Growing in Confidence
Hello Friend,
Summer is here, and the children in our communities are eagerly counting down the days until vacation begins!
This summer, 120 children and 21 youth will be joining our Sonshine Day Camp. Our prayer is that God will meet each child in fun and wonder. Through Bible stories, crafts, sports and outings, we provide a safe space where children can try new things, build friendships and learn about God. The summer camp gives our Outreach Workers and Interns an important opportunity to spend more time with the children. By building relationships with them, we pray that the Gospel will come alive for them this summer in a meaningful and lasting way.
With school out and parents working, our summer camps are essential to keep children active, engaged and supported. We strive to make our summer day camps available to as many children as possible, but we’ve faced unprecedented challenges this year due to a 70 per cent cut in Canada Summer Jobs funding. We invite you to join us in prayer and consider supporting Sonshine Day Camp above and beyond your regular giving.
Last summer, our Sonshine Day Camp was filled with laughter, energy, and a wonderful mix of personalities. Children enjoyed a wide range of activities—from field trips to treetop trekking—but swimming stood out as a favourite.
At the pool, children must pass a swim test to access the deep end, earning a green wristband after swimming from end to end without stopping. For some children, swimming was a new and sometimes intimidating experience. But week by week, we saw their confidence grow. Some even challenged themselves by attempting the deep-end test.
*Joshua, a nine-year-old boy, was hesitant to swim to the deep end at first. By the end of the summer, he mustered up the courage to attempt the deep-end test. He tirelessly practice swimming from one end to the other. Despite failing a few times, his leaders and peers encouraged him to persevere. After a few failed tries, he finally succeeded. His smile stretched from ear to ear, bright as a summer day! As he was awarded the green wristband, we could see how proud he was of his accomplishment.
We hope to see our children grow in their confidence by recognizing the little wins in life, discover their talents, take risks, and be kind to themselves when they fail. We pray that they will grow to know how much God loves them. And whatever challenges that might come their way, they can rely on Him for strength and confidence.
*Name has been changed to protect the child’s identity
We are grateful for any gift amount, big or small; but for $230, you can provide a child like *Joshua with an unforgettable summer of new experiences that empowers and challenges him.
Your generous contributions will enable us to continue to provide camp free of charge. I invite you to join us, and together we can share the hope of Jesus Christ to children impacted by poverty!
In His Service,
Elliott Shin
Executive Director