This summer, 4 Juvenile Justice Ministry (JJM) students, 1 JJM staff, and 1 JJM volunteer loaded a bus to head to Detroit Lakes, MN for a week of YFC Camp! It was a sweet sight as the bus pulled away and the girls’ Probation Officer waved them off.
As you can imagine, there are many hoops to jump through to get JJM students to camp. Some of those hoops include getting permission from the court and judge for the students to go, fundraising the cost of camp to eliminate financial barriers, and navigating an ankle monitor and the juvenile justice surveillance/tether system. The part that was not difficult was understanding that all of the hoops would be worth it for these girls to get to experience God’s love for them!
The girls experience many first times while at camp! Things like leaving the state of Michigan for the first time, going tubing and water skiing, and being able to feel safe while having the opportunity to “be kids.”
The week at camp had its tough moments, but God was present in our lives in a powerful way! Sierra** grew up going to a Nepali church and has been struggling with her faith. She said, “I do not know about being a Christian because the Christian people at my church are always judging others, especially me. I am just a kid. Why do they have to be so mean to me?” On one of the last days of camp, Sierra** wrote a poem in her new Bible that said, “I have always said I want to die, but now I want to live because I know God would not let me die for no reason. I am here for a reason.” She is now interested in attending church with one of our JJM leaders!
Paris** has experienced a lot of trauma in her life and is very closed off to everyone around her. Throughout camp, God healed a place in her heart and she began to accept the love that the camp leaders were showing her. Paris** accepted Jesus into her heart for the first time while at camp!
These are just two stories of the 4 JJM girls who came to camp. Each girl explained that they loved going to camp and they want to come back! God provided the girls with the opportunity to slow down and experience His joy during that week! Our conversations and connections with these girls have continued as we returned to Grand Rapids and we am excited to see how God continues to change their lives!
**Names changed for privacy reasons