Top 7 reasons why YOU should be exited for Champfleuri

Top 7 reasons why YOU should be exited for Champfleuri

Why are so many high schoolers from Immanuel going to France this summer?

What is even in France?

What’s so great about Europe anyway?

“I was excited to sign up, and have heard good things about the trip, but I still don’t quite get it” Says Mackenna Platteel, a first time member of the Champfleuri 2k15 team. Well Mackenna, other first time teammates, and all other interested parties, you will soon find out why France (not a real link) is “The destination missions trip spot” according to Sarah Newell and other reliable sources. Grab your passport and my hand, I can pretend we’re in France for a weekend. (™ Taylor Swift)

Qu list format.

1. It’s FRANCE. I guess this is probably one of my more shallow reasons for flying across the Atlantic, but from the landscape, mountain air, ancient buildings, fresh food, and most of all the mountains, France is without a doubt the most gorgeous place I’ve ever been.

   

2. The people. I have made such incredible friendships through camp TED, that are carried out throughout the school year through skyping, messaging, and letters. I have learned a lot from these people, but most importantly I’ve learned that 3,000 miles, an entire ocean, a language barrier, and 11 months apart isn’t enough to keep friendships from growing.

     

3. The sermons. Every day at camp one leader gets up in front of the whole group and gives a talk. There is typically a theme carried out during the month that all of the sermons can link to, but each of them are well prepared, educational, applicable, interesting, and geared to the target audience of kids my age. They are each delivered in either French or English, then translated into the other language so that every person in the room can understand everything that is going on. I believe this is also one of the most important parts of the camp, because so many of the French kids do not have access to a church near their home. While at camp, everyone has total access God’s word. Lol TED talks. We’re at camp TED! Getit?

 

4. The down side is, the camp really isn’t very fun.

(satirical comedy intended)

5. Worship time. At camp TED you will become familiar with the experience of large group worship. Both musically and nonmusical, there is  time scheduled (said in a British accent please ie. Sh-e-d-yool-ed) for praising God.

6. Bread. From local bakeries. Served breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  

    

7. It’s a rare, life changing, idealistically challenging, wonderful, eye opening opportunity that I am so blessed to have taken part of. One of my favorite quotes is something I came across a while ago, that I think sums up why this trip is so important.  “Make friends with people who aren’t your age. Hang out with people whose first language isn’t the same as yours. Get to know someone who doesn’t come from your social class. This is how you see the world. This is how you grow.”  Grow in Christ, as a friend, as a person, and most importantly as a Christian.

Disclaimer: You will see virtually no cats on this trip. Few dogs, but no cats.

Pour les gens qui parle francais

Pour nos amis qui parlent francaise--decouvrez l'église Le Rivage. C'est un nouveau église dans Aix les Bains. Thierry Mirone, le dernier directeur de Champfleuri est avec l'équipe a l'église. Nous voulons supporter Thierry et l'équipe a Le Rivage avec prier.

http://lerivage.fr

Les gens parfois demandent, "Pourquoi France?" et je répond, parce-que, France a besoin de Dieu, comme les Etats Unis a besoin de Dieu. Dieu travaille a Camp TED, donc, nous venions. Et l'été, c'est la meme chose. Nous espérons voir Dieu marche.

Desole pour le mauvais français--j'ai besoin de pratiquer évidemment!

Spaghetti Dinner Photos

Some Pre-Trip Musings

Hello supporters, family members, friends, and the internet.

My name is Liz - and I'm one of the leaders for the Immanual Church Champfleuri Trip in Summer 2015. This will be my third time going to France as a leader with this team and I cannot be more excited to be launching this trip again with the students from the youth group. We had our first group meeting a few weeks ago, which is always an exciting moment, and, as leaders, last week we received our  our first Camp Ted 2015 email from the director of the camp (Hi Damien!). 

As it's my third time going on this trip, sometimes it feels like I can sit back and just put the planning on cruise control. It's a well established trip; we go, we do camp with our kids and the kids from all around France who attend; we learn, we get tired, we worship, we  hike, we talk about Jesus, we come home. Simple.

Not so simple. 

Every trip is different, and if the Lord has been teaching me anything over the past few years using this trip, it's that HE is in charge, 100%. From being the only team of teenagers our first year to facing a deluge of rainy days last year, everything is in his hands. 

More personally, God has used this trip to change my own life as much as he's used it to work in the lives of the students we bring and to whom we minister; I think sometimes we go on these trips thinking that we're going to preach the gospel to the nations (which we are!!!) but we should remember that we need the gospel *just* as much as our neighbor. 

*Raise your hand here if you forget that.*

I know I do. I go about my life, sometimes, forgetting how much the GOD OF THE UNIVERSE, loves me. 

Guess what? 

HE LOVES YOU TOO. 

And that's the truth about why this trip matters, and why we go. 

"In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins." 1st John 4:10 ESV

First Blog Post! (Insert Creative Title Here)

Welcome to the Camp TED 2015 blog!

We will be using this blog to update our families and supporters (and interested internet creepers) about our missions trip this summer to Champfleuri, France.

Continue to check in every week as we talk about what we will be doing, who we will be serving, our thoughts and reflections on the trip, as well as up to date information while we are there.