The third time coming to KAA made all the difference for Anthony. This summer’s camp experience was like all the times before, except for one detail—Anthony opened his heart to Jesus for the first time and when He needed Him most. He is the oldest of four siblings and had been living with his mom. Due to family circumstances, two months before camp Anthony had to move in with his dad, which is “pretty good,” but he misses his mom, brother, and sisters tremendously. In his home city of Grand Rapids, 29 percent are single parent households. The poverty rate among youth (18 and under) is 23 percent. Life for Anthony and his family is not easy.
When his bus pulled into KAA, he marveled. All he saw was joy. “As soon as I got to camp, I saw joy and people smiling,” Anthony shared. That’s one of the reasons he keeps coming back—the joy. He also returns to see friends he made prior years, hone his basketball skills, and take a break from technology.
This year, when Anthony heard the Cross Talk, he expected it to be like the previous two years and to “not really feel it.” “But, when I saw and listened to what Jesus did, my heart opened up,” Anthony explained. “At Cross Talk my heart got bigger, because I let Him in.”
He left camp with a BIG heart and a Savior who will never forsake or leave him! And Anthony could not be more excited. “I learned at camp to not be scared—just spread His Word.” Anthony is taking Jesus back to Grand Rapids with plans to tell his entire family about Jesus.
He is only one of the 1,905 kids and teens who made decisions for Christ at camp this summer and plan to take the Good News of a Savior, Jesus, who loves us more than anything back to their home cities!
