Writing about ROYA’s camps is always a challenging task. How can one successfully encapsulate what these camps have to offer in words? They forge friendships, open eyes; they change people. For many, they’ve slowly become synonymous with breathing - they’ve not only become necessary, but an indispensable part of their lives. In this sense, this year’s winter camp was no exception. It was a remarkable growing experience and a change of pace from an otherwise disorderly and busy life.  

Every day started and ended in prayer which was to be expected from a Christian-based camp. However, an interesting addition to the typical morning and evening prayers was the exposure to various kinds of prayer and religious services. For example, we were introduced to the Jesus Prayer which despite its simplicity was probably the one which resonated with the camp the most. It felt very intimate and the naturally lit church set the mood for prayer. However, the major surprise was the vigil service. It felt nothing like any other service we usually take part in for several reasons. It started at midnight and the church was completely dark with only a few candles being lit; even the reading was done using a candle! The silence which engulfed the whole church was pierced solely by our singing. For the few hours we spent praying that night, we felt like our souls gained wings and we were floating above the ground. In that moment, the outside world faded away and we were connected to God.

The theme of the camp this year revolved around iconography and the idea of becoming living icons of Christ. Fr. Atanasie talked to us about the martyrs and confessors who suffered in the Romanian communist prisons whose examples of dignity and integrity during a critical period in history should be a beacon of hope for us as modern-day citizens. They accepted nothing less than the truth and did so without hesitation or regret. St Luke of Crimea used to say: “I loved martyrdom, which so strangely cleanses the soul” and it is though cleansing our souls that we become living icons of God.

The guest speaker this year was Fr. Daniel. Being an iconographer, he gave us good insight about what it takes to make an icon, as well as giving us the opportunity of working on an icon with him. We learned about the distinct stages: drawing the outline, placing the gold leaves and painting different layers (seven in total). Overall, it was a wonderful experience. The most interesting part of our time with Fr. Daniel was the discussion we had about the symbolism in byzantine iconography. Byzantine icons don’t just represent a saint or a scene, they tell a story and are heavily covered with symbols to the point where even the color of the garments is significant. For example, in most icons Christ is dressed in a red garment, which symbolizes divinity, and on top He is wearing a blue garment, symbolizing humanity. This is symbolic of the fact that Christ being God took on human nature, thus becoming man. The opposite can be said about the Mother of God, who is usually represented wearing the same colors, but inverted. She wears blue underneath because she’s human and red on top because she became divine.

The best moment of the camp was when we practiced a Christian tradition which few church communities keep alive anymore: the hug for forgiveness. It is a tradition in which, at the end of the Divine Liturgy (usually on the Sunday before the beginning of the Great Lent) all the members of the church ask for forgiveness from one another and then give each other a hug. This was such an emotional and intimate experience that it makes me wonder why such a beautiful custom is overlooked. The kind of connection you feel with the person in front of you when you apologize from the bottom of your heart cannot be described in words. In that moment and in that moment alone have I ever felt that the person in front of me is one with me, that they are my brother or sister in Christ, bound together by a sacred bond. In those few seconds, it felt like the only thing that mattered in the entire world was the person standing in front of me, and to them it was I. This prompted the question: why not do it every day? We often forget how important it is not only to forgive others but to also ask for forgiveness, regardless if we’re at fault.

Fr Atanasie has made a reputation for himself of making the transition to the new year an unforgettable experience, but this year was a little different. As always, we welcomed the new year in church, praying. We started by reading the Akatist of the Confessors of the communist prisons followed by a candle light procession singing songs dedicated to the martyrs. At the end of the procession, we lit a campfire and sang patriotic songs and carols dedicated to the confessors. To finish the night, we ended the procession with a large snowball fight in front of the fire.

This year was truly special for many reasons, mainly because it felt as if God was there with us. To the very last detail, everything felt right, peaceful. To top it off, we had a lot of snow. The whole monastery grounds looked like a winter wonderland, as if you’d opened a children’s book. For many of us, who don’t get much snow during the year, it was a great opportunity to relive our childhoods. We replicated those beautiful worry free years in which all we’d want to do is stay outside and play in the snow. There were snowball fights, games of manhunt and we even built half an igloo (which we never got to finish). But it was a nice touch; a gift from God to an otherwise perfect winter camp.

Ultimately, this camp was a reminder that we really do need to slow down our lives and start seeing the big picture. Yes, school is important; yes, jobs are important; yes, rehearsals, sports practice, music etc. are all important but they’re not what really matters. It’s so easy to become absorbed with tedious everyday needs and lose track of what really matters. A fulfilled life is not one where you have a great career, nor a big house, nor accomplishments you can brag about; a fulfilled life is one which we share with the people around us; life is family, friends, love, helping one another - in short, life is God.

And so, we experienced a week filled with a variety of prayers and services, singing, discussions, games, fun and snow. Indeed, all the activities we did were highly enjoyable, enriching and ultimately served to bring us closer together, but the best of all were the people! There’s an old Romanian saying that keeps popping in my head when I think back to the camp: “man blesses the place” (“omul sfinteste locul” in Romanian). Ultimately, I have to acknowledge the fact that it was the people (participants and organizers alike) who really gave the camp its ‘flavor’. I’ve learned so much from them, seeing them come together and interact with one another to hearing them speak. I can truly attest that they WERE the winter camp and that they really are living icons of Christ.

Rareș Răducu
Andrea Dumitrescu