It was hot, dry, and we encountered a bit of a tense situation, but the feeling of camraderie and the presence of the Holy Spirit outshines the memory of the heat to make this one of the most unforgettable Labor Day camp retreats we have had. From the start, people were joined together in the mere task of setting up the tents. It still never ceases to surprise me when the face of the some unknown individual jumps in to help me out. As the weekend goes on, it is obvious to note the usual joint efforts of dishwashing, cooking, and trash pick-up, but how could anybody miss the bond that develops in the large circle of youth from various churches as they gather late in the night for the sole purpose of Mafia? And the ingenuity of Minh Lu’s organization andset-up of the giant scavenger hunt can most definitely be considered the highlight that picked up the momentum and bolstered the feeling of teamwork. The required the cooperation of the English and Vietnamese speakers to decode clues, sprinting hill and dale to each station, tying ants to a strand of hair, group jump rope, team limbo, and a grand finale water balloon fight are only a glimpse of the experiences each team faced together. As if a day could not be any more filled with activity, that same night was the talent show. From Portland’s entertainingly, creative “service”-theme oriented skit, to the melodious songs of San Jose and San Diego, to El Monte’s intricately choreographed dances, to Houston’s Anh Trung’s poignant poems, and to the hilarious skit of Tam Cam performed by this year’s newcomers had me standing on my feet just so I would not miss anything. How do you top the feeling of coming closer to the brothers and sisters of our church family? By feeling the embrace that comes from the heavenly Father when He opens His arms to welcome new members to the church family. The presence of the Holy Spirit was unmistakable. If you missed it in Jimmy Hoang’s delivered testimonial which helped confirm a man’s decision into ministry, then you had to have felt the passion of the Holy Spirit that touched hearts as Pastor Nguyen Khac Vinh preached and prayed that Sunday for the baptisms. My heart was elated for Kristi, Thanh, Tracy, Dao, and Ba Chau as they stood in front of the congregations to announce their decisions, and it was not too long before I joined the group of people whose eyes teared in the wind that breezed through the trees that afternoon. I will admit that these did not run as well as we idealized, but we are all trying and more than willing to smooth out those kinks. And with all the potential the camp have seen and offered, we are all enticipating next year up comming church camp retreart.
Jessica Trinh
