During the last week of October the Thai District NYI held a youth leadership camp at Bangkok 1st Church. The camp focused on leadership development and evangelism. Campers came from Bangkok and two other provinces.

The workshop times focused on relational evangelism and telling “your stories”, the stories of how Jesus touched the life of each camper. Time was given to go out to the surrounding community and tell their stories with people they met and also invite neighborhood children to a children’s program. During this program the youth played with the kids, taught music, English, art, and presented the gospel. This activity also helped the church make many new contacts in their community.

The campers used tools such as evange-bracelets and evange-cubes to help tell their stories of how Jesus impacted their lives. The feeling of many of the youth was captured in this statement,”I was very nervous to go and talk to people I didn’t know about Jesus.’  But after doing it I felt a new sense of confidence. I can do this!” One young camper was so excited that he began holding his arm up, showing the multi-colored bracelet and asking the children, “Who wants to know about my bracelet?  Can I tell you about my bracelet?!”

The event gave multiple opportunities to impact people with the good news of Jesus. At the children’s club everyone saw a Thai version of the Jesus film and had an opportunity to give their lives to Jesus. One  camper came to the event with his Nazarene friend.  At the end of the camp he shared with the group, “I am not a Christian. I am a Buddhist. I wondered how I could come to this camp since we are different religions. But while I have been here I have had a lot of fun and have made new friends.  I do not want to be a Buddhist anymore.  I want to be a Christian.” Opportunities to share the love and joy in Jesus came from every direction!

As the campers were able to be honest about their feelings they were able to encourage each other in their spiritual walk and to encourage each other to be intentional in sharing the love of Jesus through their relationships.