Last October in partnership with Christian Surfers Internship program, CSALT, we ran a Girls Surfing Camp – also known as Surfari.
Being a girls-only surfing camp the boys had to get cleared out and the Smiths Beach Campsite was exclusively for the ladies over the weekend. Street Peace was honoured to bring 13 girls and leaders from Frankston, many of whom had never swam in a back-beach ocean before. The girls from Street Peace had the chance over the weekend to learn how to surf 1 on 1 with CSALT’s incredible female instructors. This set the stage for an exciting weekend of faith-building and fear-conquering challenges that would safely push these girls beyond their comfort zones.
Over the course of the weekend the girls grew in their confidence, celebrated every little win in the water and by the end of the weekend learned to catch their own wave to shore. These mornings and afternoons were filled with plenty of fun and laughter, as we all learned just how difficult it really is to stand upright on a moving surfboard! Each wave was met with determination, however, and it didn’t take long for the girls to learn how to conquer the seas.
As the sun set and made way for the night, the Street Peace and CSALT girls spent time together sharing stories, painting and playing a variety of games. This was such a powerful contrast to the harsher realities of street-life many of our Street Peace girls are exposed to on the daily. The CSALT team were nothing short of incredible across the weekend, putting together dinners, carving out time to share testimonies and creating a warm and safe environment for our youth to share their own personal stories.
It was in these moments that we witnessed Holy Spirit bring healing, joy and freedom into the lives of these young girls. In the same way these girls stepped out of their comfort zone in the ocean, they also had the confidence to share their own struggles and life challenges, creating room for God encounters and healing unlike anything else. Our girls and team were greatly encouraged by these female CSALT leaders, displaying Christ-like faith, the beauty of what sisterhood can look like in God; challenging their perceptions of what life at home can be like.
After a weekend of early mornings in the surf, growing in Jesus and sleeping in a converted school bus, it was sadly time to head back home. Moving away from these weekends can be hard at times for some of our youth, however the fruit and growth that occurs out of these environments when they are back home can be just as powerful and inspiring. What we have witnessed from this event is many of these girls continuing their journey of faith, giving their lives to Jesus, getting baptised at Frankston beach and finding a church to call home.
The hunger for Jesus from these girls has only increased, wanting to see the transformation they have experienced in the lives of their families and friends. Our goal from this point forward is to continue to mentor and disciple these girls to become the next generation of leaders, to use what they have experienced with CSALT as the foundation for greater breakthrough and life transformation to come. We pray that the heart message of ‘I am an overcomer’ and can do ‘ all things through Christ who strengthens me’ has forever marked these girls’ hearts.
This trip was made possible by the generosity of donors to Street Peace, without their heart to partner with us we wouldn’t be able to run these types of camps. If you want to partner alongside us to support future camps like these head our donation page.