Dear Prayer Warriors,
Greetings! This is Alejandro and the session last week was once again amazing. We had a full contingency of campers, which made the time soar by. By weeks’ end, whilst praising God for the work He had completed, my only other feelings were that of sadness to see these precious children of God depart from camp. But during camp, God graced me by paring me up with a couple of regular gentlemen. One of whom, a returning camper by the name of Jose, was truly a joy to become more familiar with throughout the week. Unfortunately, he fell ill mid week and periodically rested in the infirmary to combat a reoccurring fever. Notwithstanding his health status, he was a trooper and still held a positive attitude throughout the duration of camp. What’s more, despite his more reticent stigma within a group, during our one-on-one’s he shared his testimony accompanied by a fresh trial in his life. He never knew his father, and his mother abandoned him at a young age. However I praise our Father for allowing another gracious woman to adopt and raise him. Albeit things at home for him are currently stressful, and are weighing on his and his mother’s heart, he demonstrated a godly strength to endure and persevere. My prayer for Jose is that he will continue to bless his family, and use the strength that God has built in him to fortify his relationship with Him, and spread the Good News. Thank you once again for your continual support throughout the year!
This past week I, Brian, was blessed to spend time with Jonathan. Jonathan was fourteen years old, six feet tall, over 170 pounds, and had a deep need for physical attention. He had no idea of physical boundaries, and several times a day he would try to put me into a headlock, pick me up, or squeeze my back. I had the opportunity to not only share with him about self-control and safe ways to show affection, but of Christ’s abundant love to us. We sang many songs together in amphitheater with his arm over my shoulder, doing hand motions and singing together. During one of the worship songs he even tried to hold one of my hands up so I could worship God like he saw some of the other counselors doing. In many ways Jonathan was still a child, yet he frequently inspired me with his simple, yet sound knowledge of God.
We took a walk for our one-on-one the last
night, and I was unable to have a productive conversation with him because he
was so distracted by the forest around him. However, I finally gave up trying to reach him on that level and started
singing “Jesus Loves Me” to him. As soon as I started singing he sang along,
and as we sang together, I was overcome by God’s love towards him and me.
Afterwards, as I simply told of God’s love for him, he listened, he understood,
and he responded: sharing with me of the years he spent as a child with his
abusive mother, and contrasting that with God’s love for him. What joy it
brought me to see God personally meeting with Jonathan and providing for him!
In Christ,
Alejandro
& Brian
Summer
Staff 2014
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