Angel Tree® camping is a Prison Fellowship® program where kids of incarcerated parents attend Christian summer camps to have fun with friends, build relationships with counselors, and hear the gospel. Many of the children will make a first-time decision to trust in Jesus Christ.
It’s a great program with many great stories. Including this one from camp volunteer Emily Whelchel. We were forwarded an article she wrote about her experiences as a counselor.
Here’s an excerpt from her blog, Emily is Smiling:
Two years ago, I was a counselor at Angel Tree camp, an annual four-day-long camp for kids who have incarcerated family members. This was my third year to be a counselor. Being with the kids always taught me so much. Many of them had been physically and sexually abused. They all lived with so many doubts, fears, and insecurities. The girls would ask me things that left my head spinning, like, “We actually get THREE meals a day here?!” Eleven girls were in my cabin that year, from my city, and they’d been through so much more than I could ever imagine.
Each night we would go to a big meeting where the camp pastor would speak about God’s love and forgiveness and faith. One night we put floating crosses in a lake and had each camper light a candle representing someone who had hurt them in the past. When they placed the lit candle on one of the crosses, they were expressing their forgiveness for that person. The exercise was filled with tearful embraces, painful memories, and a lot of prayers.
I encourage you to read the whole post. If you’ve never heard of Angel Tree camping, testimonies like these are a great way to learn more about it.
And if you would like to support this life transforming ministry, go here for more details.