Sunday School Camp @ Sri Lanka

An art & craft lesson plan about caterpillars and butterflies, and a story about coconuts. That was all I had to offer.

“Wai Jia, this trip is for you to watch and learn. Bethesda church in Sri Lanka has invited us to go over to conduct a children’s camp for them, to instill character and impart spiritual lessons to them. The theme of the camp for these children, many of whom come from broken homes, is Transformation.”

Transformation. Little did I expect how I myself would be transformed on this mission trip as I taught, played and ministered to the children. As our 4-person strong team from Cornerstone Children’s Church (Wai Leng, Paru, Siva and myself) conducted a children’s camp themed Transformation for more than a hundred children from various villages in Columbo, Sri Lanka, I found myself, too, being transformed.

Compared to the other much more experienced members of our team, I seemed to have little to offer. I was worried. Where was Sri Lanka? What were the people like? Do they even have coconuts? Will the children understand what I have to teach?

During the trip, our leader, Wai Leng, prayed for God to transform my heart, to open up my eyes to see in the physical what He wanted me to see in the spiritual. Time and time again, as God spoke to me through special sights and sounds, my heart warmed to a very real and divine presence of His love for me. I hope to always remember these special moments:

- the moment when we touched down and I, still wondering if I had taken a risk to prepare a lesson plan about coconuts when I wasn’t sure how common it was in Sri Lanka, saw the streets filled with coconut trees. Our van stopped by the roadside and when I looked out of the window, 2 locals selling a cart of orange coconuts were beaming at me, at the likeness of my fair-skinned, oriental self, which posed an intriguing point of amusement to them. At that moment, a divine peace just poured over me. The cart of orange coconuts leapt out at me, as I felt God assuring me and giving me confidence to impart my coconut story to the Sri Lankan children.

- the moment when I realised, that not only was the place full of coconut trees, but that the coconut was a mainstay in the people’s food, culture and life, with the people using coconuts in curries, household products and even lamps! Sri Lankan food, with its rich flavour of spices and coconut milk, was amazing.

Little Nethan and a coconut fire lamp-torch used to light up the campsite at night

-the moment where I realised that the people had kept their powerpoint setup, so I’d to improvise my lesson plan and think on my feet. I felt ridiculous at first, really, having to dump my powerpoint slides for drama, making the children act as trees. They were thrilled, however, and raised their hands excitedly to be picked to act. One child acted as a tall, slender coconut tree swaying in the wind(right) and another, a big stout tree (left).

“When a BIG WIND comes, which tree do you think will stand? WOOOOOOO!!” I howled, and swept through them as if I were the gale.

“BIG FAT TREE!!” they squealed.

Well, did you know that in spite of their willowy and slender appearance, coconut trees are extremely resilient, being able to withstand strong gales? In contrast, isn’t it interesting to note that we’ve seen many pictures of big trees toppling over in storms, haven’t we?

The lesson was that, many a time, what man sees is different from what is truth. Just like a frail-looking coconut tree (in comparison to a big stout tree), we may not look good on the outside, but it is our character, not our appearance which counts. For “God does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart.” – 1 Samuel 16:7b

I started to teach, and felt God teaching me what I was teaching, too. The children listened attentively.

“What does a coconut look like?” 

“UGLEEEE!”

“BROWN AND HAIREEE!”

“LIKE A FOOTBALL!”

“Yes, and can you tell me what it can be used for?”

COCONUT MILK! MAKING HATS! MAKING POL SAMBAL (a type of local food)! DESSERT! BRUSHES! TRUNK CAN BE USED TO MAKE BOATS! AND BRIDGES! AND CHAIRS!

“Wow, very good. See, the coconut is very ugly, and when it floats aimlessly on the water, it can look very useless. But look at how it can be transformed into so many useful things! Do you know that every part of the coconut is very useful? And do you know, YOU and I are like coconuts!”

Like coconuts? They listened with rapt attention, with quizzical expressions.

“Maybe some of you feel that you are too small, or not smart, handsome, important enough to do great things. Maybe other people have looked at you and told you bad things about you, that when a strong wind comes, you will fall like a tree. But do you know, that God sees you differently? We are like coconuts and coconut trees. He has the power to transform you into somebody very useful. People look at your outward appearance, but God looks at your heart.”

I didn’t have a coconut with me, but I had brought the woodapple fruit for class. The woodapple is a local fruit which has a hard, bomb-like shell and a soft mushy and tasty inside. The local children always have great fun smashing and eating it.

“But to be useful, we need to let God break us and open up our hearts- just like this woodapple here, or just like the coconut.”

They understood.

- the moments where I listened attentively as Paru and Wai Leng ministered to the children with exciting yet God-centred stories, and saw how thirsty the children as well as the adults were for Him. Tears rolled down the cheeks of the children, as they pressed in to know Him more deeply. Many gave encouraging testimonies on how God had touched and spoken to them through the camp. To see how God was working in the nations, in the hearts of such little ones in such a real manner amazed me, truly.

- the moment I saw Siva ministering to the children during art&craft session and realised how much many of the children yearned for their own father’s love.

- the moment where I was with the children in the foresty campsite, and a child led me to a tree filled with hundreds of caterpillars.

My first reaction was to squirm, when I looked up in shock to find hundreds of creepy crawlies just inches above my head. But at once, my eyes and ears were opened, just like when I had seen the coconut cart. I felt God speaking to me about the art & craft lesson I had planned, telling me how precious these children were, how they too were like caterpillars, just waiting for someone to believe in them, to be transformed into something far greater and more beautiful.

a child showing me his paper butterfly

- the time when it poured at night at the campsite, and our rooms were filled with creepy crawlies, of which I had the most exciting time observing. An unfortunate cockroach crawled next to my pillow, and incurring my wrath, suffered the most unglorious death underneath a plastic slipped after my teammate had knocked it out with mosquito repellent. It was the soundest sleep I had had in ages, as I felt refreshed listening to the tinkling rain, and the lovely sound of frogs croaking at the window just behind my bed. Our surroundings were filled with beautiful leaping monkeys, strange birds, animated squirrels, beneath a starry canopy and amidst glowing fireflies. Nature was dirty and beautiful in all its glory and I loved every minute of it.

- the moment where all the children scrambled to make their little paper butterflies, and were so happy doing so. One special child, with the lovely name of Portia, came up to me, beckoned me to bend down, held my face up close and kissed me, saying, ” Thank you for coming” before shyly slinking away.

games with a dose of team spirit at camp

It was as if God played out in the natural to let my human eyes see what He had wanted me to learn and gain from the spiritual. For through the coconuts, I learnt about the importance of seeking God’s and not Man’s approval; through the caterpillars, I learnt of my calling to touch and transform lives of children; through the ocean and train track and kites flying in the sky, I understood in a very intimate way how much God understood and loved me.

- And of course, the moment that I realised, that going for a mission trip under the covering of a church is so different, and so important. This was my first trip with Cornerstone, and I learnt the significance of doing God’s work under the covering of His Body. Though I had travelled to many places before on medical missions with para-organisations, there was something very special about this trip. A very special anointing and unity, and a double portion of Grace travelled with us.

Unlike man, God never looks at our outward appearance to determine how much we have to offer. He is delighted when we obey and offer the little we have to offer.

I had been very doubtful of my participating in this Cornerstone trip, for I had to apply for leave from medical school. But God surprised me, and He opened the way. Even the dates fell nicely right after my exam! Truly, this mission trip with church was a gift- for in June, I had rebelliously wanted to go for another medical mission with yet another organisation even though it clashed with church camp. But because of God’s grace, after counsel and a great struggle with Him, I obeyed and attended church camp instead.  This trip was a gift from Him, showing how when we lay down, He rewards us doubly. For truly, this has been one of the most enjoyable and special trips I have ever been on.

So if you’ve never been on a mission trip with Cornerstone before, perhaps it’s time to pray and avail yourself too.

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