Changed by a Father's Love

“Communication wasn't easy at first because we didn't speak Bulgarian. But we found a way to communicate with each other using hand gestures and body language. Day by day, the children's trust grew, and we were able to build relationships. We spent a lot of time with them, played together, and were able to show them love. There was a distinct sense of peace throughout the entire camp. That made a deep impression on me.

We noticed that some of the children were carrying heavy burdens from their past. This was true of a boy whose father had died a few years earlier. This sadness had stayed with him to this day and became especially intense whenever others had birthdays. On the last day of camp, someone was celebrating a birthday. That's when his grief resurfaced, and he missed his father deeply.

The camp leaders took time and listened to him. Finally, he said on his own that he wanted to pray. He asked God if He would be his heavenly Father. It was moving to witness how the boy found the Father his heart had longed for so deeply. Shortly afterward, a change in him was already evident. We also had the impression that some of the other children went home different from how they had arrived.”