We annually conduct a youth camp for the young people (age 17 and above) so as to nourish their spiritual life and fellowship between different regions. This time we had about 170 participants who attended the camp at Kampong Saom (Sihanoukville), which is near the seaside. Youth camp here is similar to that in Hong Kong where guest speakers were invited to lead seminars and workshops about particular subjects that the preparatory committee had decided on. The theme this time is 'Happiness is .....' . Throughout the camp, I could see God really blessing the young Cambodians. In Hong Kong, we have lots of resources and sometimes we don' t put much effort into creativity. However here I could see the young people are gifted to make use of limited resources to make the camp a success, even though it still had some problems and difficulties. I thank God especially that He cared for me in every way during the camp:

Strength to drive

It took more than 4 hours to arrive at the destination, and I was responsible to take the musical instruments from the Prek Thei village, along with 5 young people. Before the trip, the car already had some engine overheating problems. I was a bit worried, as it would be very difficult to fix along the way if any problems arose. God is good in that He prepared my landlord' s brother-in-law to help just the night before I went. The trip was smooth, even though the engine still had problems and got worse. Finally, I had to take it to a garage for repairs, but I had to get it back on the same day (it was almost 2:30 before I found a garage). However, God is kind in that He let me find a competent mechanic who could fix it in 3 hours time, and I could continue with the return trip properly. Even though it was quite frustrating because it took lots of time to ensure that the car was normal, I could experience that God is trustworthy to protect us throughout the whole trip.

The first time to preach in Khmer

I was responsible to preach for the last day' s devotional time and I only had about 20 minutes. Therefore, I decided to speak in Khmer instead of needing a translator. Actually, it was really a big challenge to me to speak in Khmer in front of 170 Cambodians, especially since the Bible language in Khmer is different from that of daily life. It also took me 10 times as long to prepare as compared with an English sermon; lots of writing, reading and editing was necessary to ensure they could understand the content. That morning, the program started 15 minutes late and it made me more nervous. When I preached, they were so quiet and attentive with their eyes wide open. They tried very hard to understand the message via my 'confusing' pronunciation. Anyway, it' s a good start and may God grant me patience and wisdom to improve in the days to come.

A time to learn and a time to have fun

I saw the young people were very excited to attend the camp and they are very serious in learning about the Bible and principles of Christian living. They also were totally immersed in the worship times and the fun times at the beach (some may never have seen the sea before). I could feel the balance and a healthy attitude both in learning and having fun. I think the summer camp of Hong Kong FMC may need to add more lively activities in addition to spiritual nourishment.

The faithful and hardworking cooks

We asked 5 of our members to help in catering our meals. Actually, it was extremely tough work because they just used firewood and simple utensils to prepare meals for 170 people. Despite the hot weather (+40C), they needed to go a long ways to buy stuff at the market, prepare food outside, and ensure everyone was well fed while staying within our very strict budget. All the participants enjoyed the delicious food and appreciated the hardworking of the helpers. Thank God that He prepared His 'angels' for our camp.

Prayer points

• May God continue to guide the young people to become the leaders of the church in the future
• There were many young people who could not join the camp because of financial restrictions and physical distance from the venue. May God grant us the wisdom how to plan in the future
• Pray for preparations to construct the covered playground at the Phnom Penh Thmei property in order to facilitate the activities for outreach
• May I be more diligent in studying Khmer