A life-changing choice

It must have felt ironic for Yahel, a young student in French Guiana.

He’d been looking forward to joining the IFES Caribbean camp in Martinique, with its theme “Resist or succumb? The choice is yours”. But his flight was cancelled. Twice. With the camp now already underway, he was facing a difficult decision: was there any point still going?

The Immediate Choice

As he stood at the airport desk, he was offered two options. He could wait two days for the next direct flight, leaving him with just two days at the five-day camp. Or he could fly that day via Paris, with an eight-hour layover, giving him three days at camp. He resisted the temptation to despair and give up; he chose to leave immediately, even though it meant travelling thousands of miles:

“It was very hard – physically and mentally. My patience was stretched to its limit. But I held out. I was convinced that it would be worth it.”

One of the main attractions for Yahel was to meet other students from the French-speaking Caribbean. Due to the region’s geography and limited transport links, they have few opportunities to connect with each other. The camp brought together 57 high school and university students from IFES movements in Martinique, French Guiana, and Guadeloupe. Yahel wasn’t disappointed:

“Arriving two days late, I was quite apprehensive. But as soon as I met the guys in my room, we bonded.”

Ongoing Choices

Another reason Yahel wanted to take part in the camp was its theme: “it speaks to our generation!”

Jean-Davy Frair, IFES Coordinator for the French-Speaking Caribbean, was one of the main organisers of the camp. He says they picked the theme of resisting or succumbing to temptation because it was so relevant to the needs of their young people, many of whom face pressures related to drugs, sex, alcohol, and social trends.

By engaging with Scripture, the students considered the origins of temptation (James 1), examples of succumbing to it (Genesis 3) and resisting it (Matthew 4), as well as the choice involved (Genesis 4). They heard talks, inductively studied the texts, and explored the Word through acting and drawing.

The Greatest Choice

“Even though I arrived late, the camp gave me so much – meeting other young Christians, studying the Word. And I also chose to accept Christ into my life! This is the start of something big.”

Yahel’s brave choice at the airport desk changed his life.

Pray

Give thanks for the French-speaking camp in Martinique – for the friendships forged among the three movements and for the deeper understanding of Scripture. Pray that God will strengthen Yahel and his peers, helping them to choose to resist the temptations they face.

Pray for those at the camp who learned how to run Bible studies – that they will know the Holy Spirit’s guidance as they lead groups in their schools and universities in September.

Give thanks that despite the destruction caused by Hurricane Beryl in June, the in-person element of this year’s inaugural IFES Caribbean Academy could go ahead (10-16 August in Trinidad). Pray that this leadership training program will prove instrumental in equipping godly students and staff across the region’s 20 movements.