PULSE
“Expect the unexpected!” This rallying cry rang in the ears of each camper as they huddled into camp. Moments later, their stomachs were put to the test in an unexpected food-eating competition filled with raw bittergourds, instant noodles with chilli padi, and watermelons “seize”-soned with vinegar and sesame seeds.
sunlight, and to prune (cleanse) the healthy branches from debris and chokage. Maxine Voon (Year 2, Singapore Management University) testifies of how God revealed Himself as faithful in a year rocked by a major event. “Although I often questioned and doubted God, He began to uncover the issues I had and reminded me that He wanted to be the gardener of my life so that He could prune away the difficult parts.”
At the start of Camp Seize! Pastor Wendy Chang shared that our ministry would soon be heading into unchartered waters, seizing the campuses for Christ. But God first needed to seize our hearts. In her first message (Jesus’ model of discipleship) Pastor Wendy shared how discipleship must be undergirded by strong relationships that are intentionally (not incidentally) forged. Additionally, discipleship cannot shy away from confronting and correcting people when they are not living right with God. “God spoke to me that being a leader is about loving my disciples, investing time into their lives, and having relentless belief in their God-given potential,” shared Guan Hua (Year 4, National University of Singapore (NUS)).
The morning of Day 2 was a time of contemplating of our walk in God in 2015. Pastor Wendy reminded us that God is our gardener and we had to remain in Him, even during the painful times of pruning, for Jesus shared that, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit He prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.” (John 15:1-2) Though our natural tendency is to take flight in seasons of pain, we have to remain in God so that He can “lift up” the branches that need
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Through this revelation, our hearts were seized by God once again. “I had been consumed by unhappiness throughout the year. Through the worship sessions and sermons, God reminded me of His everlasting love. I choose to carry the everlasting joy which allows me to seize those around me for Christ,” says Amanda Tan (Year 3, Nanyang Technological University). “Expect the unexpected!” What had initially been a harmless surprise celebration for our beloved pastor turned out to be the camp finale activity: a night mission! When the unexpected event was announced, some of us had already powered down for the night, washed and in pajamas. Mentally and physically drained, we used the last of our strength to rescue a group of kidnapped campers. Emotions ran high and resolves were tested through a series of grueling tasks. Through this activity, our hearts were humbled when we were confronted with this question: How much would we be willing to sacrifice for God’s agenda?