By RJ Strozyk
IYF/SPEC
is great because I got to know people better not just in my delegation, but
also others from around the world. This is my second year at SPEC, and it was a
blast to see old friends that had returned from last year.
One
of my favorite events at SPEC are the week-long sports events. I loved playing
soccer because I don’t have the opportunity to play that at our high school.
While at SPEC it is such a great time because people are so nice and take the time
to teach you.
I
also thought that it was great to see the world church. I really enjoyed being
at the temple with other youth and having the opportunity to interact with
them. During our time at the temple, I walked into the sanctuary and saw youth
from all over the world playing numerous types of instruments. This was my
favorite part of IYF and a God moment for me because of the opportunity to
observe the unity.
Another
neat experience at SPEC was the campfire we had one
night where we sang songs from all over the world. Anyone could jump up and
start a song in their own language and the rest of camp, whether they
understood the language or not, began to follow along. Even though I didn’t
understand most of the songs, it was still interesting to listen to everyone follow
along.
I
think SPEC is a perfect opportunity for senior high kids. I had a great time
there and highly recommend other senior high kids to go. Not only is it just a
regular church camp, but there are also a lot of sports that are extremely fun
to play with a bunch of other kind-hearted people. I am excited to see what
experiences my final SPEC will bring in 2019!
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SPEC
was a blast! I liked the sports, meeting new people, and that everybody was
open and wanted to get to know you.
I
had a lot of fun doing group activities and adventure classes such as stone
carving, ring making, and glass fusion. During those adventure classes I met a
lot of friends that weren’t from my delegation and it was interesting to learn
about their life stories and how unique they were from every other person. I
also enjoyed trying new sports like soccer and volleyball, which I have never
tried competitively before.
I
was a little scared at first because going into the camp I only knew my
brother, but after mixers it was fun to get to know the members in my
delegation and soon people in other delegations from around the world.
One
thing I loved about SPEC was how accepting everybody was to somebody they had
just met. I felt accepted just for being myself and not having to worry about
being judged.
One
God experience that I had was that one of my delegation members decided to
baptized, again, into our church this time. One evening during IYF our
delegation gathered around a pool in the Stone Church and watched the member
get baptized. I was feeling joy that he decided to be a part of this family of
God.
I
would recommend IYF/SPEC to someone else because it is an excellent experience
to meet amazing, diverse group of people. In just a short 10 days I was able to
make great friends, enjoyed the sports and competing against other people, fun
classes and unlimited times to feel God’s presence.
