Uganda Outreach Camp

May 15-17, 2017

Over 370 kids attended this high school camp in Pakwach, Uganda, including 33 Muslim students and 68 orphans. Forty-two leaders and 25 work-crew volunteers served these students with the love and joy of Christ. At camp, students played crazy games, connected with their peers, ate delicious food and most importantly, heard the gospel message of Jesus Christ. We want to share with you three stories of incredible transformation to show just how much can change in three days at a Young Life camp.

Ellie describes her life before Jesus like this: “I was hopeless…I used to lose hope, not praying, never knowing who to turn to.” When Ellie was invited to attend Young Life club, she was very hesitant because she felt nothing anybody would say could change her life. But when she went to club, the team leader asked everyone to write down their prayer requests, and when she went home she felt her burdens lifted. Even though Ellie attended church, she says that “nothing that was preached touched me until I attended the Young Life camp.”

“The word preached in the camp changed me, and I still live by that word.”

– Prossy, camper

David describes his life before Jesus like this: “I didn’t know the word of God. I used to drink, smoke and was sexually active. This seemed normal to do because no one dared tell us what was good or bad.” But Young Life leaders in David’s community did. They invited him club, and there he was invited to camp. At camp, David met Jesus, and his lifestyle has greatly changed.

“I was a prostitute, a fornicator, a drunkard…I used to abuse my parents, I could never pray, I never respected people. I was a wreck.” These were the first words out of Prossy’s mouth when asked about her life before Young Life. Without any other source of income, Prossy could not go for more than two days without sleeping with a man for money. But at camp, Prossy connected with a former leader who opened up about her similar past. This leader is now optimistic and hopeful that by God’s grace, she will go back to school and receive an education. And this hope goes beyond worldly things, for Prossy now knows that by God’s grace, her life has been changed forever. “Now that I joined Young Life, I no longer sleep with men…my parents have accepted me back home, I have great friends now and I fear God and respect people.” Before camp, Prossy said her life was lost, but that through Young Life, Jesus has restored her. Prossy says, “the word preached in the camp changed me, and I still live by that word.”

Praise God for His incredible transformations and for using Young Life to change lives in Uganda forever. We are praising Him for 153 new believers through this camp alone. Join us in praying for them as they continue to grow in their new faith.