Summer Camp

I was pleasantly surprised when NBC's Nightly News with Brian Williams, on their Faith in America segment featured a story about how and where some American youths were spending their summer.

The American youths who went to Mexico, went under a Texas based group called Teen Mania Ministries. They had to raise their own money for the trip and they brought food, toys, shelter and most importantly shared their faith with the poor people in that part of Mexico.

I am happy and encouraged to hear of the existence of groups like Teen Mania. I am sure there are many churches who send youths to places like Mexico for the summer. My church does it too, and they have three different groups go to Mexico every summer.

This year we were able to contribute to the trips by donating six bags of used clothes because among the things that my church group brought this year were clothes. Each of the group that went to Mexico built a home for a needy family. All the materials for the building were bought and paid for with money raised by the youths who went.

We also "bought" two pairs of Helping Hands. Helping Hands was a way that some of the youths raised money for their trip. They offered services like yard work, baby sitting etc to raise money.

Almost everyone of the young people who have gone on one of these trips to Mexico experienced a life changing experience. A life changing experience not only from their service to the Mexicans they interacted with, but also to their Christian walk, and they had a better understanding of what fellowship and service with other Christians meant.