“This is the first time in two years that I have felt safe.”
Camper, 8 years old
On the first night at a campfire, a counselor asked, “What brought you here?” A girl answered, “My mom’s in prison and I want to be with other kids like me so I am not alone.” Other children agreed.
“Thank you for all the books I get to take home.”
Camper
“When my mom gets out of prison, I will be thirty-five years old.”
Camper
“I’m so glad I could come back for a second year.”
Camper
“The camp is well-named. Agape is all we have going for us and it is enough.”
Counselor
“I can’t believe this. When I heard about Camp Agape and what agape meant, I didn’t believe that someone could love me without even knowing me. Then I came here and it’s true!”
Camper
Camp Agape Changes Lives!
(from the Spring 2008 Newsletter)
Karen Lawsing, one of the members of the Organizing Team, was talking with a parole officer from the Department of Corrections and she heard this story:
The eight-year-old daughter of a woman with a serious problem of drug addiction who has been in and out of prison for a number of years attended Camp Agape last summer – her first camp experience. She returned home to her grandmother who is taking care of her and could talk of nothing else but the wonderful time she had in camp. The little girl, “Angie,” continues to have contact and visitation from her mother.
Mom is currently in an alternative treatment program. For the first time, she is working her program and is drug free.
What brought about these changes? Why now and after all this time and heartache? Perhaps, the change started in the relationship with her daughter. No longer are they mired in shame, guilt and abandonment. The little girl now brings joy and happiness. Mom can see hope for herself and her daughter. The world is full of opportunity when you have hope.
What Our Campers Say
BEST MEMORIES:
- Meeting people and new nriends
- Campfires
- Fishing and swimming
- Canoeing–tipping the canoe
- Archery
- Singing
- Camping out under the stars
- Water balloon fight -helping with soup kitchen
What Camp Meant to You:
- It meant a lot to meet other kids that were going through the same things (said by many)
- Lots of activities I wouldn’t have done if I hadn’t gone
- Getting to know God better
- Praying more and forgiving others
from the Spring 2011 Newsletter
Campers’ Stories
The week many camper spend at Camp Agape can be transformative for many campers and their families. You can read about some of these experiences and discover what Camp Agape has done. Click here to discover how Joey overcame difficulty to find success at camp, and click here to read about why Will returned to Camp Agape again and again. To find out what happened to Antoine click here, and to learn what their time at Camp Agape has meant to a grandmother and her three special grandchildren, click here.
Why I Love to Come to Camp Agape
We had the privilege of interviewing B, an 11 year old girl who has come to Camp Agape since it started in 2006.
Camp Agape Volunteer: Why do you keep coming back?
B: It’s really fun to meet people. It’s nice up there. I’ve missed people.
CAV: Anything especially nice?
B: Everyone there, the cabins, the lake, the food, the campfires and ‘smores.
CAV: What would you say to someone who’s thinking about going to CA?
B: The first year I was nervous but when I got there, there was so much to do, so much fun, a chance to meet people. At the end I was really teary – I didn’t want to leave.
CAV: Any important memory?
B: Talking with ‘Big E;’ [a counselor] he’s a very good person.
CAV: Anything special you’ve learned at Camp Agape?
B: There’s always someone there at camp loving you.
CAV: B, it sounds to me that you like people and you like being at Camp Agape because you are free to enjoy yourself.
B: Yes, that’s it.
from the Spring 2010 Newsletter