Spiritual Emphasis Retreat

Last Thursday and Friday was the grades 7-12 Spiritual Emphasis Retreat, and was held at Wu Kwai Sha Youth Village, which is run by the YMCA.  They took 3 big buses full of kids and teachers.  It is a beautiful facility which has a field with a track around it, games rooms, all kinds of sports activities,  a couple of karaoke rooms, canteen, cafeteria, chapel, gym and barbecue pits.  The theme was learning to do the hard things.

This group are some of the kids from Blaine's advisory team.  It's sort of like the teams concept we had in Rosetown.  You'll notice some kids wear masks.  You see this often here.  Since the Sars scare they are very wary and encourage people to wear a mask if coughing or especially if you may have a fever.

These are the cabins.  Not a whole like camping out in the bush, but it's definitely Blaine's idea of camping out!!

Actually Blaine didn't even stay in a cabin, but in this apartment type like block.

Blaine's cabin mates!

Typical breakfast here.  There seems to be hot dog like things at almost every meal, and the strangest things are stuffed with them!!  I don't see any congee, which is a type of rice porridge and eaten often for breakfast. 

Showing his card tricks.  One of the kids taught him some new ones to expand his repertoire

Hall where they held some of the sessions.

Dinner!!  A mix of Asian and western.  

People love to barbecue here.  Pork chops are often used.

There are barbecue pits on the beaches and parks and sometimes people will bring enough meat to cook for the week.  Because most places don't have ovens, a lot of the meat is fried so bbq is a nice change.

The camp is right along the ocean in the New Territories in Ma On Shan.  I haven't been there but it looks like a beautiful spot.

The track around the soccer field.

The Chapel.

Worship and band leaders.  Blaine was not that excited about going because he was tiered from a heavy basketball season, but it was a wonderful and uplifting experience.  Many of the kids who come to CAIS are not Christians, and do not come from a Christian background.  During the service Friday morning many of the kids responded to the call to make a decision to follow the Lord and Blaine was able to lead 7 to salvation.  Some of the kids who became Christians were from his basketball team so that was special for him.  Please pray for these kids, as it is sometimes hard for them to be Christians as there is opposition from family members.