Loved: Through the Roof

“I want to have friends like that!” Brooklynn told herself.

She had just heard the story about the paralyzed man whose friends lowered him down through a roof just so he could meet Jesus (Luke 5:17–26). She was 8 years old.

At the time, Brooklynn was at Camp Agape in Eugene, Oregon, through a scholarship made possible by Prison Fellowship Angel Tree^®. Providing a way for kids like Brooklynn to go to camp is one of the many ways that Angel Tree gives spiritual, emotional, and relational support to families affected by incarceration.

As much as Brooklynn wanted friends, she felt unworthy. She blamed herself for the bad choices her father made. Feeling angry with the world, she struggled to manage her emotions.

“I would break things,” she admits. “I would yell and get so angry that I would cry.”

Building friendships had been a challenge for Brooklynn. She didn’t talk much and preferred to be in small group settings. So at first, the thought of attending a weeklong summer camp made her nervous—especially since she had never been away from her mother for that long.

Brooklynn’s mom, Vanessa, reassured her daughter, “You can come home at any point. It’s OK. But I think it would be good for you to go and connect with other kids who are going through the same kinds of things.”

So Brooklynn went to camp. Since then, her life hasn’t been the same.

From day one, Brooklynn felt welcome at Camp Agape. Staff lined up to usher her in with applause as she entered the campground for the first time. And later that same night, she had a good time talking and laughing with three of the girls in her cabin.

At camp, Brooklynn got to ride a boat for the first time. It was one of her favorite activities. She may have never gotten a chance to go boating or tubing otherwise, and her participation made her feel worthy.

“It was just so exciting,” she says, “and I felt really cool and really loved.”

Though she was enjoying her camping experience, she had only one complaint.

She says, “When I first started going, I was like … ‘Stop this God stuff. Can we just get over that?’”

But before the week ended, she heard a worship song that she still remembers eight years later: Good Good Father.

“That really got me connected to the Lord. And with God. And with Jesus,” she says.

To Brooklynn, worship was “like static electricity—but in a good way,” she said. “I get so much energy and happiness when everyone is singing and when we are talking about the Bible stories.”

Year after year, Brooklynn returned to Camp Agape. Something intrigued her about the camp counselors and volunteers.

“They actually wanted to hear about my problems, and they actually had answers,” Brooklynn says.

She could tell the counselors weren’t just doing a job. They were leaders who were serious about nurturing children who were hurting.

As a result, Brooklynn experienced a shift in her mindset. She began to trust others more. She could talk to her counselors about anything and saw them as older siblings who always had a welcoming attitude—no matter what. She had a community that accepted and supported her. They felt like family.

“I just felt so loved and understood that I started to open up,” Brooklynn says. “Now I'm very open about my life experiences and willing to help everyone … just like how camp helped me."

Always willing to serve, Brooklynn interviewed for a volunteer camp internship at Camp Agape. She landed the position and plans to continue until she’s eligible to be a camp counselor at age 18. In the meantime, Brooklynn said she works in the background washing dishes and cleaning up messes. But she also gets to share inspiration with campers during small-group time.

She has been an encouragement to the kids she serves. When they see Brooklynn in action, some children have asked her how they, too, might prepare to become an intern.

One little boy needed inspiration in a unique way. He was angry like Brooklynn used to be. When she spent time getting to know the child, he responded politely.

“We just talked and bonded,” she said. “It was really, really sweet.”

However, interns not only bond with students. They also bond with one another.

“There's the classic camp thing where you say you're going to stay in touch, and then you don't,” Brooklynn says.

But Camp Agape interns have a Snapchat group they consistently use to stay in contact beyond summertime.

Staying connected to other believers is important to Brooklynn too. Andy Papendieck, founder of Camp Agape, helped Brooklynn plug into a local church, and he takes her there for services sometimes.

Local churches hold a significant place in Brooklynn’s heart. Even before Brooklynn became old enough to intern at Camp Agape, a local church provided gifts to Brooklynn—and her sister—on behalf of their incarcerated father through Angel Tree Christmas.

One year Brooklynn received an Oregon Ducks sweatshirt with matching gloves. Her sister got an art kit based on the movie Frozen.

Simple gestures like these can have a lasting impact and strengthen family bonds. They could also lead to a contagious desire to serve others, like they did for Brooklynn.

Because Angel Tree, Camp Agape, and the local church showed love to Brooklynn, she wants to reciprocate by serving others.

“I am planning on studying to become a pediatric nurse because I really like kids,” Brooklynn says. “I really like helping people, and I feel like Camp Agape had a very big part in who I am now.”

But Brooklynn’s aspirations don’t stop there.

“I want to foster and adopt kids because there's many kids out there who don't have homes,” Brooklynn says. “I was lucky enough to have a mom who would take care of me. And some people out there—actually many people out there—do not have that.”