IMU CF Camp 2008

A few months prior to the camp, I felt a strong revelation from God to dwell deeper in the subject of fellowship. It happened during our semester break, when I came across the Our Journey title- Self Focused Living. It was convicting, the voice that kept me going towards that direction, that's telling me how important fellowship with my brothers and sisters in Christ is. Pondering in retrospect, I believe I should have asked God, why fellowship? Why is He asking this of me when there're so many other things in my life that I should improve? What's so great about fellowship anyway? I have always walked this journey with God alone. Do I really need anyone else to help me walk this path with my Lord? Isn't Christianity a personal relationship I share with God? Mostly true, but I took the whole definition out of context.

Come the commencement of Semester 4, our bible study group restarted. And I realised how important fellowship is. I didn't realise how much I relish the opportunity to hear opinions and that discussions play a vital role in our Christian walk . My relationship with God turned mundane over the period of time when I was in Ipoh, because I kept shrugging off the importance of fellowship. How wrong I was to think that I could build on a relationship with God without the help of others!

I signed myself up for the camp for a mere reason that is to reignite the fire I had for God during the entire process that led up to EoS 3. Our Christian walk is full of fire ignitions. It was for the same reason that I agreed with SL and PS to do this bible study together.

To be honest, the camp's theme had not any appeal on me. I knew only of one thing when I handed in the registration form, that I seriously need to devote one weekend to God, I needed to get back to the rhythm I was experiencing. What really captivated me was how passionate the camp speaker (Sister Annnette Arulrajah) was with her job. And then the whole circle of realisation about fellowship was completed. It wasn't just about the talks, it includes how perfectly well the camp was organized, and the rapturing sight of a few familiar faces responding to the altar call, and the games we played, and the fellowship I shared with my dorm mates and my group members.

The camp theme was Designed to Connect. Annette shared 4 messages in the camp:
1) redeeming relationship with self
2) redeeming relationship with family
3) redeeming relationship with God
4) redeeming grace

If a person is to redeem a relationship when it's completely broken, it's not late, but it would prove a daunting task. In life, there have got to be bits and pieces which we left on the ground that we try to ignore and at times, step on them to create a diversion, a shortcut, a safeguard to our already disturbed mind that they're still there. Broken pieces, broken hearts, can't be mended till they're dealt with no matter what the world tells u. Ignorance does not do the job, dealing does. And there isn't no better way to deal with them than with the helping hand that's always, constantly, 24/7, hovering over us. And that's exactly what God was trying to etch into my heart. I refuse to suffer from my transgressions and the hurt I've caused my loved ones, God and myself included. It's essential for us to open our minds, and with soft hearts, listen to what He has to tell us.

Which leads me to the talks by Annette. So ya, I'll copy the notes from the first talk by Annette into the next post. Hope they're as good as hearing her live :)