Scottish Camp 2006...

...as seen through Matthew Irvine's eyes!

On Friday 11th August 2006 we met at the docks in Belfast and after a tearful goodbye to parents and loved ones(!!) we set sail for our destination – Scotland. It was good to meet up with old friends and to have the opportunity to make new ones as well. We got off the boat and into the bus for a long but enjoyable drive. Once we arrived at the camp centre it was all hands on deck to get moved in. I think some of the girls forgot we were only staying for a week though and brought enough stuff to last 2 months!! At Scottish Camp we had the privilege of the best kitchen staff in the world and they were so lovely they even allowed some of us to peel 2 big half hundred weight bags of spuds! (Thanks to the very pleasant kitchen staff for that!)

On Saturday we had our morning meeting followed by a clean up of our rooms and dorm competitions in which Glencoe dorm was always the best (though I think it was always fixed so that some other team won!) We went to Glasgow for a spot of shopping and site-seeing which was good craic and later we went to M & D’s amusement park and even got pictures taken of our lovely selves going down the water log slide in all shapes. Then when we got back we had our evening meeting and before bedtime we had a praise time followed by Quiet Time.

On that note, the Quiet Times were really good as we learnt a lot and made friends that will last a lifetime. Though during a Quiet Time, Stephen Hamilton locked us in the room and wouldn’t let us out and David Crutchley had to come and save us!! (I think it might have been the other way about!!)

On Sunday we had our morning meeting followed by a delicious dinner and then we had a whistle stop. Later we had free time after which we had our evening meeting. Afterwards we had some supper and then praise service followed by Quiet Time and then bed.

Monday – we went to Magnum Leisure Centre where some went swimming and others played football, table tennis, or badminton. And we had the usual meetings in the morning and evening.

Tuesday we had our sports day and water fight and for some unknown reason before it started there was a certain leader (whose name I won’t mention) who was throwing water at people before we were allowed to start. Also a few not so innocent leaders got caught in the cross fire, by mistake of course. Ha ha!!! We also had a discussion time where we were split into groups – it was really good. We were able to share our own views and experiences on different issues and encourage one another. I will openly admit it was emotional how honest people were being with each other which was brilliant, I even felt a tear coming and had to try really hard not to cry. (That doesn’t mean I’m soft!!)

Wednesday we had a day in Edinburgh where we always have an open air and sing choruses whilst others give out tracts – it was a real blessing, as always to be serving God. God had a plan for a young man that day that he would get a tract and that the girl who gave it to him would talk to him and he was led to the Lord by one of the Leaders. It’s amazing to see God work in such a way. Later that night we went to the Tattoo. Pauline started it off early with her legendary FULL MOON, HALF MOON, and TOTAL ECILPSE routine. Even the police were laughing, not to mention the others nearby too. It was a class night, the atmosphere was great and we even gave tracts to a group of people from Belgium who unbelievably found it hard to understand me!!

Thursday we were getting ready for the concert. It is always good fun. We have a few women singing for us and a funny looking ‘thing’ running around with black bin liners as a dress. Also we had few boys singing, people showing us how to brush their teeth, a dance routine and even a court which had Stephen on trial for his crime against Glencoe, and had it not been for a dodgy over-ruling by Supreme Judge Crutchley, Stephen would still be in Scotland.

Sadly, Friday was the last day so we packed up, cleaned up and then headed for home.

Psalm 119 v 105 “Thy word is a lamp onto my feet, and a light unto my path.”

Scottish Camp was honestly the best week of my life, it was absolutely amazing. My words don’t do justice to how brilliant it was. I could say that it was because we had good craic or because the food was great or that we got to soak Roberta in a water fight (sorry Roberta), but the truth is it was because we met with the Lord God. I’m not talking about just in the meeting but the whole time we were there. I’ve never experienced anything like it before. It was class!!

The meetings were brilliant; I really love good singing which definitely was great at Scottish Camp. I’m glad it says in the Bible to ‘make a joyful noise unto the Lord’ and that’s exactly what everyone did. In the meetings different leaders took part and at the praise service (well it wasn’t really a service it was more like a group of Christians meeting up to praise God because they didn’t want to do anything else) in the evening and the leaders shared from God’s Word about fear and how we should rely on God. One of them said, “Fear is worries not prayed for”, as Christians we should never fear because the Almighty God is with us holding us by His mighty right hand.

Isaiah 41 v 13 “For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.”

Each time someone spoke it was challenging as the teaching in the meetings was from God. It challenged us all, the Bible describes the Word of the Lord as being “sharper than any two edged sword”. The Word pierced into each one of our hearts and we heard not David speaking but God. It was awesome! David spoke on some of the Heroes of Faith from Hebrews. It challenged every one of us and the most challenging thing for many was on the Wednesday or Thursday where he simply asked a question which has stuck with me ever since, “If you knew God was coming back on Monday, what way would you live your life when you go home on Friday?” As a Christian, it challenges us to plead with people to turn to God with real urgency, as we would want to see people, especially people we love, saved. The thing is we don’t know when Jesus is coming back but we know He will so we should live everyday like He’s coming back tomorrow. God could come back now so we need to examine ourselves and how we are living our lives to ensure we are serving Him as we should.

One of the songs we sang was “Jesus, all for Jesus” – how few of us (including me) can honestly say that, but my prayer would be that we can all sing that song and mean it. To those who went to Scottish camp, I want to ask a question – have you followed the plans made at Scottish camp of turning Ireland upside down for God? I hope you are, but if you are not, or you are struggling, pray to God that He will help you, God promises to help:

Isaiah 54 v 17 “No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgement thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.”

As the song says “What a Faithful God have I”!!

On behalf of all the campers, I want to thank all the leaders and the Kitchen staff for a brilliant week, with special thanks to David and Olivia and Angie. Thank you all so much, everything you all do means a lot to us, not just at camp but all year long. But ultimately all the praise, glory and thanksgiving has to go to the Lord God.

Scottish Camp 2006 will never be forgotten because we met with God.