18-year-old Hannah Combe shares how CRU West camps have impacted her faith and given her community, despite the distance.
Hannah Combe, CRU West camper (right)
How far would you go to attend a camp? 25km? 50km? 100km? How about 1500km? That’s 16 hours by road or 2 hours by plane, the equivalent distance from Sydney to Melbourne and almost back again. That’s how far Hannah Combe went to attend CRU West’s Quest camp!
Hannah grew up in a Christian family, going to Sunday School and church with her parents, her dad being an Anglican minister and now a Chaplain to Mission to Seafarers in Dampier in the north-western Pilbara region of WA. When Hannah was about 14 or 15, she attended a Christian conference where they explored the book of Ruth, and it really struck her that “Jesus will never leave us and will always want to stay with us like Ruth and Naomi and their relationship. Our relationship with Jesus can be like that too. And I was like, wow!”
But being a kid in a regional town was tough. Hannah attended the local high school. “It was really hot some days. Sometimes the air con wouldn’t work and you’d be like, why am I at school? Also, there wasn’t really any other Christian kids my age. Basically, growing up in the church, there was me, my sister, and one of her friends. That was it. It could be a bit isolating.”
One year, at a conference where all the ministers from across the North-West Diocese came together to recharge, they didn’t know what to do with all the youth who came. But they saw CRU West running camps in Perth so sent the youth to camp for the week. Hannah, in Year 8 at the time, attended CRU Quest. “I had so much fun on those four days that, when I got home, I said to dad, I want to do this again.”
Hannah has since been on eight CRU Camps including some ‘Big Summers’ and ‘CrossTrains’ and most recently ‘CRU West Leavers’ in November last year. “Seeing that there were other Christians my age out there — that was an amazing highlight! Camp was encouraging and transforming, the leaders were great and I made some good friends.
“After one CRU Camp a few years ago, a group of us decided to stay in contact and have weekly Bible studies with each other online. Me in Karratha, others from Broome, Port Hedland, and Perth. The first book we went through was Ephesians, and then I think we did Romans. It was really encouraging just to see each other every week. And we still stay in contact even now.”
“Seeing that there were other Christians my age out there — that was an amazing highlight!”
CRU Camps have had a profound impact on Hannah, particularly given her remote location. “Coming down to a CRU Camp and seeing everyone and hearing all the teenagers say ‘Amen’ at the same time — that was amazing! It’s the best feeling ever knowing that it’s not just me.”
Having just finished Year 12, Hannah plans on doing a gap year with SMBC in Sydney, spending time with God as she studies a Diploma of Christian Foundations, goes on a cultural study tour and travels overseas on a mini mission trip. After that, she hopes to study nursing in Perth and lead on a CRU Camp or two.
Thank God for Hannah and how He has worked in her life. Give thanks that God isn’t limited by distance or remoteness but that he works through all situations for His glory. Pray for Hannah as she studies away from home and ask that she would grow and deepen her love for the Lord as she depends more and more on Him.