Greetings
Dear Prayer Family,
Mary and Joshua came to camp for the third time this summer. They are the
two youngest of five siblings and have some of the hardest stories I have ever
heard. Their life was filled with violence on every level. Mother and father
were drug addicts which would sell their children for money and drugs. After
years of abuse their father went to prison and the children thought they were
finally free. With few options for housing they went to live with a close
family friend they called Auntie. Things were not good there either. For
entertainment Auntie would make the children fight. They called it fight club,
and if you did not win you did not eat. Joshua is very small and was always
matched up against a girl. He sobbed at the guilt of having to bloody the
little girls he fought as he tried to survive in his family.
The
first time Joshua came to camp he had so much pent up anger he could not handle
participating in almost anything at camp. Joshua continually ran away from his
counselor, only feeling safe when he closed his world off to everyone around
him. When he came to camp this year he felt safe; he was able to receive the
love we offered him. He laughed and played and was so happy to receive hugs
from Tarrah and me. Only once did he shut down during the entire week. Because Joshua is so small the other boys were picking him up and carrying him like a baby. He
hated it, but could not seem to tell them to stop. When Tarrah told him he can
tell the boys to stop he said, “It doesn’t matter, I can’t keep anyone from
doing whatever they want to me.” It was a terrifying statement to hear from
this small boy who has been taken advantage of in so many ways. Joshua said he
received Jesus and he is growing and learning to trust Jesus with his life,
thank you for your continued prayers for Joshua.
Mary,
Joshua's sister, received Christ at camp this summer. Mary is a sweet and
lovely girl. She has beautiful deep blue eyes and shoulder length blonde hair.
Her smile lights up any room she enters. You would never guess she had suffered
such violence. Tarrah was able to share with her about the healing love of
Christ and exhort her to love her little brother with the love that Christ is
showing her. Both of these campers have grown so much in large part because of
the prayers that have been offered up for them for years as they have come to
camp each summer. They are healing!
Thank you for
your faithful prayers and supplications for these most precious of God’s
children.
Blessings to
you all,
Matt
Pritchett
Camp Director
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