We just got back on Sunday (August 9th) from seven days in Struga at the Evangelical Church Youth Camp for all of Macedonia. There were about 100 students from all around the country that came together for this event. It was a great time for us to build relationships with youth and meet people that we otherwise might not have a chance to meet. We had a chance to really work on our Macedonian language practice. The students were patient with us as we stumbled and fumbled with our words. Quite a few of them spoke English and were able to help us understand what was going on. Every morning, we had breakfast and a worship service with a devotional message from different leaders from around Macedonia. We then broke into small groups. We helped to lead a small group of students who were 15-16. We shared about our lives, played games, and discussed spiritual things. Two of the students in our small group were students from Negotino, where we will start working every week in September. It was especially great to get to know them on a deeper level.
We had lunch and them free time until dinner. We went to the beach, out on paddle boats, played soccer (or football as it is called almost everywhere but the U.S.), badminton, corn hole, swam in the lake, played volleyball, video games and had organized team relays. It was a blast!
Every evening we had a worship service with a conference speaker. The theme of the camp was "What is my identity?" and we discussed with the students what the Bible says about who they are. The worship team was called Tora, from Strumitsa, and they were incredible. We then played games after the service. The last night, we had a talent show. The students asked Dustin to rap and he shared "Redeemed" with them.
We had at least two students ask Christ into their heart for the first time and had someone get baptized on the final day.
We also had a chance one afternoon to go to Ohrid and see a few of the historic sites there. There were several churches with artwork dating back to the 13th century and earlier. We also got to see an ancient fortress. It is the most historic part of Macedonia and the history of the country is fascinating.
It was an exhausting week for us, but one that was invaluable. Now we have friends around the country, and were able to make connections with many students and leaders. We were also encouraged to press on in our language study because there was much that we were unable to say that we wished we could. Overall, we are glad to be back in Skopje, and will be busy preparing for weekly youth services and other prospective ministries beginning this September!
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