As one Kaleo learned at KAA, “God is an interesting orchestrator.” Marth, a mother of two out of Atlanta, heard about Kids Across America by chance when she had tuned into an online service of a church based in Texas. She decided to take her own children to KAA and serve as their Kaleo. It was all happen-stance. When she arrived at camp she asked God, “What am I doing here?”
Rewind one year…In the summer of 2023, foster parents Samuel and Neva, of West Palm Beach, came to KAA for the first-time to check it out. They thought it would be the perfect camp for the six teenage girls they foster through a faith-based foster care organization called a Place of Hope.
This year, they made the trip with the girls from Florida. A little nervous and shy, it took a bit for Saphonica, one of their foster daughters, to catch on to the hypeness of camp. She loved boating, Olympic games—sprints, relays, and other competitions. Her team even won in swimming, and she won first place in the sprint competition.
God had a plan to reach Saphonica, but it was not through a counselor or anyone who ended up in her cabin—it was who ended up in Neva’s, her foster mom, cabin. It was Marth, the mother of two, who brought her children from Atlanta.
Saphonica was born and spent her early childhood in Haiti before her family emigrated to the US. “Where I used to grow up in Haiti, I grew up around a lot of people who were not Christian,” she explained. “My family was not Christian. At first when I came to Florida, I had a hard time believing in God. My biological dad would not let me attend church.”
A year ago, she was placed in a foster home. Since living with her Sam and Neva, she has been able to attend church regularly and learn about Jesus, but God made a tremendous effort to reach her at KAA.
As Neva and Marth became acquainted in the Kaleo cabin, Neva learned that Marth was born in Haiti and spoke Creole and French fluently! She immediately knew that God had placed Marth at camp for Saphonica, and Marth realized why God brought her to KAA. To receive the depth of the message and for her to speak her heart and true emotions, Saphonica needed to hear and communicate in her native language.
During Cross Talk, Marth prayed and ministered to Saphonica in Creole. “The more I prayed and the more I talked,” Marth shared, the more she melted into my shoulder.”
That night, in Golden, Missouri, 1,774 miles from Haiti, God built a language bridge, so that Sophanica could hear His love for her. She asked him into her heart at that moment.
Saphonica knows this is just the beginning of her walk with Jesus–that the devil will try to draw her back into old ways. But, she will always know Jesus loves her so much, He would send someone thousands of miles just so she can understand how much He loves her!
