At Camp Langano, our campers come from all walks of life; some campers arrive with a backpack full of soccer gear, while others come with only the clothes on their backs. But regardless of their socioeconomic status, they all come as sinners in need of a Savior. Over the week, as the youth open up and share the stories of their lives with us, the injustices in this fallen world bring tears to our eyes.
Meet Frey, a 16-year old girl, who has been living on the streets for the last three years. Orphaned and abandoned by family and neighbors, Frey has no place to call home. Since she was thirteen, she has carried around the shame and guilt of being defiled by men. Frey came to Camp Langano blaming herself for the sins done to her. As she built trust with our staff, they were able to explain how the blood of Jesus was shed so that we could be redeemed and made clean.
Meet Frey, a 16-year old girl, who has been living on the streets for the last three years. Orphaned and abandoned by family and neighbors, Frey has no place to call home. Since she was thirteen, she has carried around the shame and guilt of being defiled by men. Frey came to Camp Langano blaming herself for the sins done to her. As she built trust with our staff, they were able to explain how the blood of Jesus was shed so that we could be redeemed and made clean.
Meet Hana, a vibrant 16-year old girl, who puts on a strong façade as her life crumbles around her. During her week at Camp, Hana put on the ‘tough guy’ act. Despite our efforts to gain her trust, she refused to let down her guard. On the last night as we are celebrating the week, Hana asked to address the whole camp. She proceeded to tear down the wall she had put up brick by brick. She confided that her older brothers have disowned her and her mother, that they are homeless, that her mother is seriously ill and needs an operation, that they do not have enough money for food and shoes, and that she is afraid. After we prayed for Hana and her family, one of the staff took her aside and spoke of God’s provision for the birds of the air and how much more the Lord cares for her.
Meet Jamal, a lanky 16-year old boy, whose biggest fear is death. Jamal lives in constant trepidation that someone will find out the secret he has been harboring for years, a secret that will most likely kill him. On her deathbed, Jamal’s caretaker gave 8-year old Jamal the news – like his mother and the rest of his family, she was going to die from HIV/AIDS and that he too suffered from the disease. Though at the time he did not understand what she was taking about, he understood the gravity of the situation. Three years ago, Jamal gave up hope of living because he knew that AIDS would eventually take his life. So he thought, “Why prolong the inevitable?” and he stopped taking his medication. This summer, unaware of his condition, Jamal’s coach selected him to come to Camp Langano for a week. As our staff and the firenjis (foreigners) showed Christ’s love to Jamal, he began to ask questions about the God that we serve. Hopeless, alone and ashamed, he sought out the reason for the love and the joy within each member of the staff. Feeling comfortable, he shared the secret that had been weighing on him for years. Our staff pointed him to Jesus and explained that through a relationship with Christ, he does not need to fear death because it is through death that we can live forever with our Heavenly Father.
Meet Jamal, a lanky 16-year old boy, whose biggest fear is death. Jamal lives in constant trepidation that someone will find out the secret he has been harboring for years, a secret that will most likely kill him. On her deathbed, Jamal’s caretaker gave 8-year old Jamal the news – like his mother and the rest of his family, she was going to die from HIV/AIDS and that he too suffered from the disease. Though at the time he did not understand what she was taking about, he understood the gravity of the situation. Three years ago, Jamal gave up hope of living because he knew that AIDS would eventually take his life. So he thought, “Why prolong the inevitable?” and he stopped taking his medication. This summer, unaware of his condition, Jamal’s coach selected him to come to Camp Langano for a week. As our staff and the firenjis (foreigners) showed Christ’s love to Jamal, he began to ask questions about the God that we serve. Hopeless, alone and ashamed, he sought out the reason for the love and the joy within each member of the staff. Feeling comfortable, he shared the secret that had been weighing on him for years. Our staff pointed him to Jesus and explained that through a relationship with Christ, he does not need to fear death because it is through death that we can live forever with our Heavenly Father.
Oh how sweet the good news of the Gospel is to those who have experienced the depths of the harsh and sin filled world we live in. Regardless of the magnitude of our despair and shame, God can redeem us. What a sweet melody to the ears of youth who have been crushed by the wickedness of others. Each week youth come to Camp Langano hurting and searching for a reason to hope. Each week there are more youth with stories similar to Frey, Hana, and Jamal. And each week our staff preaches the truths found in the Scriptures. Continue to pray for our staff as they pour into the lives of the campers. Pray that the hearts of the campers will be open, that our staff would boldly proclaim the Gospel, and ultimately that the Lord would save the youth of Ethiopia!
