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The following two reports appeared in the Winter 2007 issue of the Aierdi Advance magazine. They
were written by Danae McKenzie and Michael Lyons, two missionary teens
going off to college.
 Last
fall "Mr. Andy" sent my parents an invitation for us MTs to come to the
MT3 retreat. At first we all thought it wouldn’t work out, because of
financial reasons. We were pretty disappointed, even though we weren’t
quite sure what to expect at the camp. (After all, they actually wrote and
told everyone that they don’t have inside showers!) The Lord worked it out
though, that through a few selfless people, we were able to fly from
Germany all the way to Spain. We were thrilled!
We had to leave our house at 3 a.m. and drive five hours to the airport,
from where we flew two hours to Southern France. Mr. Ben picked us up and
before anything else… he took us to the coast! Those were the most awesome
waves I’ve ever seen! After a really yummy lunch at Cure’s, Alyssa, Benj,
and us German kids, went by train to a town close to where the camp is!
When we got to the camp my first impression was, "Wow! Rustic is the right
word!" But it’s really pretty, and I liked the way it was decorated and so
"unfinished"! And the people were great! We actually had a welcoming
committee! I already knew the Bonikowskys a little from furlough five
years ago, and it was cool to see them again! But I must say, at first I
did feel a little out of place. I didn’t really know anyone, and I’m not
the best at making friends. But the adults were so easy to talk to! It
took only a few hours for everyone to feel like family!
The days were filled with fun activities like playing with Star and Lagun
(the dogs)! We teens played upstairs in the activity room, sat around and
"just" talked, had fun times that Pricilla and Hillary called "happy
hours" *wink*, and on one afternoon we hiked up to the "Mushroom"! I was
the third one up…well, ok… fourth, but Danny doesn’t count because he was
just lucky he was on the other side of the fence! It was great! And the
view from up there was breathtaking!
In the evenings, well actually nights, we had a ball! The walls and floors
were so thin that we could hear everything the boys were saying and we
would talk and sing back and forth! And although I froze every night,
everything else made up for it! I definitely would encourage any MT who
has the opportunity, to get up and going for the next MT retreat!
It was a special privilege to have Pastor Shawn as our guest speaker. The
Lord spoke through him straight to my heart! I loved the way he made his
sermons personal by asking questions, and not just rhetorical ones either!
He made us really think and pay attention! Also, the way he acted with us
in just "every day life" was such a blessing and encouragement to me. I
learned a lot just through talking with them and watching how they acted
and reacted.
I would like to thank everyone who had a part in making those days so
meaningful and special for us! It was great to be able to go home
strengthened through the good fellowship and teaching of the Word! I am
very thankful that the Lord opened the door for me to be able to be a part
of the MT3. (DM)
* * * *
When I first arrived at the Aierdi farmhouse, I felt a
bit uneasy knowing that I would spend almost a week in an old, rustic
building surrounded by the steep, soaring mountains of the Basque region.
But, as the retreat started that Tuesday night in late November, my
uneasiness began to dwindle as I began to meet the other missionary teens
there at the farmhouse.
Though the conditions were very rugged, the atmosphere was warm and
friendly. The cooks prepared excellent meals--not to mention the treats we
received before we headed off to bed! One of the things I enjoyed most was
when we would sit in the recreation room and sing Christmas carols. We
definitely were not short of vocal talent as we sang famous carols like, O
Holy Night, Joy to the World, and Silent Night.
As for the sermons and sessions, our guest speaker Pastor Shawn Kook, and
his wife, Mrs. Jill, were a great encouragement to me as well as to the
other teens as they interacted with us throughout the day. I found Pastor
Shawn’s preaching to be very practical and challenging. Some of the topics
he spoke on were Life of Absolute Surrender, Life of Abundant Grace, and
Life of Abiding Peace. I definitely felt spiritually refreshed by the end
of the retreat.
Then there was the missionary story. Every night Mrs. Joy Loveday would
tell part of the story of Isobel Kuhn, a missionary to China. The story
was about Isobel’s life: how she came to know the Lord, where she grew up,
and how the Lord used her to reach the Lisu tribes in China. Mrs. Joy’s
vivid illustrations, along with her expressive narrations, helped us
picture in our minds what Isobel’s life must have been like as she served
there in China. Isobel’s faithfulness in reaching the Lisu for Christ
really impacted me in the sense that it made me really think about what it
truly means to be surrendered to God.
During the day, we enjoyed a variety of activities. We launched
water-balloons several hundreds of feet in the air, only to have them
plummet down into or onto desperate "bucket-holders" who were zigzagging
across the steep slopes near the farmhouse. The game ended with a bunch of
shattered and bottomless buckets due to the force at which the balloons
fell.
There was also hiking. We went in two groups. One group would head for the
top of the mountain, and the other would climb half-way up and come back
down. Sadly to say, I did not make it to the top. Maybe one day.
Not only were there outdoor activities, but also indoor activities. There
was foosball, ping-pong, and air-hockey. Whenever free-time came, these
activities gave us a chance to get to know each other better, which
created a comfortable atmosphere among our group.
I could share more about my time at the Missionary Teen Retreat, but if I
did, this wouldn’t be just an article, now would it? I must add, however,
that the thing that impressed me the most was the fact that I could be
with other teens that were in my same position. We all had that common
ground among us. To finish off, I’d like to encourage any missionary teen
out there who has, or will have a chance to go to the retreat, to do so.
It’s a wonderful time to learn about God, meet other missionary teens, and
enjoy a wholesome, decent atmosphere. (ML)
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Theme: Living a Full Life
Dates: Nov 28-Dec 2, 2006
Main preacher/spouse: Shawn (and Jill)
Kook, Berean Baptist Church, Lilburn, GA
Other preachers/teachers: Andy, Randy,
Juan, (Jack Loveday, Ben, Roger, Larry Carlisle gave breakfast devotional
challenges).
Theme chorus: For me to Live is Christ
Number of teens: 20
Gifts for teens (guys & gals got the same
thing):
1. Books
-In Searching, by Isobel Kuhn
-Just What the Doctor Ordered, by Walter L.
Wilson
2. Notebook—with the notes
3. Bookmark
4. No CD messages this time |
