Music Camp 2016 Testimonies

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“I was exceedingly blessed by music camp. The campfire talks and Sabbath services were both challenging and inspiring. I was a little skeptical about the singing side of things to start with but after a couple of days I was really enjoying it. The fellowship is great, catching up with old friends and making new ones. The help bands in the later part of the second week were really good, it’s always fun to get in and work with a bunch of friends. Overall music camp was excellent, I would highly recommend it.” - Luke

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PARTICIPANT TESTIMONIES

Music camp was such a huge blessing to me, not just from the point of view that it was music but it was also hugely spiritually uplifting. The environment of being around other young people whose goals it were to make music that really glorifies God and to draw nearer to Him and be a blessing to others had an amazing positive impact on me, especially because my spiritual life before camp had been rather flat. I think that my camp highlights (other than the food which was fantastic and the friendship) would have definitely have been the filming and canvassing. Filming really taught me patience and teamwork plus it was super fun! Being able to be in God’s great outdoors and being able to make music videos that are going to bless others was super awesome, even when you were repeating the same take for the third time. Canvassing was a really faith building experience.  I had never been canvassing before but the miracles that I saw take place while out sharing Jesus with people really made me more determined to draw closer to God and more passionate about obeying Christ’s command to ‘go and teach all nations’ knowing that He has promised that He will be with me wherever I go, ‘even unto the end of the world’. - Nadya

I'm so thankful I could go to Music Camp this year.  Once again I have been encouraged and inspired to spend more time in God's Word and to seek His will. What a blessing to spend this time with so many young people dedicated to growing closer to God and to using their talents in His service! Not only did we make music videos, we also went out in help bands, bringing aid to the communities. I joined the Canvassing group for the first time. It was something I was too shy to do before, but now my fear is gone. I want to continue to be brave and share God's love in my community more.

- Esther-Shahn

 

 

Music Camp 2016 has really helped me a lot. It helped me grow closer to God & the staff & participants were very nice and friendly, and most importantly Godly. I made many new friends and am missing camp and looking forward to next year's camp already. I wish camp would never end, the Godly environment helped me grow closer to God, and the tight schedule is one of my favorite thing about camp, as not one minute is wasted on electronic devices, or idle work. No one stands idle with nothing to do at camp. If you aren't watching the time, you'll be late for line call, and I like how we have to wake up at 5:45 the latest. Me and my roommates wake up 5:00 every morning to shower, so that we'll be ready and refreshed when unit sharing and line call comes. May God bless Eastward and Camp Obadiah. I pray that more people will be blessed because of the work that Eastward does. - Gladys

Music camp was an absolute blessing and privilege to be a part of. It's quite hard to say what my favourite part of camp was, as each moment and day God made unique in its own way. Everyone worked hard and gave their best, and despite the times we may have gotten tired, we still persevered because we knew how rewarding it would be at the end. However, the best reward will be when these songs minister to the hearts of people who are longing for Christ! I have learnt many elements from camp; from music principles to deep bible discussions, team building skills, and much more. Praise the Lord! I have definitely left the camp feeling blessed, and I can't wait for the next Music Camp! - Grace

 

 

My music camp experience was such a pleasant surprise. Not coming from a conservative home, I was not sure I'd fit in with "conservative" people. Meeting young people who were so down to Earth yet so heavenly minded was nothing but a blessing. It was a bittersweet departure and I prayerfully hope that next year will present another opportunity to attend.  - Shaquille

Thank you so much for music camp, I only wish I could have stayed longer. A good experience was probably making new friends and having tasty/healthy food in my mouth. Pastor White's sermons were very deep to me and made me want to reach out to people more. The canvassing was a great way to do that and also was a blessing to me because I rarely do go canvassing. I also think that the music video locations were awesome and my favorite was probably the beach. – Shadrach

 

 

I really found music camp spiritually refreshing. I was really feeling sad because our most recent fostering experience was very stressful and it came to a sad end; I wasn't doing morning devotions or much Bible study and I felt like I had something in between me and God. I had no desire to do anything spiritual and it didn't help that most of the young people where I live aren't very spiritually minded. Music camp really helped me to always look on the bright side of things, and it brought me back into a friendship with God. It has made me able to thank God for fostering and it has given me God's love in my heart for my family. Thank you so much for running music camp, I am really looking forward to next year's music camp. – Hannah J

I just can't thank the music camp staff enough. - Sean

PARENT/STAFF TESTIMONIES

I just wanted to say a huge THANK YOU to Eman and the team for all the hard work you put into making music camp the most fun time, the most spiritually charged time, and the most musically fulfilling time for these kids! I was blown away by the composition arrangements of the songs - you guys are very talented. I can't wait to see the videos and share them - they're such an awesome witnessing tool. So, thank you for being willing to work for God and follow His leading for these camps. They are such a huge blessing! - Nicole Jones

Music camp was fantastic. I had a lot of fun. As Staff Co-ordinator I was involved mostly with the staff and parents who came,and it was so nice to spend time with such a spiritual bunch of people who were really friendly and put in alot of effort to be helpful and keep things running smoothly. I was also really inspired by the young people's commitment and desire to follow God. It was very refreshing to see a group of youth with the dedication to achieve what they did musically. There were some challenges but the youth rose to the occasion and it was nice to end with a good result. I can thoroughly recommend Music Camp to anyone who is contemplating being involved. I'll be there next year God willing. - Julian

 

 

As a parent and staff member it was my privilege to be able to attend Music Camp. It has been the highlight of my year. Some of my favourite memories are of hearing the young people's enthusiasm at line call - like the shout of a mighty army; seeing young people looking out for one another, and counsellors working to help their units; hearing testimonies from the canvassers and help bands; hearing youth digging into the word of God for solutions to their questions during Youth Forum; enjoying great food; and of course listening to uplifting music that words cannot adequately portray. I loved the inclusiveness. Everyone was included at their level of music ability - even the small children were given a part and made to feel welcome. And the final result was professional and inspiring. To attend the concerts was like stepping near to Heaven. It was like hearing Angel's music. - Renee

Thank you for the inspirational Music Camp. I was so grateful to have had the opportunity to spend a week soaking it all up, and being with everyone there, including my family, and new friends I met there. It uplifted everyone that attended and stretched the imagination of the young people to reach out to God in many ways. It is a ministry that has wide spreading blessings to many, and I for one felt the love and Christian fellowship of all I came in contact with. The ladies in the kitchen were a true reflection of God and their friendship and time spent with them was something I will never forget. - Rosalie