Champfleuri 2010: The Close

As Champfleuri ended, I found myself walking around camp with the rest of the Americans, feeling a sense of emptiness with the lack of French campers around. My time at Champfleuri incorporated so many teenagers, all with different backgrounds, experiences, and spiritual paths. However, one of the campers that I connected most with toward the end of camp was M. She and I had talked at meals a few times, but it had never been on a very deep level. However, we both were on the same hike during camp, and had a long time to talk about interests in music and movies, a typical day at school, what we hoped to study in the future to make a career out of, and many other engaging topics. It was the first opportunity I had during camp to truly spend an extended period of time to see into another individual's heart, and it was a humbling moment for me. Despite the fact that she attends a church, I was unable to discern whether she truly accepted Christ into her heart. With the activities that the campers engage in during a typical day at Champfleuri, it's difficult to find time for those moments, and our talking while on the hike gave me the opportunity to speak to her on a deeper level after the nightly talk. I asked her what she had felt about the talk and if or how it had affected her. We talked about how God affects everyday life, and how important it is to allow God to take control and trust in the path laid out before us. While it's not important that I was able to take away knowledge of how our discussion may have either strengthened her relationship with Christ or led her to questioning about the importance of a relationship with Him, I prayed and continued to pray that our talk and friendship will have furthered her walk with Christ.
One of the things I learned at Champfleuri and had the privilege to observe was the power and infectious nature of intentionality. As myself and the other Americans strived throughout the 12 days of camp to reach out to the French campers and show Christ to them through our actions more so than our words, it became apparent that others picked up on it. One instance in particular involved A. from a clique of "tough" kids that all hung out together during camp and made approaching the group difficult. As the days flew by, many of us noticed that he made the effort to leave his friends and comfort zone to try and meet new people and forge new relationships, much like we were. After I saw this, I was further encouraged to continue in my intentional service at camp. If a camper without the background and preparation we had undergone before coming to Champfleuri could make the effort, then how much harder should I as a Christian strive to glorify God through my actions in being an intentional camper? My experiences at Champfleuri were a pivotal moment in my walk with Christ and can only hope that the GVPC youth group continues their ministry with Champfleuri--being youth evangelists for the glory of God.

Chris Yake