Five years ago my life was turned upside down by God. He met me right there, where I was standing, at a mountain’s snowy top, challenging death. He accepted me as I was (He still does!) and He showed me a life to share, to give, to rediscover. Even if at the beginning I couldn’t totally understand the fullness of His love and His purpose to my life, I drifted a long time between my “new” life and the “old” one, always trying to establish a “righteous” path.
But He guided me all the time, brought me to the Faculté de théologie adventiste in France (Campus adventiste du Salève, Collonges-sous-Salève, France) to teach me. He allowed me to meet the most varied people, cultures and spiritualities. And in one of these encounters I discovered the Re-Creation volunteer program.
“Re-Creation Unlimited specializes in training and coordinating professionals who volunteer their time to serve the vacationing public to assist government agencies; raise appreciation for the wonders of nature; help build positive memories for family vacations; connect wholesome volunteers with young persons looking for role-models; and, expand Christian Culture. RU has expanded missions, developed methods, and equipped culture missionaries.” 1)

It was an amazing, spiritual life changing experience, and even if I did not work all the time with my Bible in hand, by the end of this summer’s experience my reputation was of being authentic in front of a watching world.
I realized how much in this post-modern generation so many are searching desperately for something real and authentic, and nowadays it is hard to find it even inside a Church. I desperately tried to die to sin and self and I felt a little peace of “the mind of Christ”. (1 Co 2.16)

Didier Oppliger
TheologyMaster Student