[USA] The 7th World Camp in New York

On the 20th of August, the world’s best youth mind education programme, the IYF World Camp had finally came to New York after passing through LA and Mexico. The World Camp is the biggest official event of IYF USA and it has attracted the attention of all the young people around USA as it reached its 7th year of taking place in New York.

There are a variety of programmes at this World Camp, which took place in Mahanaim School and the Upper Room Hall. There is a variety of Academies, cultural performances, the Christian Leaders Fellowship, the Gracias Choir Concert and the Mind Lecture of Pastor Ock Soo Park.

On the 21st the Opening Ceremony took place in the Upper Room to begin the World Camp in New York.

Before the beginning of the main programmes, a number of guests and VIPs took their place in a Reception where they wanted to discuss the Mind Education for the youth, with Pastor Ock Soo Park. There was the Ambassador of Uganda, the Ambassador of Swaziland, government officials, veterans of the Korean War and Christian Leaders who had all gathered together to talk about the IYF.

Especially, the meeting between the Ambassador of Uganda and Pastor Ock Soo Park was meaningful. Pastor Ock Soo Park, who had me the President of Uganda last year, also had the history of delivering the Mind Lecture in the World Camp in Uganda in the past August as well. After hearing all this, the Ambassador of Uganda was so happy and it became an opportunity for him to draw even closer ties with the IYF.

After the Reception, much to the delight of the students, the Opening Ceremony of the 2017 World Camp in New York began. In the World Camp, the cultural performances prepared by the IYF students and the performance of the Gracias Choir brought happiness and joy to the hearts of the students.

Especially, the winning team of the Jeonju IYF Dance Festival, the American Dream’s performance made the students even happier and made them exhilarated.

Afterwards, the world’s best Gracias Choir and world class musicians collaborated on stage to wow the audience even further. They closed the curtains to the song, ‘You Raise Me Up’ which drew a standing ovation from the students.

This was followed by the most important and the needed session for the students, the Mind Lecture of Pastor Ock Soo Park.

The Founder of IYF, Pastor Ock Soo Park, began to deliver the message with a heart that wishes the happiness of all the students.

He began to speak about how to defeat many problems with the Mindset through a variety of stories such as the story of the woman whose mother was blind, the monkey with the chain around it sneck and the woman to stabbed her husband to death.

“Everyone, I learnt the world of the heart form the Bible. When we are able to understand each other’s hearts, that is when we can solve each other’s problems. Just like this, if our hearts can be connected to God, then there will be such wonderful works of God appearing in our lives.”

The Opening Ceremony came to end after the message from Pastor Ock Soo Park who had the heart of hoping for change in the hearts of the students.

“I was so amazed. I think that this Camp will be a great influence for the young students. I think that it is important for young people to have hope through this Camp as Pastor said and having experiences that they will need in the future is priceless.”

Team Leader William Martinov

This is the 7th year that the World Camp has taken place in New York. Although there were many difficulties every year, there was never a time that God did not help. We were also full of hope of how God will help us in the World Camp.