By LUANA PANIU
Standing proud and tall under the heat of the sun, they turned up in numbers for the flag raising ceremony to kick start the four-day camp.
They were members of the NCDC Adventist Youth (AY) from across the nation's capital, representing different zones and Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) churches.
These youths had been trained from an early age, the art of discipline, commitment and service.
A vital resource of the nation, these youths knew their place as pro-active members of society, contributing to the mental, physical, spiritual and social needs of others.
They have attended previous annual combined camp meets, but this year's event was different. The camp site was a primary school at the Motuan village, Lealea, 45 minutes east of Port Moresby town.
Lealea is a non Adventist village and the primary school is a project site where the Adventist youth had just completed building a classroom.
The double story building comprising four classrooms was funded by AY members from special offerings of K8,000 they contributed.
NCDC Youth Co-ordinator, Daniel Lavaiamat said they had contributed towards two projects at Lealea, the classroom building and a water well.
The project is in two phases. Phase one was to build the classrooms and phase two will include cementing and lighting and building of a water well.
The youth committed four Sundays in a month to complete the building.
"This is part of their training and falls in line with the theme for the four days, Shaped For Service, which simply means, your duty to God and your fellow man," Mr. Lavaiamat
An emotional Michael Haro, a senior teacher and property Manager for the school thanked the youths for their contributions.
"Although this village is largely made up of United Church members, this gift will remind us of the Seventh Day Adventist youths," he said when addressing more then 1,000 AY members who attended the camp.
"We have been planning means and ways to build a new classroom and were pleasantly surprised at this gift given to us by you," he said.
The additional four classrooms will cater for the growing number of students attending the school.
The four-day camp was buzzing with activities, sessions and services focused on youth development.
"The youths were required to rise at 4am for individual devotion and then at 5-6 they had devotion with their zone members and then a combined devotion with every member present," said Mr. Lavaiamat.
Sessions conducted by youth coordinators included: courtship, marriage, the art of teaching, culture, first aid, Adventist values and cult worship with guest speakers from the Investment Promotion Authority, Lae Union Mission and the Central Papua Mission (CPM), of the Seventh Day Adventist Church.
"We want to train them to take up office and church roles and to pass on their skills to others," Mr. Lavaiamat said.
He said combined camping gave members the opportunity to interact and participate in games and concert nights.
The AY is a small faction of the much larger Adventurers, Pathfinders, and Ambassadors all commonly known as YPA and makes up the final stage of development of the four.
"Initially, we have Adventurers, Pathfinders and the newly incepted Ambassadors where shaping starts and service begins at the mature ages of the youth, worldwide," he said.
Adventurers are aged 5-9, Pathfinders, 10-15 years, Ambassadors are aged 16 -21 and Youth are between the ages 22 -35.
Activities include theory and practical skills which are centred around the physical, mental, spiritual and social development at a young age.
He said all clubs are graded on their performance each year as a class, club and individual to be eligible to be invested (graduate) to the next level.
He said the youths held a big responsibility in the church which included, evangelism, witnessing, outreach, programs, visitations, teaching, camping, training to be self sufficient, carpentry, social activities.
Guest speaker, Geoffrey Pomaleu, who is the National Youth Director for the 79,000 Adventist Youths in the country, challenged the youth, to be an example for God in every aspect of life, to make a change in the community.
Mr. Pomaleu referred to Jeremiah of the Old Testament who had refused Gods calling because of the lack of confidence he had in himself.
"Regardless of our background, God still claimed ownership over our life and we must render to him, what rightfully belongs to him, knowing that he will give you the strength to achieve anything, and that includes willingly giving yourself for service," he said.
He stressed that while God called you, he also gave humankind the freedom to choose.
"We want to develop the youths from a House Base Development where they learn from their parents and then when they begin in Adventurers, they go through church base development where their YPA leaders are their mentors, then they go through District Base Development, where Co-odinators come in and then they take what they have learnt to the community, known as community based development." he said.
Adventist Youth, a worldwide organization embedding principles that not only stay with you for life, but for all of eternity.

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