Are you making the most of the sunny days and warm weather? These are the days many of us enjoy being outside -- soaking up the rays, hitting the beaches, and preparing for summertime activities. My prayer is that you will also find time to relax and enjoy a break from the normal routine of life, experiencing moments of refreshment and peace.
I want to thank you for your continued support through your prayers and sacrificial giving. I am deeply inspired by your love for our persecuted brothers and sisters, and your remembrance of them by providing the tools they need to be "salt" and "light" in their spheres of influence. Each staff member at The Voice of the Martyrs Canada is encouraged to know that you are standing with us in this ministry. You truly are a blessing, and we thank God for each one of you during our staff devotions and prayer times.
When I think of summer, I immediately think about one of my favourite projects (if it's possible to like one over the other). The Kids' Camp in Sri Lanka is a project we support every summer, a project that gathers around 120 children. These children, whose parents are pastors or Christian ministry leaders, need a time of retreat from the frontlines. The Kids' Camp allows 'kids to be kids' by playing silly games, making crafts, eating good food and listening to Bible teaching -- all in a place where they are safe from hostility.
Since many of these children have witnessed their parents and churches being harassed and/or attacked, they suffer from the effects of trauma. The Kids' Camp provides them a place of healing, where they are able to receive professional counselling and prayer, as well as opportunities to meet with other children who have faced similar traumas.
A few years ago, I had the privilege of visiting the Kids' Camp in Sri Lanka and, while there, I met three children who were very excited to see me. They remembered the day I came to their home after their church had been fire bombed. During that visit, I met with their father who was the pastor of the church. After listening to his story and praying with the family, I asked VOMC's in-country ministry partners to help rebuild their destroyed building through our emergency fund project. The children told me that because VOMC came to them in their time of trouble, they knew that they were part of a bigger family and that they weren't suffering alone.
The Kids' Camp is helping your little Christian brothers ands sisters understand that they are not alone in suffering. They have a local family they can meet with and a global family that is praying for them. More importantly, they have a Saviour who will never leave them nor forsake them.
This next generation of Christian leaders are being discipled at the Kids' Camp, and they are even now rising up to tell others about the God they love and serve. Please pray for these children as they attend the Kids' Camp this summer. God is doing wonderful things in the midst of difficulty and uncertainty. Thank you, once again, for making this project a reality!
Grace and peace,
Vice President of International Ministry and Operations
