Ambassador Youth Camp 2009 – An Inside View!

After many months of anticipation and preparation, Ambassador Youth Camp 2009 is now more than 30 days behind us. All attendees heard in advance how “life-changing” this third year of camp would be. No doubt it surpassed all expectations—yet again! The experience and impact of two weeks in the deep woods of Raccoon Creek State Park—with others striving to live God’s way of life—can be described only as phenomenal!

Without the distraction of mobile phones, email and other interruptions from the outside world, both campers and staff alike had an abundance of fun participating in activities, learning new skills and overcoming fears. More important, everyone built new friendships and strengthened old ones with those of like mind.

For teens and young adults in God’s Church, the daily pressure to be accepted by peers in the world can be overwhelming beyond imagination. Staying committed to God’s Way in a society moving in a polar opposite direction is a big challenge—one made even more difficult by the isolation felt by many teens scattered across the globe who never meet on the Sabbath with anyone their age. In light of these circumstances, Ambassador Youth Camp 2009 was a crucial tool to unify and educate God’s youth!

Training Leaders

The theme of this year’s camp once again centered on training future leaders, and a variety of planned activities worked to achieve this goal.

In addition to sports and physical activities, the daily schedule included lectures covering a number of practical and spiritual topics, which both campers and staff attended. Furthermore, using Ambassador Club (organized by Herbert W. Armstrong at Ambassador College in the 1950s) as a guide, campers participated in Tabletopics sessions to teach them how to effectively communicate verbally and think quickly under pressure.

After hearing lectures on the purposes of Ambassador Club and how to prepare and give a speech, campers delivered both “Icebreaker” and “Interesting Experience” speeches in front of their peers. These ranged in time from two to four minutes, with some teens going as long as five and a half minutes! A few approached the lectern with much fear, but after speaking for a minute or two, they became quite comfortable in front of a group.

This public speaking training culminated in a Tabletopics session the final Saturday evening, when campers and staff had the unique opportunity to answer camp-related questions in front of more than 100 people!

Endless Memories

As the 14 days of AYC 2009 replay in our minds, it is hard to distinguish the most memorable moments—there are so many! I am able to instantly recount dozens of wonderful memories.

Campers and staff learned how to compete in several organized sports the right way. They learned basic skills in volleyball, soccer and softball, and participated in organized tournaments. Attendees also learned determination and perseverance through several hikes (one even occurred during a driving rainstorm, which thoroughly soaked everyone), an arduous 13-mile canoe trip, an intense whitewater rafting excursion through Class III and IV rapids, and a high ropes challenge course, which forced them to overcome the intimidation of performing strenuous physical tasks high above the ground—over 25 feet in some cases!

On the canoe trip, participants in 25-plus canoes enjoyed peacefully, yet with much effort, floating down the Bottom Youghiogheny River together—miles from civilization—with some singing camp songs part of the way! Some of us had sore muscles that evening!

Toward the end of the four-hour whitewater rafting trip on the Lower Youghiogheny River, all of the rafts emerged from thundering rapids into the calm of an eddy—only to be met by the warm drops of rain showers—in the exact same location where it rained during last year’s trip!

These and numerous other experiences at AYC etched mental images into our minds that will be replayed over and over again, bringing smiles to our faces far into the future.

As incredible as were the numerous physical moments, the warm fellowship and growth in character left the deepest impact. Watching campers gain confidence and conquer fears—whether by giving their first formal speech, climbing 25-plus feet into a tree on the high ropes course, or successfully navigating roaring rapids—was unforgettable. So were the many hours we spent conversing with each other over delicious meals in the dining hall.

Why This Issue

If each attendee was asked which experiences impacted him most profoundly, he would likely respond with different stories. Herein lies one of the primary motivations behind this special edition of Ambassador Youth: to see camp through the eyes of the teens who attended it. No one—not I, or any other staff member—could tell the story of AYC 2009 as well as campers who experienced it firsthand. All who read this issue are in for a special treat, especially those who did not attend—they will be able to immerse themselves in the AYC experience as much as possible without having been there.

This issue of Ambassador Youth showcases campers’ growth by chronicling their memories from AYC and spotlighting their ability to communicate their experiences.

Long before campers began their assignments, much planning went into what topics to cover and which camper would be best suited for each assignment. After basic instruction, campers were given their assignments and staff members provided one-on-one instruction during several editorial workshops throughout camp. Through these writing tasks, which are different from standard school assignments, campers had a unique opportunity to grow.

True Happiness!

It is our hope that all of the friendships, the lectures, the lessons and this special Ambassador Youth issue will serve as a reminder of just how different two weeks at Ambassador Youth Camp are from two weeks in the world.

Once back at home, teens can feel isolated and alone in their daily struggle to obey God. It can be easy to allow the strong temptations of society to pull them away from God’s Way—to make them forget all that they learned at camp.

Strive to be different! Do not lose sight of all you learned during those two incredible weeks. Be sure to deeply reflect upon your time there; consider how much you grew! Look past your physical experiences and search for deeper, more lasting spiritual lessons. Resist the temptation to become part of the world and do everything you can to ensure you will attend camp once again next year.

This issue serves as a reminder that true happiness—such as what was experienced at AYC 2009—can be achieved only by living God’s way of life. Never forget this paramount point!

I, as well as the rest of the staff, look forward to seeing everyone again next year, at AYC 2010.

Now enjoy this wonderful issue—and get an inside view of Ambassador Youth Camp 2009!