Mei-Lin Denne-Toh has achieved a rare triple in CRU involvement – she’s been on over 30 CRU Holiday Camps, attended and led lunchtime school CRU Groups, and is currently an energetic firstyear trainee in the Summit Program, CRU’s training and camping ministry program. Being involved with CRU in so many ways, it’s safe to say that she’s passionate about its gospel work through its different ministries. Let’s find out why.
Hi Mei, can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
My name is Mei-Lin, and most people call me Mei. I’m 17 and I’ve grown up living in the Sydney area. I graduated from high school last year, in 2020. I was really blessed to be born into a Christian family – both my mum and dad are Christian.
You attended a Christian lunchtime CRU Group at school. Why did you attend each week?
Most of my friends in my school group weren’t Christian, so going to CRU Group was an opportunity for me to connect with Christians my age and be encouraged in my faith. Especially in Year 12 when things got harder, having that support network of people who could point me to what the Bible says about those challenging things was so helpful.
What got you hooked on CRU Holiday Camps?
My first CRU Camp was Getaway, when I was in Year 4. I loved it so much and I just couldn’t stop going each school holiday!
The activities on CRU Camps were obviously a lot of fun – I loved doing things like skiing. But combined with all that fun stuff were the talks and the discussion groups. They were such a safe place for me to come and ask questions, grow more in my faith, and wrestle with all these doubts and struggles that I had, with leaders who were really encouraging and genuinely caring.
What made you decide to apply to the Summit Program?
I always thought that I’d go straight to uni and had this very rigid idea of where I was going to be in the next five years. And then God challenged that. COVID-19 happened, things were really uncertain, and I didn’t really know what I was going to do. Then I remembered hearing about the Summit Program at January Leadership Camp in 2019.
After chatting to a church friend who had done the program and hearing how amazing it was, I thought, “You know what, I'm going to give it a go.” I prayed and applied, and all through the application process I became more and more sure. I kept hearing so many great things from other people and God convinced me that the work Summit does is so important.
Has it been what you expected?
Both yes and no. I didn’t expect the workload. As a camper, you don't realise how much goes on behind the scenes!
But I love the supportive Summit family. It’s so nice to have people who come from all different walks of life together, serving God in such an encouraging team. Seeing their passion for God every day encourages me to learn more about Him and grow in my journey with Him, and just share His love with these kids. I know firsthand from being a camper, the impact that it has on so many people. Being an instrument for God in this way is really incredible.
What does an average day of Summit training look like?
Yesterday we started off at 8:30am with one of our ministry training blocks, ‘Topical Devotional Training’. Our trainers, Seb and Brooke, showed us how to use the skill of systematic theology to explore different topics in the Bible. It will help us to write our own Biblebased devotionals that will be used on camp during the leaders’ meetings. After lunch, we also did activity training in ‘Bush Survival’ and ‘Introduction to Biking’.
It was really fun. I had a great time getting outdoors and growing in knowledge as well. I was equipped to not only do the activities on camps, but also be able to have more godly chats with kids.
Leading on CRU Educational Camps is a large component of the Summit Program. What does an average day on camp look like?
We begin the day with team prayer, focusing on God and why we’re actually there. We then wake up the campers, have breakfast, and normally we jump into interactive Christian Discovery and discussion groups where the kids can ask any questions. We then have activities, like sailing or rock climbing, abseiling, then lunch and more activities. After dinner, we finish off with night games and a theme night or murder mystery, before the kids get to go to bed. The leaders then debrief at a leaders meeting to chat over the really great moments of the day, and get all organised and re-energised for the next day!
What’s the most challenging thing about Summit?
I would say engaging with campers who just want nothing to do with talking to us leaders. It can be really challenging to still have passion and be convicted in what you’re saying when you can’t see immediate fruit. The challenge is to trust that God is always working, even when it doesn’t feel like it.
What’s the best thing about Summit?
The best thing about Summit is getting to go on camps and seeing firsthand the impact that camp has on kids. Seeing other leaders having godly chats with kids who have never even thought about the possibility of there being a God is so exciting.
Secondly, the support network in Summit is so encouraging. My intake is really close, and I’ve loved getting to know these people from all different walks of life. Also, having mentors who care so much about us and long to see us grow, is amazing.
Why do you think camps often have such an impact on campers?
Rather than just teaching them or chucking knowledge at them, there’s an emphasis placed upon making a personal connection with the campers, getting to know them, and caring about what they care about. Not every chat is about God, a lot of the conversation is just, “How are you going? How are you enjoying camp? What are you looking forward to?” But I think that actually goes a long way in developing a connection that later on allows them to talk more freely about their faith and what they believe.
But the campers aren’t the only ones that have been impacted on camp. At Summit, I’ve seen myself grow exponentially in both my faith and as a person, and I can see the way that God is working in my life and those around me. It really has been an amazing experience.
