When I arrived at our first day (April 23), I already found a number of campers/delegates using the tents assigned to them. The campsite this year was in Bluroze Farm and Wildlife Resort in Lipa City, Batangas. The place looks exciting for I find it having many interesting places to check like the ostrich farm, the zoo etc., but unfortunately I was not able to check even half of them. The first camp session that day was after dinner. It came with a "bang" (I intentionally omitted the word "big" for PAMC is already in motion since 2008 [?]) I wish to congratulate Ptr. Joseph Maraon for not only pouring out his heart, soul and strength in the praise and worship sessions, but also in preparing the worship team as well (actually most of the time he's not worship leading anymore. The anointed and full-of-fire younger ones are doing the job already).

David Gilliam was our speaker every night. His messages were very much filled with challenges and at the same time hugged the congregation, especially the newcomers. We know he didn't just make a mark in their minds but has driven the important truths in their hearts as well. Speaking of the congregation, more than 2/3 of them were newcomers. Some came from as far as Mamburao, Occidental Mindoro, some from Olongapo City, some from nearby churches in Lipa City, while the rest were from Cavite and Metro Manila. We also received 4 young people from Caloocan City North. They haven’t participated yet in any past PAMC activities but when one of them saw the Boot Camp 2013 facebook account of Project Acts, they just decided to join.

We all discovered the temperature at our campsite were a lot cooler during night time especially in the wee hours of the night. (I happen to have ignored bringing a jacket and a blanket, but luckily I remembered the concept of the natives- they always see to it that their feet are kept warm, so I always wear socks everytime I go to sleep.

Wednesday began just before sunrise when the trumpet blared to wake the campers up. By 6 am all the teams conducted their group devotion led by their respective counselors. The speakers for the morning sessions were Arra Joyce Alejandro and Ptr. Paul Ramos, the eldest son of Ptr. Aristotle Ramos or commonly known as Ptr Toti of Mindoro. I know the congregation had a sobering time for their messages were truly backed-up by their active faith and righteous conviction. Immediately after lunch Ptr. Joseph called the campers for the afternoon game orientation and afterwards, led us to a nearby basketball court, which is where the first phase of the game is. The next phase is at the maze, some groups have easily found the right exit while some took a longer time. The 3rd phase is somewhat similar to a tread mill but instead of a rolling conveyor a rolling steel tank is used. I’m glad no one was hurt in that part. The 4th one was a set of steel arcs holding a number of handles by which the participant must cross by holding on each one, one at a time. The 5th was like a merry-go-round that was shaped like a huge cake and on top of it are steel railings. Those steel railings are where the participants are to hold upon as the steel railing is pushed to rotate 10 times. Again most of the participants have passed that test on their first try. The 6th test is about the participants’ memory. Each group was required to simultaneously recite the camp theme. The 7th one is easy for they were only required to go up a ladder then walk and slide on the other side. The 8th one is only intended for one group representative, he/she is required to drink the yucky concoction that Ptr. Joseph prepared while swinging in a hammock. Finally the last part is about following certain dance steps. To complete the last test, the concerned group must be able to dance in synchrony. (It was reported that some had minor injuries and wounds while some fainted for a few minutes, other than these, there were no untoward incidents anymore.) The main purpose of this set of games is to develop patience, cooperation, stamina and team work among the team members.

The rest of Wednesday afternoon was spent for resting while some took advantage of the free time by surveying the other parts of the resort park. The 2nd night session was again filled with excitement and expectation of sorts for after the preaching of Ptr David Gilliam was the bonfire and cheer presentations of each group. The bonfire ended with a simple roasting of marshmallows.

Waking up Thursday morning was a bit difficult maybe because of the tiredness and body pains caused by the games the previous day. The speakers for the Thursday morning sessions were Kim Gaditano and Frances Sarah Principe. Again the congregation was both challenged and encouraged. The speaker after lunch was Ptr Gene de Leon. He presented the 4 different temperaments (a.k.a. behavioral style) and concluded in magnifying the multifaceted wisdom of God revealed in each one’s personality. On our last night, the sessions were in two parts again, Ptr. David’s message followed by the talent presentations of each group. Since it was our last night, the young people requested that the lights-out time be extended till midnight or beyond. Since the young people have shown their good behavior for the past two days their request was granted.

Finally, our last camp day, Friday, had arrived. I was appointed to share the message for the closing celebration. After the message, the key contributors and movers of the camp were recognized and immediately after, the awards for the winning groups and notable campers were also given. By lunch time everybody was not only hungry but also excited for the much anticipated traditional “boodle fight.” Unfortunately, the long table was not long enough to accommodate every camper so the ones who were excluded had no choice but fall in line again at the caterers’ booth. The Lunch was the signal for the official closing of Boot Camp 2013 but heavy rains fell immediately after lunch. I didn’t mind getting a little bit wet that afternoon for I found it both refreshing and striking, as if the early rain- a type of rain that has a spiritual significance, has come (James 5:7b). In conclusion, what else can I say but show my excitement for the upcoming activities of PAMC, which are the “Aurora Mission Exposure” on May 29 to June 2, the Mamburao, Mindoro Oriental Boot Camp 2013 on sem-break, the Trece Martires City, Cavite outreach on December. See you next year on Boot Camp 2014!

By: Pastor Ruben Salvatierra