By Stephanie Ross, SF Camp Langano, Ethiopia
Last month Camp Langano held its first ever sports camp for kids with disabilities. First ever. This meant we had no idea what to expect or whether or not what we had planned was actually going to work. The more you feel helpless, the more you pray for help. We prayed a lot. But we prayed with excitement for what the Lord had in store for these kids and us as leaders. We prayed that one day we would see each and every one of our campers in heaven dancing, singing, and worshipping with all the saints, in brand new bodies.
We weren’t given too much information beforehand about any of the kids coming to camp. It wasn’t until they all arrived that we fully knew the type and extent of all their disabilities. Three of our new campers couldn’t hear or speak, three had arm disabilities, six had leg disabilities, and our youngest camper had a mental disability. Most of the kids arrived with a lot of timidity, not really knowing what to expect themselves! Kids will be kids though, and it didn’t take long for each boy to settle in to all the activities, timidity and anxiety long gone. Our activities didn’t change too much from other camps we have had in the past. We still had craft time, performed dramas, played lots of football (soccer), and went swimming…just modified a bit. It surprised us to see how well the campers could participate in each activity, and once they got started, it surprised the kids, too!
The last night of camp was a very special night. Earlier in the evening, all the leaders and missionaries at Langano washed the feet of all our campers to model Christ’s servant heart. Then all the kids watched us perform a skit about the parable of the lost sheep, exemplifying that each camper is invaluable to God, their Father. Later that night we all gathered around a bonfire where our Ethiopian leaders led the kids in worship songs. A few minutes passed and the leaders and kids began dancing, jumping, and singing around the fire! The kids who had trouble walking were moving swiftly with the rest of the group and the kids who couldn’t hear or speak were loudly yelling whatever they knew could come out of their mouth! In the dark of the night around the bonfire, it appeared as if everyone had brand new bodies, without any disabilities! I took a step back in awe as tears came to my eyes, realizing I was witnessing an answer to prayer and an incredible glimpse of heaven.
Click here for a video of one of their soccer matches: CL – disabled kids camp