Save a Life for Eternity

When eight-year-old William's dad landed in prison, William became depressed and angry. He missed his father, and it wasn't long before his anger turned into deep despair. At eight years old he decided he didn't want to live any longer. So William tied one end of a rope around his bedpost, and the other end around his neck. Then he jumped off the bunk bed. Fortunately, William's older brother found him hanging from the bedpost only minutes before his young life would have been snuffed out. Soon after, Prison Fellowship volunteer Ron Evans of Antioch Baptist Church in Camden, New Jersey, heard about William and contacted the family. He got William and his brother placed in a weekly mentoring program called "Project Manhood." After a year, however, William showed little change. He was still an angry kid. Then Ron made it possible for William to go to summer camp through the Angel Tree Camping program. At the Christian camp, William met kind counselors who cared about him. He spent his days horseback riding, climbing the ropes course, playing games, and learning about Christ. Trained Christian counselors taught him Scripture verses and songs about Jesus. They taught him about the cross and God's love for William. William came to trust and love the counselors and the other kids at the camp, and more important, he came to trust Jesus. William found joy as he placed his heart in the hands of the One who would never leave him or forsake him. William's camp experience not only redirected his life, but God used that experience to save him for eternity. William came home from camp singing all the songs he had learned. He launched himself back into "Project Manhood," but now with new enthusiasm. Today he is growing in Christ and applying biblical principles to his life. Thousands of prisoners' children like William are angry and despairing today. These kids need your help. Angel Tree Camping provides help and hope for despairing kids across this country, the most at-risk kids in America. For twenty years, Angel Tree has been reaching out to prisoners' children with a gift and the Gospel message at Christmastime. Now Angel Tree has found another way to help prisoners' kids through Angel Tree Camping. Four thousand prisoners' children attended Angel Tree Camps last summer. This summer, we hope to be able to send perhaps ten thousand prisoners' kids to camp. But to do it, we need your help! Another prisoner's child, Ericka, participated in Angel Tree Camping last summer. She wrote us this thank-you note: "I want to thank you for paying for me so I can go to camp. ... Thank you for doing this so we could do things just like I would be doing if my dad wasn't in jail. ... God bless you all! [Signed] Ericka." Won't you help us send a prisoner's child to camp this summer? Call us here at BreakPoint or visit the Angel Tree website at . You'll get more information about Angel Tree Camping, and you can make a donation to send the children of prisoners to camp. Your donation will make a powerful difference in a child's life, in this world and in the next. For more information: Visit Angel Tree's website to find out more about how you can help. Ron Humphrey, "Angel Tree Brings Light into Darkness," Prison Fellowship Online, March 2002.

06/6/02