It was a sunny autumn morning when a group of 30 excited young people from the Brunstad Christian Church in South Africa (BCCSA) boarded a plane to Norway, to attend the 2023 International BUK Easter Camp (BUK – Brunstad Youth Clubs) held by the Brunstad Christian Church. BUK camps are held quarterly at Brunstad in Norway and 4 700 young people from BCC churches around the world attended the Easter Camp this year. The aim of these camps is to expose young people to the Word of God so that seeds are planted in their hearts and with nurturing they will bear fruit and they will become disciples of Jesus Christ.

A snow-covered Brunstad welcomed the South African youth, some of whom had never experienced snow before. On the first evening they were invited to have dinner with various families and were touched by the warm and welcoming hospitality they received.  An exciting and challenging six days lay ahead for them with a wide range of recreational activities available during the day, such as indoor and outdoor sports, creative workshops, a wilderness adventure, rock climbing, to name a few. The evenings were just as action packed with edifying and thought-provoking messages at the youth services, followed by team sports and group activities including an exciting codebreaker game.

However, the theme evening held on the Sunday, was the highlight of the camp. The evening was based on the 52-episode Bible study series on the Sermon on the Mount (SOTM), which BCC churches world-wide had recently participated in. The Sermon on the Mount in the Book of Matthew in the New Testament, is the most important message given to mankind by Jesus Christ during His life on earth and is the cornerstone on which Christianity was built. The theme evening was the culmination of the series and included an interactive film showing the practical use of the SOTM in daily life, as well as a panel discussion with Kåre J Smith, (the leader of BCC).  This evening made a lasting impression on many of the young people in attendance, as mentioned in the testimonies below.

Testimonies from several youth from South Africa:

Benjamin Lamusse:

“For me the camp was very blessed. What really stood out for me was the theme evening and the codebreaker game we played. It was also so good to see friends from all over the world again and to have fellowship with them at Brunstad!”

Amy Slabbert:

“The theme evening has really left an impression on me. It was the prefect ending to the Sermon on the Mount series and it really helped me understand how to use what I have learnt, in my daily life.  Something else that stood out for me was when Elias Aslaksen [Leader of BCC between 1943 – 1976] appeared in the form of a hologram on the stage and even though his message was from decades before I was born, it really felt as though it was meant for me and that I should take it to heart and live by it in today’s times.”

Marius Savage:

“I really enjoyed seeing my friends from all over the world and having fellowship with them.”

Lorraine van Jaarsveld:

“The BUK Easter Camp was just amazing! The feeling of unity in the main hall during youth services was so special. I will never forget the prayer meeting and Elias Aslaken’s message from decades ago, that is still applicable today.  I want to express my thanks to everyone who made it so wonderful for us!”

Keandre Jordaan:

“The best thing for me about the BUK Easter Camp was the theme evening.  It really stood out for me and helped me to understand a lot of things.”

Travel for this group was made possible by HMC (insert link)’s Travel Program.