‘The Big Rescue’ Treasured at Summer Camp

NEW SOUTH WALES, Australia — Every year, in January, the Salvation Army runs a week-long camp for underprivileged children drawn from city and country areas of the State.

Sponsored by the Red Shield Appeal, this year’s camp was attended by 180 children between 8 and 12 years old, reports Ruth Hampton, Personal Assistant to Bible Society in Australia General Secretary, Philip Oliver. Ms Hampton was asked to be responsible for the daily focus on the Bible.

Samson

“During this time we sang songs and had various activities as well as Bible stories,” she said. She told the children the stories of Samson, Esther, Daniel and Joseph, and found that very few were familiar with these stories. Some of the children who attended the summer camp

Some of the children who attended the summer camp

Many of these children had never seen the beach, had never been inside a cinema, and had never known a loving family environment. One child was devastated when he lost his toothbrush: it had been his only Christmas present from his mother.

Memory verses

Thanks to the Bible Society, each child was given a copy of The Big Rescue, an illustrated children’s Bible. During the week they were shown where to find the day’s story and given memory verses, and by the end of the week most of the children could repeat these verses as well as remember details of the biblical stories.

The counsellors reported that at night before lights out the children read through the stories and asked for other stories from the Bible to be read to them. “I have never seen such a response to the Word of God from children,” said Ms Hampton. The children treasured their Bibles, and one young girl could not put her copy down and admired it throughout the whole of the chapel service.

Towards the end of the camp Ms Hampton told the children the story of Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well. When asked who would like to respond to Jesus and give their lives to God, 95 per cent of them put their hands up.

When it was time for the children to go home, one parent turned up three hours late and there was no greeting or hug for the 8-year-old waiting all that time. One mother had to be telephoned to remind her to pick her child up.

Discovery

Most of the children were facing a long bus-ride home, but as they left, many could be seen to be clutching their copy of The Big Rescue, something which will not only remind them of the summer camp, but which will hopefully be a source of pleasure to them, as they discover more about God and his love for each one of them.

Maybe the parents will not “throw the Bibles in the bin”, as some of the children feared, but will become interested in God’s Word, and some may even come to know and believe in Jesus. (WR 330/5 - 4.98) [PHOTOS]

This page was last updated on Wednesday, 8th April 1998.