Reformátusok Lapja, 1963 (64. évfolyam, 1-9. szám)

1963-10-01 / 8. szám

14

REFORMÁTUSOK LAPJA

TO OUR YOUTH

By Rev. Frank Endrei

THE 14th ANNUAL YOUTH CONFERENCE OF MAGYAR SYNOD — AUGUST 25-31 NEAR CONNEAUT, OHIO

The bell rang at 7:00 A. M. and a few sleepy faces were seen soon after. It was the beginning of another day at the Magyar Synod Youth Conference. Overlooking manificent Lake Erie, there was plenty of fresh air at Camp Luther to keep us awake.

At 7:30 the “Morning Watch” began. — Campers were seen sitting under trees seeking as much prirvacy in the open as was available. The daily devotional material they used was written by Peter and Helen Borsay of the Youth Cabinet. Yes, we had a praying camp. In addition to private devotions great stress was laid on group prayer. The staff sensed that for the conference to be worthwhile, the living God must speak to the hearts of our young. Every day, counselors, speakers and worship leaders got together to form a prayer circle. The youth officers, with Leslie Borsay as president, formed such a circle themselves. In fact, each cabin of campers, too, had prayer together at the end of the day. God’s answer came. Many of our young people were thirsting and hungering after the Lord. The theme of the conference was, “The Seeking Years”. Seeking people they were.

Following breakfast, at 9:00 we gathered in the chapel for a brief worship, organized by Marge Sontra, vice-president, and led by some of the campers. Then, Rev. Joseph T. Bayly would get behind the speaker’s stand to tell that Jesus Christ is the answer for the searching heart. “You must build your life on the foundation of Christ”, he said. “All other foundations will give way.” He talked to us about the Samaritan woman in John 4, who met face to face with the Saviour, Who on the basis of her repentance and faith forgave her, made her new and made life worthwhile for her. Rev. Bayly then dealt with such topics as: “The Christian View of Sex”, “The Christian at School”, “The Christian in His Friendships” and “The Lordship of Jesus Christ in Our Personal Lives”. He made the distinction clear that we don’t make Jesus Christ Lord. He is Lord and we must simply acknowledge this fact in our lives. In further issues

of this youth column we will bring you Rev. Bayly’s addresses in greater detail. He has had many years of ministry to college students and is now the managing editor of David C. Cook Sunday School materials.

Faced with the claim of Christ upon our lives, our campers were full of questions. It was a heart lifting experience to hear our young say that they wanted Jesus Christ to be the foundation of their life.

Before our hungry stomachs could receive some earthly nourishment, we were divided into six groups to discuss problems of local youth fellowships. Those leading the discussions were: Ethel Molnár, Betty Ann Turrell, Leslie Borsay, Peter Borsay, Fred Ondo and Marge Sontra.

After lunch we were again divided into eight groups for the workshops. The drama workshop was lead by Mrs. Vesta Ritzman; music, by Enikő Babos; worship, by Rev. Stephen Szilagyi of Cleveland; Sunday School, by Mrs. George Turrell; Religion in Literature, by Rudy Almasy; The Christian on the Campus, by Leslie and Helen Borsay; Hungarian Folk Lore, by Rev. Csaba Baksa of Hammond, Ind., and Bible Study, by Rev. Frank Endrei of Gary, Indiana.

Our busy camp nurse was Mrs. Stephen Szilagyi. The cabin counselors were: Mrs. Joseph Almasy, Darlene Bene, Yolanda Benedek, Mrs. Thomas Chandler, Julius Hagymasi, Jesse Molnár, Dick Schnierer, Suzanne Sontra, Susan Szalay, Mrs. George Turrell and Frank Vrudney.

The afternoon meant free time from 3:00 to 5:30. Down the steep slope of the lake went a line of eager beachers. The waves were great, the water was warm, though the air could have been a little warmer. Some others played badminton, others yet fought tough battles of ping-pong or shuffle board. When the dinner bell rang it seemed like time had gone fast. Good singing at the meals was an indication of good mood. “Holla Hi, Holla Ho”, “The Ash Grove”, “Now, Let Us Sing” were among the most liked.

At 7:00 we proceeded quietly to the vesper point, on the high banks of the lake, with the sun on a setting course. It was a magnificent view. Rev. Aaron Elek, then pastor of our Fairport Harbor church, was a dynamic speaker. He spoke on such subjects as “You Cannot Force God’s Hand”, “The Certainty in God’s Word”, “The Meaning of Sacrifice in the Christian Life”.

The remainder of the evening brought planned recreation. There were games and relays. One night Ethel Molnár told us about her experiences at previous camps. It was entertainment at its best. Rev. Alexander Babos led the game “Oa Tegu Siam”, which was one