Mission FPC
So the camp is already part of history. Along with Hugo I was one of the main organisers. I am exremely grateful to Sandrine for getting involved in the organisation, to Manuela and Régis for preparing the meals and doing the cleaning, and to Rebekah for interpreting into English and looking after the American team.
Some meals were taken at the Sainte-Constance young workers’ hostel, where five of the team were also lodged, which helped to lighten the load of our kitchen team. The rest of our group was accommodated at the Metz Youth Hostel.
Hugo and Rebekah had only joined the church-planting team at Metz in March, so it was quite a challenge for Hudo and me to organise this first event together. I really appreciated working with him. The basis of our vision for team work is the motto: unity in diversity!
Five of the Americans were under 18, which meant Enzo et Eliphèle played an important role in intergrating them into the group of adults and enabling interaction with the local youth in playing pickleball, a sport recently introduced from the USA and becoming popular in France. One of our team was a champion in the States. We gave demonstrations and invited the local young people to join in. The rest of the team engaged in conversation with people out walking at the lake or in the parks. We also wanted to invite them to the three events planned during the camp: a picnic with my friends from the language café, an evening presentation of Nashville by the Americans and a Sunday lunch-time barbecue afer the celebration. We were glad to see several people coming along to these events.
We had to modify the original schedule several times to adapt to circumstances, such as the late arrival of the Americans on the Tuesday afternoon, a reduction in the number of activities to cope with jet lag and the older team members’ fatigue, as we noticed in he final days, and the Americans’ request for more free time which we had not planned for.
One aim of the camp was to enable the Americans to grasp the regions’s cultural context and the understand the relevance of a cultural apologetic for spreading the gospel. Judged by the testimonies of the participants this double goal was reached. This camp is so to speak the continuation of the training scheme Témoins à 100% (100% witnesses) which we also offer.
The camp was a demonstration of the beauty of he Church of Jesus Christ, who alone is able to gather people of different ages, cultures, sex, languages and countries of origin, and enable them to work together in harmony, love and unity. My thanks go to all participants who gave their time, their energy and their money. To the donors who made the camp at all possible and the prayer-partners who supported us in prayer. Above all thanks go to our Lord for His patience, His perseverance in changing our hearts, and His zeal for seeking out the lost sheep in a dispensation which is beyond us.
Mission FPC
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