Christien is one of our 2015 Timothy Graduates, who served as an Assistant Counselor in 2016. He shared his testimony with the campers, and gave permission for us to share his story with you.

“When I was four years old, my dad went to jail for the first time, and it got to me. Six months later, he was back out and promised never to go back to jail. But almost as quickly as he came out, he was sent back. After he left, I started getting into fights a lot and ended up in school suspension. I didn’t think I would pass school. Time after time, my dad would be out of jail and promising not to go back, and time after time, he went back.

Every time he went back into jail, I would get worse and worse. When I got into first grade, I was feeling empty. Then my dad came home again, and he was there longer that time. But after a year, he got sent to prison. I was so angry that I finally got to the point of busting a kid’s nose, after my dad left that time. The school had me seeing the counselor and my grandma had me going to a therapist, but neither was working.

Two years later I moved, and my mom asked if I wanted to go to a camp called Camp David. I went to camp for the first time in 2012. While I was here, I learned that God loved me like He was my father, and that He is my father. I started feeling better. When I got home from camp, my mom saw that I was changed.

I prayed for love, and thanked God for giving it to me. My dad has been out of prison now for two years, but if he goes back, I won’t be violent because I still have a Father- God.”