Where Everything Changes
Posted on Thursday, July 18, 2013 by
"Where Everything Changes"--that's the YFCamp motto and for thousands of kids over the past 10 years a week at camp has literally changed the course of their life. YFCamp was where Jesus became real, where his love became bigger than the hurt and abandonment they often experience at home.
Several weeks ago Doug Jonson, our Hilltop YFC/Sozo director, was having an early morning breakfast with a former Sozo student, Kainen. I still remember first meeting Kainen at summer camp four years ago. After all, it's not every day that a student peppers you with questions like, "What study skills do you need to be successful in college? What classes impacted you the most? How can I best prepare myself now while in high school?" I was stunned by his maturity and preparation.
But Kainen's background wasn't all roses. His family story is filled with domestic violence and the journey of helping his single mom raise a sibling with a major disability. Gang violence, truancy and sexual promiscuity littered the road that his peers around him walked on.
Fast forward to Doug's breakfast. Kainen is now a Jr at the University of Washington in Seattle double majoring in business and social work. Short description…Kainen is an all around superstar. The kind of young man you want your daughter to marry. In fact, he was the Boys and Girls Club State Youth of the Year in 2011.
As they're enjoying bacon and eggs Doug asks him, "Kainen, what made the difference for you?". Kainen's response caught Doug by surprise. "It was at YFCamp in the 8th grade at Warm Beach--that's when I got serious with Jesus and knew that I had potential. It's that week that helped grow my confidence so I didn't end up in the same trouble as my friends."
"Where Everything Changes"--not just a camp slogan but a snapshot of Kainen's story as he grows in Jesus. And the beat goes on as this summer 150+ kids from Tacoma, just like Kainen, will head to YFCamp in central Oregon. They'll see Jesus alive in their leaders and hear Jesus clearly communicated through games, music and an engaging speaker.
Yet the limiter for many kids to attend camp is finances. For the majority of these 150 kids the $75 deposit is all they can afford, not even close to the $380/person cost. So, our Tacoma YFC staff work hard all year to raise the funds so that YFCamp can be the place and time where EVERYTHING changes.
Will you be part of changing EVERYTHING at YFCamp this summer? We need to raise just under $15,000 to hit our goal of taking every kid to camp. Your gift of $63 will pay for one day, a gift of $380 will pay for the entire week of camp for many kids who have never even been out of Washington!
Every gift makes a difference - let's make this happen together.
Simply click here to go to the Tacoma YFC giving page, choose "Camp Scholarships" and your amount. Thank you!