09. Honduras: Cerro de Luz Campsite
By Ken Vissers
How does a camping ministry teach that with God all things are possible and that we have nothing to fear?
As one enters Cerro de Luz, it is clear that it is a place of peace and true blessing from God. In a country where each day the front page of the newspaper creates general fear and panic, reminding people that violence is on the increase, peace is hard to come by. The development of Cerro de Luz is strategically planned, with much prayer, experience and wisdom, so that it remains a place where everyone can find God’s love amid the ever-pressing culture of this world, so accurately described by Paul in 2 Timothy 3: 1-5.
How does a camping ministry teach that with God all things are possible and that we have nothing to fear? Our approach is simple. We must first understand that camping is a tool for evangelism and discipleship. It is a place of integrated and experiential education, where the counsellors experience the same activities and challenges as the camper. As with every tool, the approach and methods used will either be effective or cause damage. The best approach is a biblical one. There are countless examples of God calling a specific person or group of people (such as our campers), out of a specific situation (perhaps home or an oppressive environment), to hear a specific message – the message of Christ’s love.
Photo: Campers perched on a platform at Cerro de Luz’s high ropes course
Positive life changes happen best when an uncompromised message is culturally contextualised. We spend a lot of time training servant-leaders. The location is purpose-built – all our cabins, dorms and tents are designed for a five to one, camper to leader/counsellor, ratio for better relationship building in a small group.
Why are we confident that our approach is working? At our last International Bilingual camp, one camper commented, ‘I’ve accepted Christ a number of times by raising my hand because of group pressure, but this time it’s different. This time it’s real! I now know what it means to be truly loved.’
