Anyama Outreach Camp

August 2017

In mid-August, 97 kids gathered in Anyama, a city in south-eastern Cote d’Ivoire, for the best three days of their lives. The kids were able to set aside their worries and stresses at home to simply be kids for a few days. The camp was full of joy and laughter as they played games, sang songs and listened to club talks that explained the gospel. Adela, one of the six kids whose family is Muslim, had known about Jesus as a prophet because of her Islamic upbringing, but she had never heard the story of Jesus as Lord and Savior until she started going to Young Life. Through hearing the gospel presented in the club talks, Adela decided to give her life to the Lord for the first time and give Him all of her heart. Adela began praying that He would help her be strong as she would face the difficulties of going back home and following the Lord.

Marie also had her life changed through her time at camp and specifically, during the 15 minutes she spent in solitude after one of the club talks. She felt as though she had to choose between Jesus and Satan, but Satan was reaching out her as she was calling for help. Marie suddenly felt thrust into a room where everything was white and she knew it was full of joy and peace. She knew it was Jesus that saved her and she said, “Immediately, I decided to follow Jesus all my life because I want to change my life and be a blessing for my parents and others.”

Similar to Adela and Marie, 16 other kids gave their lives to Jesus for the first time. Praise the Lord for the ways He is using Young Life in Cote d’Ivoire to transform the lives of kids, leaders, staff and each of their families.