In the wilderness...

Last weekend we as a team went out to a survival bush camp - christian camp. I have to admit - it was tougher than I expected. I never did any of such camps before so I thought we are going to live on some kind of a farm, hike for about 5-6 miles a day and shower and sleep in cute chalets at night! HAHAHA!!!

Nothing could be further from the truth..... The place we came to was a patch of grass between the Worcester mountains and a man-made dam on someone's vineyards. The scenery of course was breath-taking - Cape Town it is :) But we had literally NOTHING with us. Before we arrived we received item lists where everything that we could take along was mentioned. Not even soap and toothpaste and toilet paper were there!!! We had to put up tents and sleep in the open with 5-6 people in one tent. We had to be very careful with our food, because we were each given a very limited supply for those few days. And there was a lot of pressure on us from the side of our camp leaders.

We also did a lot of team activities which really brought us close together as a future outreach team! It is amazing what qualities and character traits a person displays when under pressure and stress, hunger and heat! I did not know I could be so careful and rational and serious. Sometimes I was impatient and angry too, wishing I could break those people's necks because of what they say and do!!! But God was merciful enough to show me my mistakes and to prevent me from acting out on my emotions. I could also see how many of my other friends struggle with their own flesh and restrain themselves to do their best for the team. We had to die not just daily, but literally every minute!!

We also had amazing leadership there! The discipline was excellent and order was maintained throughout the camp. Each one was given a whistle to blow in case of emergency. Some people thought of it as a joke, and blew it for the sake of fun. They had to do 200 sit-ups!! Ouch!! I was once 2 minutes late for a meeting and had to do 20 sit-ups - that hurts!! But overall they were really nice people. They did not keep distance from us because of their authority position, but actually joined our teams and became team members - party to observe and evaluate our group work, but also to be closer to us and to make us feel safer and cared for. At least that's how I felt - I felt that I was never alone and that our leadership really cares for us.

This camp was really a great blessing. It challenged me in many ways, taking me out of my comfort zone here on the missionary base and making me dependent on other people for success. I never worked in a team before and this was a very good experience for me. I loved this camp and I would recommend anyone, regardless of their age of background, to do a survival camp like this! It will change your life forever, as it did change mine! :-D