Joined in Destiny 2009

Well, our summer has flown by! I’m sure that you are thinking the same thing as September draws near and autumn will soon be upon us. Where did the last few months go? We hope that you have had some time this summer to enjoy being with God and with family and friends, and to know and love them more!

One of the big events of this summer for our family was Gateway Camp. It was held July 17-22, and was an amazing time of experiencing God’s Spirit move in many lives, including our own! Craig was busy in the Gateway office in the months leading up to the camp, working with the rest of the staff to prepare for the Camp. There were many people who worked long hours to make the Camp possible. What a great experience just to work alongside them!

Gateway Camp was held in Ling Nan University, only a few minutes by train from our home. After a couple days of intense preparation on site by the staff, the Camp began with a rally on the first night. Over 1600 people arrived that day, and registration was quite busy! Craig was helping with the computer set up and registration at that time.

Of the 1600 people, there were 40 different nations represented, including many from Hong Kong and neighboring Asian countries. It was a great example of the Body of Christ joining together from all nations and cultures!

The theme of the Camp this year was “Joined in Destiny”. The word “joined” refers to all nations, generations, and the various expressions of the Body of Christ together in unity. The word “destiny” refers to what God is doing in the world through individuals and groups who join with Him to complete the Great Commission (making disciples for Jesus). In these last days, it is crucial that everyone who follows Christ join together to see His Kingdom established! We saw a glimpse of this at the Camp.

The schedule of the Camp was quite full, with rallies (worship and teaching times) in the mornings and evenings, and devotional team times and workshops in between. There were around 12 different subjects that participants could choose to learn during the workshop times, including dance, drama, sports, team building, working with children, practical ways to share the Gospel, family in ministry, and Chinese worldview.

Craig had the privilege of teaching the workshop on “Practical Ways to Share the Gospel”. Around 240 people over the four day span attended his workshop. There was a good response from those who attended, and Craig had a great time doing the teaching! Immediately following the Camp, many people went on outreaches and hopefully they were able to use the skills they learned to share the Gospel with many people!

Tammy had the privilege of helping with the children’s class time while the parents were in the rallies and workshop times. Our own kids attended the class times, and had so much fun! There were about 90 kids from many different countries. The classes for the children taught the same content the parents were learning, but at the level the kids could understand. So they learned that God has a plan for their lives, that we should all partner together and love each other, that we should tell others the Good News of Jesus, and that God’s Spirit will help us do it!

For our family, that week was quite intense, since Craig was very busy and we didn’t meet up much except for some meals and at bedtime. But we heard so many testimonies of God working wonders in people’s lives during the Camp, that it makes it totally worth it. There were many people who accepted Jesus as their Savior, and also committed to follow Him anywhere, for the first time during the Camp. Praise God for His amazing love and power!

After the 4 day Camp, participants were sent out in teams to bring the Gospel all over Asia. They brought the truth that they had learned to those in need, and used the practical skills they had been taught to advance God’s Kingdom!

We would love to see you come for the Gateway Camp in July 2010! Let us know if you are interested in bringing a team, or coming as a volunteer!

A huge THANK YOU to all those who are giving monthly and praying for our family as we seek to honor God here in Hong Kong! Your gifts and prayers are part of what makes these things possible. God bless you!