Bringing Hope, Changing Lives

A gift to the Together! Capital and Endowment Campaign from Dan and Trish Bell of Coral Gables made it possible for 20 elementary and middle school students from Branches Ministries in Florida City to attend Warren Willis Camp in the summer of 2010.

According to the Rev. Audrey Warren, pastor of Branches United Methodist Church, the gift paid for camping fees and sleeping bags and a few other incidentals for each child and a lifetime of “transformational moments.”

The students are enrolled in the Branches after school program, but few are from families that regularly attend church. According to Warren, the week at camp gave them exposure to an environment where the love of Christ could be seen all around them.

“Most of the children rarely have a week when they feel safe,” Warren said. “Violence is part of their community environment. At camp, they were able to relax because, for once, they were in a place where they could feel nothing but love all around them.”

“It is not often that they can relax and simply be children,” she added. “At camp they were participating in games, interacting with others, having a chance to experience the sheer joy of being a child at summer camp. It was miraculous.”

As many as eight of the elementary and middle schoolers learned how to swim at camp, Warren said. “They don’t have many opportunities to swim at home. Here they were in the water for five consecutive days,” she said. “It was great to see how mastering a skill like that gave them confidence. It is something they will carry with them always.”

“Almost everything about the camping experience was the opposite of their typical life experience,” she said. “For instance, they were surprised to have their own beds. Many of them do not have three nutritious meals a day. Many of them have very little structure in their lives, so following the camp routine was exciting.”

“Most of our students are not accustomed to being loved unconditionally the way we do it all week at camp,” she continued. “And best of all, they got to hear the message of the love of Jesus Christ, and to understand that God is present with them even in the most painful of circumstances.”

The students attended on two separate weeks, one for elementary students and one for middle schoolers. According to Warren, all of them want to return next year.