MYF CAMP 2017
This year, the Taiping Wesley Methodist
Youth Fellowship Annual Camp was held in Seagull Resort, Pangkor Island with a
total of 27 campers. Out of the 27 campers, 17 of them were MYFers from the English
congregation, seven of them were MYFers from the BM congregation, three were
guests, two were our counsellors and one was our speaker. Our journey started from
the old Changkat Jering – Sri Manjung Road which lasted for about two hours.
During the journey we caught a glimpse of the Manjung River, which was
incredibly huge as it was able to allow large cargo ships and fishing boats to
pass through. We made our way to Sitiawan, and finally Lumut where we waited
for the ferry. The ride on the ferry was quite smooth and fast as it cut
through the water like a hot knife through butter. After we reached Pangkor
Island, we boarded some taxis and headed to Seagull Resort, checked in and
hence our camp began.
The speaker of the camp was a thirty-two year old senior youth by the name of Chin Fung Hao from Wesley Methodist Church, Ipoh. Our theme was a simple one yet it struck a chord in our hearts and left us pondering about the depths of our faith. It was ‘Growing in Christ’, the basics of a God-fearing Christian youth. In our first session, Fung Hao started with the topic ‘A Relationship with God’, that is how we start a relationship with God and how do we continue to build that relationship followed by what should our relationship be based on. A relationship starts with an introduction between two individuals, and is built on constant communication and must be based on a solid foundation. As God is our heavenly father, he breathed the breath of life onto us; it is our duty to know who God really is as introduced in the bible, the word of God. From then onwards, we communicate with him, through prayer, meditation and worship. We learned to be a person after God’s heart, as David was from the days of his youth towards his days as king of Israel till his deathbed. The foundation of our relationship with God must be based on love, for it is written in John 3:16 that ‘For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life’. We love God because God loved us first. The biggest sacrifice for someone is one’s own life, and that is how God loves us, through the sacrifice of his only begotten son Jesus Christ. Despite all he has done for us, we tend to take it for granted so we must change this behaviour by willing to give up something that is almost as precious as life, which is time. Time spent with God will allow us to get closer with him, to let him speak to you and guide you through the work of the Holy Spirit. This is just a summary of what Fung Hao had to share for us.
The speaker of the camp was a thirty-two year old senior youth by the name of Chin Fung Hao from Wesley Methodist Church, Ipoh. Our theme was a simple one yet it struck a chord in our hearts and left us pondering about the depths of our faith. It was ‘Growing in Christ’, the basics of a God-fearing Christian youth. In our first session, Fung Hao started with the topic ‘A Relationship with God’, that is how we start a relationship with God and how do we continue to build that relationship followed by what should our relationship be based on. A relationship starts with an introduction between two individuals, and is built on constant communication and must be based on a solid foundation. As God is our heavenly father, he breathed the breath of life onto us; it is our duty to know who God really is as introduced in the bible, the word of God. From then onwards, we communicate with him, through prayer, meditation and worship. We learned to be a person after God’s heart, as David was from the days of his youth towards his days as king of Israel till his deathbed. The foundation of our relationship with God must be based on love, for it is written in John 3:16 that ‘For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life’. We love God because God loved us first. The biggest sacrifice for someone is one’s own life, and that is how God loves us, through the sacrifice of his only begotten son Jesus Christ. Despite all he has done for us, we tend to take it for granted so we must change this behaviour by willing to give up something that is almost as precious as life, which is time. Time spent with God will allow us to get closer with him, to let him speak to you and guide you through the work of the Holy Spirit. This is just a summary of what Fung Hao had to share for us.
The second day, Fung Hao shared about the importance of prayer as a prerequisite of a Christian’s daily life. Prayer is essential. It is more than just asking for what we want from God. It can be merely talking to God, just as how a child talks to his father, we are talking to our father in heaven when we pray. For example, a prayer of thanksgiving describes how we converse with God by thanking him for the blessings through his grace and mercy. With regards to thanksgiving, Fung Hao shared a short testimony when he was struggling during his last year in university whereby he thanked God for giving him the perseverance to study and pass his final examinations despite this being his third attempt. Thanking the Lord in our prayers shows a two-way communication with God as we show the appreciation we have for him and that he speaks to us as he continues to shower his love upon us in his perfect plans. Another common prayer we say is the prayer of praise which shows our recognition and acknowledgment of the greatness and wonders of the living God, often times said through hymns and songs. David, who wrote most of the psalms, described God’s wonders in the most profound ways, calling our Lord as the Rock from whom we take refuge for he is our fortress and deliverer (Psalm 18). He also praises God for his mighty powers as he could shake mountains, cast lightning and expose the valleys of the sea. This praise that we shout is a reminder in our prayers that only God Almighty can do such great things. However, David also warned us in Psalm 17:1 that our prayers must be honest because they cannot come from deceitful lips so that God will give ear to our righteous plea. We must not lie in our prayers, and we must fully trust in God. We must be in full honesty and humbleness (Matthew 23:12) when we pray because blessed are the meek (Matthew 5:5) and poor in spirit (Matthew 5:3). Matthew 7:7 states that by asking for God what we want, he will give it to us so this shows that prayer helps to grant us the desires our heart provided we follow God’s instructions (Psalm 37:4) and it is according to his will (Psalm 138:8).
On the third day, we learned about the anointing of God. As written in the first book of Samuel, the anointing of David as the second king of Israel did not start from a bed of roses. The story of a shepherd boy turned soldier and eventually turned king certainly inspired the hearts of us youths. David’s ascension to the throne had taught us that even though we may not be in a highly respected position, we still have a chance to shine in accordance to God’s plan. When we think about the anointing of God, often times many of us can’t be sure of what it is exactly. Usually, we look for signs of what his anointing really is, normally when we are in desperate need for God’s help. This however, contrasts what the bible taught us in matters of our faith, as it is written that faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see (Hebrews 11:1). So, from a strong faith we are able to trust in God more, and understand his anointing better. God has anointed us for different purposes though we may not understand or favour it, but we must bear in mind that the plans in his anointing are to prosper us and not to harm us (Jeremiah 29:11). We should know that whatever challenges we may face are to test our faith and thoughts, so that we will learn to rely on his strength to bring ourselves closer to his anointing and not be led astray. David set a great example during his battle with Goliath as he showed that he relied in God’s strength and not his own when he said “it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s and he will give all of you into our hands,” (1 Samuel 17:47). Towards the end of this session, Fung Hao shared a song of Psalm 23. We hope to learn it and sing it more often in church.
As for our fun-filled activities throughout the camp, all the campers had the time of their lives! Uncle Terence had organised the ‘Amazing Race’ across Pangkor Island which tested our endurance to the maximum. We had to write down answers to the set of questionnaires while following the map. Questions such as the name of the person who launched the Jetty Terminal, the number of stamps required to mail a letter and taxi fares were asked. The longest journey was from the town to the Dutch Fort. After that, we continued our journey to a beach located across a jungle trek. This beach was rather clean and free from resorts which would explain the high population of jellyfish larvae. Many of us who took a dip in the sea experienced minor stinging sensations and itchiness due to those jellyfish larvae. Thank God no one had any allergies to the stings. Other games were fun too. Our game master Joshua Eudes, was brilliant in organising each game. The best game was the one that involved collecting balloons floating on the sea and bursting them at the shore. The other two games were balancing a basin of water with our feet, and catching water balloons. Although, there were some who were injured and got sick. First aider Wong Meng Yew was always busy dispensing medicine, plasters and treating cramps. For our praise and worship enablers, we had an ever so committed team of musicians. They were Jason, Joshua, Meng Yew, Huey Anne on guitars, Ruth on ukulele, and Sarah on keyboards. All of them played wonderfully to glory the name of our Lord.
Overall, I thank God for this awesome experience. Indeed, MYF Camp is a time to bond with each other and to participate as a community in Christ’s name. Even though many of us seniors will depart from Taiping in the time to come, I truly hope that we will never forget this camp and all the memories in MYF. To the next batch of youths, I highly recommend you guys to join the MYF Camp next year. You guys will learn the meaning of remembering your Creator in the days of your youth (Ecclesiastes 12:1).
Manjung River seen from the bridge.
The ferry that took us to Pangkor Island.
The chapel in the resort where we had our bible sessions.
Two lassies and a lad.
Green Group
Family in Christ.
