Sunday, May 15, 2011

Day 16: for Camp Good News

The unfortunate thing about grace is that it first requires sin, which results in pain, guilt, and shame.

Perhaps you've seen the news reports about Camp Good News down Cape Cod, MA.  Though the details are unclear surrounding the cases of alleged child abuse, including the abuse of Senator Scott Brown as a boy and the suicide of the camp's grounds manager a couple weeks ago, we do know one thing: what ever happened, it was awful.  Here is one journalist's report of the story: click here for the story of Camp Good News.

I told you it was awful.

But our God can do anything.  It was seven years ago August 27 the Lord opened my eyes to the truth of his love, provided his forgiveness for my sins, and indwelt my soul with his Holy Spirit... in the room above the cafeteria at Camp Good News.  Five years later, I was baptized in the lake there.  Camp Good News has always been one of my favorite places.  I remember one morning there, I had such a beautiful time of prayer with God, I picked a leaf off of the little tree next to me and slid it in the pages of my journal.  Two years later, I pulled my journal out of my backpack and found the leaf crunched up at the bottom.  I cried myself to sleep over it.  In the same way, I cried when I returned home from Camp Cod in September, knowing that, being my senior year, it had been my last.

It was through my involvement with the youth group I met at Camp Good News that I learned about World Vision, and it is by them that God opened my eyes to the needs of victims of human trafficking.  It is by his Spirit that I run for them.  I run as an act of worship as a result of how God changed me at Camp Good News.  At this place where children were sexually violated, God worked in such a way through my life that victims of the sex traffic are being saved.  It's so ironically brain-wrenching.

So why am I including the story of Camp Good News in a blog about running and human trafficking?  Because it shows that God can truly use anything for good.  Through all the pain, hurt, and shame of a situation, he can still find a way to touch hearts and provide hope.  When I think of these girls as I run, I pray that God will touch their hearts and provide that hope.

Camp Good News will always be a beautiful place in my heart, and in a parallel way, these girls will always bear the beautiful image of their creator.  I praise God for his faithfulness and restoration and extend my prayers to those affected by the burdens and results of sin. There is hope.

4.27 miles for Camp Good News
76.52 miles to date

Ruby
Sandra
Berchewkan
Mani
Sophea
Janna
Syowai
Ka
Stephanie
Alex
Mai
Khamta
Adaze
Jayati
Boloztuya
Prettygirl
Theresa

Because He first love me at Camp Good News,
Stephanie

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