Deserts and Oasis'


I can’t thing of a better way do describe this past month or so. 
The oasis of this month is that I went to a beautiful Colombian town called Villa de Leyva for four days to meet with this missionary family from the States who are involved in camp ministry.  I got to go out and see the camp that they have and talk to David, the head honcho, who also has a heart for camp ministry.  It was so nice talking to him and hearing his experiences doing camp ministry in cross-cultural setting.  I also had really nice time visiting with his wife who is so hospitable and very down to earth.  It was so nice to talk to her about the ups and downs of the life of a missionary.  They have been here for almost eight years and it was nice of her to impart some of her wisdom on me.  It was also a really nice, needed break from the everyday life of Ingie Letendre.  They have beautiful land out there and it is set up like a camp.  The other places that I have been to and seen are set up more like a retreat centre, but this was a camp and that was awesome to see.  It also got me fired up and SOOOOO excited for this years camps.  Which was probably the best part.  And more or less I have the dates and ages of this years camp set out.  In June we will do one for teenage girls ages 14+, for four days, and then also in June, we will do two, two days camps, one for girls and one for boys ages 8-10.  In October we will do one for girls 11-13 and then in December on for boys ages 11+, which I think is going to be my greatest challenge.  It also looks like for a couple of these weeks we will be able to use the camp out in Villa de Leyva.  This is of course all pending; things here can change in an instant, which I guess is just normal life.
The desert of this month is that a week ago Sunday, Esperanza (name change for privacy purposes) a beautiful 16 year old girl, full of hopes and dream, who came to the camp we did in October, tried to take her own life.  She tried to hang herself and was thought to be dead when she was found, but she made a small movement and was then taken to the hospital.  She is heavily sedated and non responsive.  They also tried to take her off oxygen the other day and she started convulsing so they had to put her back on it.  She has a long road ahead of here and her and her family are going to have a lot of struggles to over come.  Her brother who saw her hanging is now in a deep depression, because her mother is now not working they have a huge financial burden as she doesn’t have any health insurance (we are praying for grace on this one) and they are also looking for a new apartment as when she gets out of the hospital they don’t want to take her back to the same apartment and have her sleep in her old room where she tired to hang herself.  This will be a challenge for them as they have to pay the first months rent up front. 
This really impacted me and, I can’t think of a better way to describe it, I was so heavy hearted for a few days.  My heart just ached for this beautiful princess.  I spent a lot of time in prayer and in tears, pleading God for Esperanza’s life.  I am happy to say that now I have peace.  God already saved her life, she should have died.  She also wasn’t suppose to come to the camp but at the last minute one girl that was suppose to come couldn’t so Esperanza took her place.  She also shared her dreams with me at the camp and I know that God has a plan for her and is going to do amazing things with her life.  A lot of time we don’t understand God’s ways, or we are in the desert, crying out to God, but God is good and faithful and He changes deserts into oasis’ and I know that’s what He is going to do with Esperanza life, in her and through her are going to spring out these beautiful oasis’.  Through this I also spent time praising and thanking God for the dream of Camp Gozo, for providing the opportunity for 28 girls to experience the joy and love of their Father, I know Esperanza did and I know that she will continue to do so.  So thank you guys, thank you for your prayers and your support and for your encouragement and here is to this year and approximately 150 kids who will get to experience the joy and love of their Father.
This is a picture of the camp, I couldn’t just post a picture of Esperanza, again for privacy pictures, but here is one of some of the precious princess that came to camp.  Please continue to pray for them.

Comments

Annie said…
hugs and prayers. I'm grateful that there are times of oasis in the desert.
April 1, 2014 at 10:12 AM
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