One of the most powerful experiences for our youth is a desert camp during Passover week.
Three days of camping out in the Israeli desert under an open sky, is an amazing experience that impacts our youth in a special way.
Taking them on challenging hikes through rough terrain and difficult desert obstacles, young people are challenged beyond their comfort zone, with the goal of preparing and training them to overcome life obstacles, while helping and serving one another.
The whole concept was to go through all the challenges helping one another, whether to help their mates swim through rivers, hold someone’s rope knowing that their peer’s life is in their hands and you cannot let go when you feel weak.
In previous camps we’ve seen so much laughter, tears, overwhelming emotion, young people breaking down, then picking themselves up again and finishing the course. So much was revealed to them, about the kind of character God wants to form in them, how much their decisions affect their peers, how important it is to serve one another in order to finish the race together — leaving no one behind.
The whole experience in the desert is incredibly valuable for your youth, bonding and bringing them closer, helping to prepare them for ministry and service in the congregation, while building trust in one another.
When you hold someone’s rope while they are climbing and you realize you are literally holding their life in your hands – nothing builds trust and character like those precious moments.