Love from Above

Overflowing wait lists, anxious campers, and first-time camp directors. The challenges were many for Darwin Youth Camp, 2025. But God met both campers and leaders right where they were in transformative ways.

“The theme of the talks was love from above…” says Camp Director Daniel.

This love was clearly experienced below as campers and leaders alike reached out to God for help. 

To begin with, the camp received unprecedented interest and attention, resulting in the allocated 70 places being far from enough to meet the demand.  Before he knew it, Daniel had 12 young people on his wait list. This was only the first (albeit very encouraging) challenge.

When Daniel got news that the septic system at the campsite was under pressure from heavy rainfall, he realised he couldn’t control every outcome. 

“I got some of my key leaders together, and we made a plan … I felt very vulnerable because I just couldn’t do anything, and so I was just praying and praying …”

Thankfully, the septic system held out, and more than this, God worked through the experience to bring Daniel to greater confidence in him. 

“God definitely used the camp to show me that I’m not a kid anymore, and that I can deal with things that come up, even if it is way out of my depth. I can do it because he helps me,” says Daniel. 

Leaders weren’t the only ones growing in their faith. An anxious Year 7 boy asked Daniel if he could leave the camp early on.  However, after an amazing trip to the nearby waterfalls,  he changed his mind. 

What happened after this was even more significant. 

“There were some mini pocket Bibles available at camp, and he took one, and out of the blue, he comes up to me and he says, ‘Daniel, I’ve got this verse. Can I share it with you?’

“And it wasn’t even a verse. It was a whole Psalm …and he says, ‘You know, I really like the Psalm because it helps me when I’m in a dark place, and it gives me hope’. And I couldn’t believe it,” reflects Daniel. 

Every camp brings opportunities for lives to be changed. To find out more about the camps running in your local area and how you, or someone in your family, might be involved visit su.org.au/events