July 25, 2014
The Alliance has a rich history of camping ministries. Since the earliest days of our movement, hundreds of thousands of people have made life-changing decisions for Christ through Alliance camps around the world. These outreaches also help our workers to build trust in the communities where they serve.
“We just finished two weeks of English Camp and are praising God for every moment!” reported an Alliance worker in Latin America. “A team of U.S. volunteers partnered with us, and we had a great group of campers.”
Two weeks before camp, only a handful of kids had signed up. But by the time camp started, many new families had registered their children. “On our highest attended day, we had 30 kids,” the worker said. “We consistently had more than 20 on the other days. The kids enjoyed the camp so much that many convinced their parents to sign them up for the second week, too.
“We are thankful to God for answering prayer and for sending them to us. I feel like it was a miracle.”
Bridges of Trust
“Some people might think we should have had vacation Bible school instead of an English camp,” the worker said. “But helping kids to gain confidence in their use of English builds bridges of trust. In a place where the message of Jesus can be hard to swallow, the love demonstrated by our volunteers speaks volumes.”
The worker received a call from a mother who sent her two boys to camp. The woman and her husband said they were impressed with the quality of the U.S. volunteers and wanted to know if any of them were still in the city.
In God’s timing, one of the boys’ leaders had not yet returned to the United States and was invited to spend the afternoon with this family.
This is just one example of the openness that results from summer camps. “The impact of sharing Jesus’ love in practical and fun ways extends beyond the camp experience,” our worker said. “It often creates new connections and relationships within the community.”
Our workers request prayer as they follow up with these families but added, “Our prayer for you is that you will find opportunities within your context to love with the love of Jesus. It’s a language everyone understands.”
Photo courtesy of an Alliance worker
What You Can Do
Pray
Join the Alliance family in praying for our international workers in Latin America and worldwide, who are taking the good news to some of the most spiritually dark places on earth. Use the weekly Alliance Prayer Requests to assist you.
Give
Give to the Great Commission Fund (GCF) and support Alliance workers, who are creating access to the gospel where none previously existed.
Learn More
Read another story about an English camp, this one in Germany.
Check out the Alliance Camping Ministry Web site.
Visit our Envision Web site to learn how you can make an impact through a short-term missions trip.