrebi, tako da je priča sa svakim pojedinim djetetom otkrivala očaj i beznađe u kojem se nalaze. Ovo je za njih bio poseban tjedan – tjedan u kojem su osjetili da netko brine za njih, po prvi puta čuli da su posebni i da Bog želi da bude njihov prijatelj.

Tema kampa je bila prijateljstvo i kroz svaki dan smo učili kako Isus naš najbolji prijatelj nas prihvata, voli, daje nam darove, brine za nas i dijeli s nama. Stih kampa je bio iz Ivan 15:13 - “nitko nema veće ljubavi od ove, položiti život za prijatelje svoje”.Vjerujem da će stvari koje su čuli i doživjeli na ovom kampu biti svjetlo utočište i snaga da mogu izdržati godinu. Kad smo imali poziv mnoga su izašla naprijed da pozovu Isusa u svoje srce i osjetili su Božji dodir. Bog nam je bio vjeran na svaki način. Nije bilo nesreća, nismo imali problema sa bolestima ni prokislim šatorima usprkos ne tako lijepom vremenu.

Dosta djece nije znalo plivati, za neke je ovo bio prvi put da imaju priliku i pokušati. Sretni smo da se osmero vratilo kući kao plivači ali i za one koji su se opustili u vodi i dobili želju da uče plivati.

Večernji program se sastojao od životne priče koja je povezana sa temom dana tako da su djeca mogla čuti svjedočanstva volontera o tome kako su doživjeli da ih Isus, najbolji prijatelj voli, prihvata, brine za njih i daje. Tri večeri smo imali i talent show – kamp traži zvijezdu, u kojem su djeca mogla da pokažu svoje talente. Bilo je tu dobre glume, komedije, pjesama i plesa – na kraju je odlukom publike (tj. kampera) titulu zvijezde kampa odnio šestogodišnji Haris.

Kad se osvrnem unatrag, iako je ovo vrijeme kampa bilo zahtjevno i ponekad teško, pogotovo za punovremeni tim koji su uz sve obaveze održavanja kampa preuzeli dvadesetčetverosatnu brigu za djecu, zahvalna sam Bogu da imamo priliku da u našoj Dolini blagoslova služimo ‘najmanjima’ (ne samo po godinama) u našoj zemlji. Velika je privilegija predati Njegovu ljubav ovoj odbačenoj, siromašnoj i nevoljenoj djeci, te sam zahvalna sam Bogu da je baš nas odlučio upotrijebiti.

ENGLISH

Again this year we had the opportunity to minister to children who come from families served by the organization Missions Without Borders. The long-term team and leaders for this camp went the extra mile in every sense of the word. This camp followed immediately after the kid’s camp for the Evangelical Church of Bosnia and Herzegovina. We repeated the same program only with a few more kids and less leaders.

We had 67 kids who came from Livno, Mostar and surrounding areas. Almost all of them came from needy families, so the stories from each child revealed the despair and hopelessness in which they find themselves. This was for them a special week, a week where they could feel that someone cares for them. Many for the first time heard that they are special and that God wants to be their friend.

The theme of the camp was friendship and throughout everyday we learned how Jesus our best friend accepts and loves us, gives us gifts, cares for us and shares with us. The Bible verse for camp was John 15:13 “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” I believe that the things they heard and experienced at this camp will be a bright sanctuary and strength that they can draw on throughout the year. When we gave the call for prayer many came forth to ask Jesus into their hearts and they felt God’s touch. God was faithful to us in every way. There were no accidents and we didn’t have any problems with sickness, nor leaky tents in the midst of less than good weather.

A lot of kids didn’t know how to swim, and for some this was the first time they had an opportunity to try to learn. We are happy because eight kids returned home as swimmers as well as for those who loosened up in the water and now have a desire to learn to swim.

The evening program consisted of life stories connected to the theme of the day, so the children could hear the volunteer’s testimonies of how they experienced that Jesus, their best friend, loves, accepts, cares for them and gives. Three evenings we had a talent show, Camp is Looking for a Star, where kids could show off their talents. There was good acting, comedy, singing and dancing and in the end by vote of the public (campers) six-year old Haris took the title of Camp Star.

Even though this time at camp was demanding and sometimes hard, especially for the long-term team, which along with all their responsibilities of maintaining the camp took on the 24-hour care of these kids, when look back I am grateful to God that we had the opportunity in our Valley of Blessings to serve the “least of these” (not only according to age) in our country. It is a great privilege to give His love to these rejected, poor and unloved children, and I’m also grateful to God that He chose to use us.