Coming out of the gate area at the San Pedro Sula Airport in Honduras last October, I saw my name written in black marker on a small piece of cardboard. Hot and tired, I was greeted with a huge smile and warm hug. My Spanish is very limited and my host's English was limited as well, but off we went together to the Christian Camping International-Latin America Summit.
This was a three day gathering of camp leaders from across all of South and Central America to celebrate 50 years of camp ministry training and collaboration through CCI. The Summit included training to equip the national and regional leadership of the Church of Latin America for continued development through Christian camping. CCI-LA director Robert Bruneau laid out a compelling strategic vision for the next 50 years of Christian camping in the area. Unlike the United States, the Church in Latin America is exploding and Christian camping is at the center of it all!
With years of experience at HoneyRock, my contribution focused on the integration of college, seminary training, and the Christian camping movement. Working together with Robert Bruneau , we are seeking ways to provide HoneyRock’s graduate school training to emerging leaders for the Christian camping movement in that region. Another example of how HoneyRock is serving the global movement of Christian camping.
Photo Details: HoneyRock staff Scott Eppler and Muhia Karianjahi (first and third standing from left, in blue and red HoneyRock Tee shirts) and Graduate Assistant Shane Seaton (sitting second from left) pose with Christian Camping International-Eastern Africa leaders at the end of a safety and first aid training in November 2014.
Muhia Karianjahi, Graduate Program and Global Initiatives Manager for HoneyRock, is leading our efforts in this area. He serves on the Board of CCI-Worldwide, an organization that coordinates the efforts of 22 regional/national associations, like CCI-LA, to promote Christian camping as a means of heeling the Church and fulfill the Great Commission of Jesus Christ. In the past six months, HoneyRock staff has participated in training events Kenya, Honduras, Portugal. In March, Dr. Karianijahi will attend a CCI-Worldwide board meeting in South Africa.
As part of our global ministry, we have recently established an International Leadership Development program in which emerging leaders from camps around the world can come to HoneyRock for the summer and participate in one of our leadership schools. Each year our summer staff is made up of individuals from 15-20 countries, each represented by their national flag hanging in the dining hall.
Thanks to the Billy Graham Center Scholarship program, we have had several national leaders graduate from our Masters Degree Program in Outdoor Adventure Leadership including Esdras Kresbky, President CCI-Brazil, Judith Dixon of CCI-Jamaica, and Lisa Anderson-Umna of CCI-LA. As part of our strategic effort to enhance our global reach, the HoneyRock staff has been engaging a process of developing our intercultural competence so that our community is welcoming and effective in serving the world.
We are blessed by the opportunity to engage the word, receive the world and serve the world through the Christian camping movement.
Escrito por Rob Ribbe y Muhia Karianjahi