THEY came in droves, from far and near. They stomped, clapped, cheered, marched around the hall and had a great time. They were the 457 participants of the very first National Youth Missions Camp organised by NECF Malaysia held in end-November.
The camp was evident that young people in Malaysia today are answering the call to reach their own generation, whether they be 12-year-olds curious about missions, 18-year-olds contemplating going into the missions field or 25-year-old youth workers leading their youth group into the missions frontier.
Each session started with dynamic and energetic worship sessions, led by talented and spirited youth worship teams - the Asian Youth Ambassadors (AYA) and the Agape singers from PJ Evangelical Free Church (PJEFC). The worship sessions were certainly among the camp’s highlights.
The campers, from 123 churches, some coming from as far as Kuching, were treated to a gala of mission-oriented programmes. Young people, who had been on medium-term mission trips, shared their testimonies and the bi-lingual Mandarin and English workshops and messages certainly exposed, challenged and encouraged the campers.
Lessons were gleaned from the lives of great, godly men - from Joseph and Jacob to William Carey and Eric Liddel. A bigger treat was to hear from the lips of three highly anointed men on what God is doing all around the world. Dr James Hudson Taylor, great-grandson of the legendary Hudson Taylor, is a living testament of how God’s faithfulness lasts through so many generations. From a young boy in China, once held in a Japanese concentration camp, he has continued his family’s legacy of missionary work in Asia and beyond. Many campers unfamiliar with James Taylor’s background were thoroughly astounded when he spoke impeccable Mandarin.
Pastor Chris Long was a great hit with the youths. Yet, through his humour and hilarious antics, his message on the vital role of young people in missions came through clearly.
Most of the campers responded to the various challenges thrown by the speakers by going forward for prayer. Missionary Ed Pousson gave the closing challenge by tracing how major missionary and evangelism movements
around the world today began by just one or two people who decided they wanted to make a difference.
True, the camp was fun-filled and totally cool, but the most exciting part of the camp is that this is just the beginning. From here, we will see the birth of a new generation of young missionaries who desire ‘to make the last command of our risen Lord their first concern.’ - Reported by camper Joanna Sze. |
