ⓒ 2013 WATV

The “Summer Student Camp 2013” for middle and high school students, who were on summer vacation, was held at the Church of God throughout Korea simultaneously from the end of July until mid-August for one to three weeks according to each church’s situation. The main program of the student camp consisted of the Bible study, character education, various field trips and volunteer service activities. The various programs which were run in local churches were Bible study, preaching contest, courtesy education, visit to museums or memorial halls, watching movies, recreations, learning balloon art, cooking contest, quiz contest, performing short plays, athletics competitions, visiting senior citizen care centers, doing volunteer service activities with friends and so on.

The students studied the truth of the Bible deeply, which they could not do during the semester because they were busy studying for school, and shared what they learned and realized with their friends through quizzes and preaching practices. Through various activities such as recreation, athletics competition, cooking contest and so on, the students could build their character, learning how to live together with order, consideration, cooperation and polite manners. And they could expand their knowledge and experience through field trips to museums, memorial halls, courts, underground caves and so on. They also practiced the filial duty by visiting senior citizen centers and serving the elderly in their neighborhood.

The students also had opportunities to grow mature by helping short-handed farmers and cleaning streets.

Particularly during the summer camp, the students carried out volunteer service activities to practice the teaching of the Bible, “Be the salt and light of the world” and Mother’s teachings that value “giving love” and “neighborly love” from July 28th to August 18th. The first group that conducted a volunteer service was around 80 students from the Jangan Church in Suwon. On July 28th, they cleaned the streets around Yeonghwa-dong and collected trash. On the 31st, the students from the Suji Church in Yongin cleaned the Dongcheon-dong area to practice the love of Christ. Until August 18th, the students from about 40 local churches carried out street cleanup campaigns extensively by collecting trash and garbage in their villages, the downtown areas, parks and beaches, around subway stations and rivers.

Though the weather was hot enough to make you sweat just by standing around without doing anything, the students willingly assisted the farms that were in need of helping hands.

On August 11th, 32 students from the 5th Gumi Church helped a grape farm located in Guseong-myeon, Gimcheon-si with harvesting grapes. On the 12th, around 40 students from the Jecheon Church visited a farm in Eosangcheon-myeon, Danyang-gun and helped with harvesting red peppers. Though the weather was steaming hot, the students lent a helping hand to the farmers with bright smiles.

Since the farmers were in need of a helping hand due to the holiday season, the students’ little hands helped them greatly. Farmers who could finish harvesting due to the students’ help repeatedly said, “Thank you so much for helping us with smiling faces even in this hot weather.”

On August 5th, 22 students from the Onam Church in Namyangju visited the Cham Silver Care Center located in Jincheon-eup, and practiced filial duty, having a pleasant time with the elders in the facility. The students cleaned the care center for the elderly citizens who were suffering from various geriatric illnesses and having a difficult and painful time because they were not free to move. The students also helped the elderly citizens during the lunch time. They had a joyful time and fun conversations with the senior citizens who were spending boring days, missing the joy of talking to someone.

On August 11th, 43 students from the Jinju Church carried out the campaign to establish traffic order around Daean-dong and at the crosswalk in front of the police station in Yihyeon-dong, displaying placards that said cheerfully, “Let’s keep the traffic law together,” “Smiling Jinju, Happy Korea” and so on.

During the summer vacation which might be spent boringly and meaninglessly under the hot weather, the students of the Church of God had a meaningful time, looking back upon themselves and helping their community. Through the summer camp, the students could spend a very fruitful time, studying the truth, learning Mother’s teachings, practicing giving love and experiencing helping others.

ⓒ 2013 WATV