The Living Youth Camp in Chevetogne, Belgium, this year took place from Monday, July 28, to Monday, August 4. We refer to it as our European camp, but it encompasses far more territory—campers traveled from Belgium, France, Germany, Martinique, French Guiana, Congo-Brazzaville, and the United Kingdom. Staff added even more variety with two staff members from South Africa, as well as Mr. Rod McNair and the family of Mr. and Mrs. Jake and Julia Boyer from the United States. No fewer than four continents were represented this year!
This year’s camp comprised 19 campers, 28 staff members, and two young future campers. The attendance was officially bilingual, with French and English spoken. Everyone arrived on Monday afternoon, and after settling into the dorms, we had dinner, followed by orientation.
Each day at camp began with a delicious breakfast prepared by the wonderful kitchen staff. Then, we moved on to Christian Living class, focused on this year’s camp theme, “Proverbs: Wisdom for Life.” Each day, a minister brought out a specific lesson from the book of Proverbs to encourage campers and staff to seek wisdom and grow in the proper fear of the Eternal God.
After class, a full day of activities began. Football, flag rugby, capture the flag, indoor noodle hockey, ping-pong, netball, and bivouacking kept the campers busy at having fun, learning new skills, and working together. The campers even learned a sport that was new to everyone—soccer tennis.
But sports were not the only activities. Campers had music classes, and in choir they learned a song for special music on the Sabbath. In dance, they learned and practiced couples dances as well as line dances. We enjoyed an astronomy lesson one evening, followed by time under the night sky to identify constellations and planets with the help of a digital app. Campers also had another Bible class as a part of the Scripture Education Program.
On Wednesday, the campers and staff toured the Caves of Han, a large cave system with a fascinating light show deep within. This was followed by a zip-line adventure through the trees, and the day ended with a drive through a wildlife park featuring European animals, including gray and Arctic wolves and some very active brown bears. It was a day to remember for all!
During the rest of the week, staff demonstrated flexibility and organization when activities had to be rearranged to avoid rainstorms. The rain, however, could not put a damper on the enthusiasm. Of special note is that although rain had been predicted for the whole day on Friday, God intervened and gave us a beautiful sunny day that allowed our activities to go forward as planned.
The Sabbath brought a welcome respite from so much vigorous activity. We all enjoyed a brunch with homemade crepes, followed by a Bible Study and hymn sing. Sabbath services were streamed to congregations throughout the French-speaking world, and the campers performed in French and English the song they had learned in choir class. It was a beautiful offering to our Father in Heaven. After services, we enjoyed yet more fellowship with some delightful refreshments. We played some challenging and enjoyable Bible games after dinner, and we ended the day with evening reflection and a hymn.
Another encouraging activity was an evening of heart-to-heart conversation—the men with the boys and the women with the girls. We sat together as the adults discussed why they have chosen to remain in God’s Church and way of life. The purpose of this discussion was for the campers to learn effective ways of defending against Satan’s attempts to pull us away from God’s truth.
Friendship and fellowship abounded throughout the camp, and it was inspiring to see the way God helped us all to communicate. It was a true blessing to experience how God’s Spirit makes us family even when we speak different languages and come from different parts of the world. The enthusiasm of the campers grew as they worked and played together while building friendships.
The 2025 Living Youth Camp in Belgium was an experience to remember. God’s blessings were bountiful, and the friendships and camaraderie among the campers and staff will continue long past the camp’s end. We are all grateful to have been part of such an inspiring and uplifting week.