Sometimes, you just have to seize any opportunity that comes along by its neck, and that’s exactly what I ended up doing when I found out that someone from the Youths 4 Jesus (Y4J) group had dropped out of the trip to Soul Survivor 2008, a week-long Christian camp in Shepton Mallet, England.

Comprising of over 9,500 people coming from all walks of life and all corners of the globe, Soul Survivor was not just an opportunity for many to meet and unite with such different cultures, but, more importantly, a chance for all to renew their Christian faith, or, indeed, even become Christians.

I have to be honest, before I committed myself to going to the camp; I was sceptical about it to say the least. Apart from the fact that the opportunity was all so sudden (we left Malta last Monday, and I found out about this the Thursday before!) and hence left me in a confused state, I was rather apathetic about my faith, despite me going to Y4J meetings on a regular basis prior to this trip.

My mother was another hurdle to me going up, albeit initially – knowing my character inside out, she didn’t believe that this would be something that I would enjoy in the least. However, to her credit, she left it in my hands to make a final decision. Looking back, I’m pleased to say that I ultimately did make the right choice – the experience was an enjoyable one and was indeed worth it.

However, recounting the specifics of what happened on a day-to-day basis would be too cumbersome a description. Instead, highlighting how the day was divided is more adequate. Essentially, each day was divided into five segments – two main meetings, one at 11am and one at 7pm; and three seminars at 9.30am, 2.30pm and 4pm.

While the latter was optional and hence not everyone attended, the former was obligatory. The seminars would vary in their topics from Biblical study to theological aspects, as well as applying the Bible to everyday life. On the other hand, the main meetings, held in the Big Top, which was a massive tent that was capable of hosting all the camp’s participants, would generally comprise of worship and various talks. This was massively different to anything of its kind in Malta – it allowed people to get in touch with God in a tangible manner and was also the main catalyst in many people – myself included – in fostering a better relationship with God.

Of course, the change in environment also played its part throughout the course of the week. From the sweltering heat of Malta we suddenly moved into a rather chilling cold that would persist throughout the week; and from the constant sunshine that graced our islands we faced abysmal atmospheric conditions – strong rain, occasional thunderstorms and gale force winds.

Hence, camping throughout the duration of this week was anything but easy for the group of 86 people that travelled from Malta – actually, if there was one thing that this camp served for, apart from getting the participants closer to God, it was appreciating how different our homes are compared to the state that we were essentially living in. It also served to make us realise how sometimes we seem to take things for granted, something that certainly couldn’t be done here, least of all with the increasingly unpredictable weather!

However, while the joys and experiences of camping are generally unparalleled, and the various new friends that I made are treasured, the most crucial thing that I managed to get out of my trip to Soul Survivor was an inner peace that I haven’t experienced in a lengthy amount of time, as well as fostering a better relationship with God. My apathy towards my faith is now all but gone, and I believe that coming back from England, I am not only a better person but also a better Christian. My attitude towards life has now changed; all of this from an unexpected opportunity that I welcomed with open arms. I grabbed the bull by its horns, and I most definitely do not regret it.

Matthew Borg is a second year Law Student at the University of Malta and is a member of Insite – the Student Media Organisation. This blog was produced by Insite – the Student Media Organisation. www.insite.org.mt