It is hard to believe that Ambassador Youth Camp 2010 is more than a month behind us. Camp attendees heard in advance how life-changing this fourth year of camp would be. As always, AYC yet again surpassed expectations! The experience and impact of two weeks in the deep woods of Raccoon Creek State Park—with others striving to live God’s way of life—is almost beyond description!

Without the distraction from the outside world, campers and staff had an abundance of fun participating in activities, learning new skills and overcoming fears. Everyone built new friendships and strengthened old ones with those of like mind.

For teens and young adults in God’s Church, the daily—almost relentless—pressure to be accepted by peers in the world can be overwhelming at times. Staying committed to God’s Way in a society moving in the opposite direction is a huge challenge—one made even more difficult by the isolation felt by many teens scattered across the globe who never meet on the Sabbath with anyone their age. In light of these circumstances, Ambassador Youth Camp 2010 was a crucial tool to unify and educate God’s youth.

No other time of year can compare to that of AYC—and this issue of Ambassador Youth magazine will reveal why!

Training Leaders

The overall theme of AYC continues to be training future leaders, and a variety of activities worked to achieve this goal.

In addition to sports and physical activities, the daily schedule included lectures covering a number of practical and spiritual topics, which both campers and staff attended. Furthermore, using Ambassador Club (organized by Herbert W. Armstrong at Ambassador College in the 1950s) as a guide, campers participated in a Tabletopics session to teach them how to effectively communicate verbally and think quickly under pressure.

After hearing lectures on the purposes of Ambassador Club and how to prepare and give a speech, campers delivered both “Icebreaker” and “Interesting Experience” speeches in front of their peers. These ranged in time from two to six minutes, with some teens going as long as eight minutes! A few approached the lectern with great fear, but after speaking for a minute or two, they became quite comfortable in front of a group.

This public speaking training culminated in a Tabletopics session the final Saturday evening, when campers had the unique opportunity to answer youth-related questions in front of more than 100 people! Also, for the first time, four senior campers delivered six-minute “Interesting Experience” speeches that evening. This further added to the specialness of the final full day at camp.

Endless Memories

It is hard to distinguish the most memorable moments of AYC 2010—there are so many! I am able to recount dozens of wonderful memories.

Campers and staff learned how to compete in several organized sports the right way. They learned basic skills in volleyball, soccer and softball, and participated in tournaments—sometimes having to endure playing in the blazing sun, which meant drinking lots of water! Attendees also learned determination and perseverance through a hike that occurred on a blistering hot and humid day, an arduous 13-mile canoe trip, an intense whitewater rafting excursion through Class III and IV rapids, and a high ropes challenge course, which forced participants to overcome the intimidation of performing strenuous physical tasks high above the ground—over 25 feet in some cases! Some entered activities full of fear, but they faced their panic head-on and experienced a rush of fun!

On the canoe trip, participants in 25-plus canoes enjoyed peacefully, yet with much effort, floating down the Lower Youghiogheny River together—miles from civilization—with some singing camp songs part of the way.

Stories from the past three years caused everyone to eagerly anticipate the whitewater rafting trip down the Lower Youghiogheny River, which occurred toward the end of camp. This event seems to be the highlight of AYC for many, and for good reason. The thrill of entering—and sometimes successfully navigating—a thundering Class IV rapid is second to none! Cooling off in the river on occasion can also be fun!

These and numerous other experiences at AYC etched mental images into our minds that will be replayed over and over again, bringing smiles to our faces far into the future.

As incredible as were the numerous physical moments, the warm fellowship and growth in character left the deepest impact. Watching campers gain confidence and conquer fears—whether by giving their first formal speech, climbing over 25 feet into a tree on the high ropes courses, or navigating roaring rapids—was unforgettable. So were the many hours we spent conversing with each other over delicious meals in the dining hall.

Why This Issue

If each attendee were asked which experiences impacted them most profoundly, each would likely respond with different stories. Herein lies one of the primary motivations behind this special edition of Ambassador Youth (now the third year we have produced such an issue): to see camp through the eyes of the teens who attended it. No one—not I, or any other staff member—could tell the story of AYC 2010 as well as campers who experienced it firsthand. All who read this issue are in for a special treat, especially those who did not attend—they will be able to immerse themselves in the AYC experience as much as possible without having been there, and will almost certainly desire to attend next year!

This issue of Ambassador Youth showcases campers’ growth by chronicling their memories from AYC and spotlighting their ability to communicate their experiences. We are certain you will thoroughly enjoy their stories, as well as the photographs.

Long before campers began their assignments, much planning went into what topics to cover and which camper would be best suited for each assignment. After basic instruction, campers were given their assignments and staff members provided one-on-one instruction during several editorial workshops throughout camp. Through these writing tasks, which are different from standard school assignments, campers had a unique opportunity to grow.

True Happiness!

It is our hope that all of the friendships, lectures, lessons and this special Ambassador Youth issue will serve as a reminder of just how different two weeks at Ambassador Youth Camp are from two weeks in the world. Nothing can compare to AYC—just ask those who have been there!

Once back at home, teens can feel isolated and alone in their daily struggle to obey God. It can be easy to allow the strong temptations of society to pull them away from God’s Way—to make them forget all that they learned at camp.

Strive to be different! Do not lose sight of all you learned during those two incredible weeks. Be sure to deeply reflect upon your time there; consider how much you grew! Look past your physical experiences and search for deeper, more lasting spiritual lessons. Resist the temptation to become part of the world—and do everything you can to ensure you will attend AYC 2011.

This issue serves as a reminder that true happiness—such as what was experienced at AYC 2010—can be achieved only by living God’s way of life. Never forget this paramount point!

I, as well as the rest of the staff, look forward to seeing everyone again next year.

Now enjoy this wonderful issue—and get an inside view of Ambassador Youth Camp 2010!