By Jeb Egbert
More than 300 teens from the United States and Canada attended SEP here. Two 19-day sessions were full of activities such as basketball, volleyball, canoeing, windsurfing, sailing, and television and radio.
SEP continues to have a life-changing effect on campers.
"Camp helps people learn to work together," said Kris Kelley, 17, from Big Sandy. "If you need help, just about anyone is willing to help you. The counselors will talk to you about just about anything."
Iris Beloso, a high school senior from Kissimmee, Florida, agreed. "Everyone is so encouraging," she said. "The Christian environment at SEP is awesome. It is amazing how young people who have never met are crying about leaving one another just three weeks later."
Patrick Bryant, a 27-year-old Ambassador graduate who served as a counselor, said: "One of the joys I experienced was seeing one of the guys go from feeling forced to be here to really wanting to come back as a high school worker in the future."
Mr. Bryant added: "At the beginning of camp, assistant counselor Babu Kuria and I did all the praying when our dorm came together. After about a week, there was hardly time for us to pray, because the guys so eagerly volunteered to talk with God in front of their peers."
The mission of SEP is to promote faith in Jesus Christ to young people, and the longtime motto is "God's way works." At SEP, God's way is defined as faith in Jesus, his life, his death and his resurrection.
Further emphasis is promoted on the words of Jesus. For instance, since Jesus explained how important love is, teens at SEP learn about Christian love.
One of the best ways to learn about that love is to experience it. Jessica Bennis, 20, a counselor from Sayreville, New Jersey, said: "One of the young ladies in our dorm, Darlene Williams, had an outstanding singing voice; however, she was somewhat reserved so she did not want to sing. All the girls encouraged her to sing at either the music night or for special music.
"They coaxed her into singing an a capella version of Amazing Grace for the second worship service. After Darlene sang, the camp gave her a standing ovation. I've never witnessed that positive peer pressure and love in quite that way," observed Miss Bennis.
Jeff Molnar, pastor of the Kalamazoo and Lansing, Michigan, churches, taught the Christian living classes and led the camp in a worship service the last Saturday of the first session.
"Pastor Jeff" invited campers to comment on their SEP experience. Many came forward and expressed their love for the program.
One of the hallmarks of SEP through the years has been the cooperative spirit. Floyd Kielczewski, site manager, said that this year the spirit of cooperation was especially apparent. "Everyone has been willing to help, no matter what the task. It was inspiring to see faculty from Ambassador with doctors degrees helping clear duckweed off the waste water lagoon or haul wood," he said.
At the end of the first session, Ambassador President Russell Duke and his wife, Phyllis, arrived. Dr. Duke spoke to the campers about Ambassador July 5.
The summer of 1996 marks a transition for SEP. Kermit Nelson, longtime director of SEP, is helping to train me as the new director. Dr. Nelson's outstanding labor of love to young people serves as a living testimony to what SEP is all about. His enthusiastic involvement will be long remembered.
Jeb Egbert is SEP director in Orr, Minnesota.
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