 Participants of the first Orthodox youth
camp in Bali, Indonesia. July, 2010. |
Participants of the first Orthodox youth
camp in Bali, Indonesia. July, 2010. |
The first-ever Orthodox spiritual youth retreat was held in Bali, Indonesia July, 23-25. Six local teens, ages 16 to 18 attended the two-day camp fully sponsored by the Fund for Assistance.
The purpose of the retreat was to engage youth in church life, help them find their true self in Orthodoxy and make better life choices. The campers attended a full cycle of church services, participated in discussions, Bible study classes and even tried painting icons.
According to camp leader and local priest, Rev. Alexander Kobesi, the children enjoyed themselves and expressed a wish to have similar activities twice a year.
“I finally understand the Orthodox faith”, said one participant. “I’m thankful to be Orthodox”.
The local Orthodox community is completely Balinese. Camp organizers consider youth retreats as a good way to help youth stay away from widespread usage of drugs and to propagate the Orthodox faith to the locals. They hope to engage more participants next time. Total cost of event: $253.
The Orthodox community in Bali comprises 34 parishioners and 27 catechumens. Divine services are held in parishioners’ homes, as there is no church yet.
