It’s easy to see the work of God in the good things of life. What’s more challenging is to see the hand of God in all things.

Our recent 4 week, ZOE Children’s Homes summer camp set about teaching the many different ways to understand this concept and see God’s touch in everything.

Through various activities, outings and teaching sessions, the children had many opportunities to have fun while learning about God at the same time.

Some highlights included:
• The “Top Chef” day, which had the kids competing in all sorts of food challenges as well as hearing about how God is our provider in the Bible teaching session.

• The ‘Amazing Race’ day required the children to participate in many activities set up around the children’s home, looking for clues and having to complete certain tasks as a team. The Bible element looked at how we run our race for God.

• Outings to the Night Safari, as well as several other animal wildlife shows, allowed each child to see how amazing God’s creation is and to appreciate some of the special gifts and talents these creatures possess.
• Visiting terminally ill kids in hospital helped to develop servant leadership skills. The ZOE children assisted to plan and coordinate this very special trip which saw the sick children being blessed and encouraged, not to mention the life-long memories the ZOE children made that day also.

Overseeing the whole camp program was Jessica Dodd, the Senior Manager of Children’s Ministry in Thailand. You can watch her vlog about some of the highlights she experienced at camp and hear more about the memorable trip to Lampang to visit the children in hospital.

For the majority of the children at ZOE, the elements of camp such as going to the movies or bowling were “first-time” experiences.

Their faces and their excitement were simply indescribable.

BUT probably one of the most wonderful things to witness is just how these children are really experiencing LIFE now (ZOE means life) … and they are definitely living it to the fullest.

While it is not ‘compulsory’ to be a Christian or believe in God for the children living at ZOE, for many of them, whose lives have been completely transformed, they freely give testimony to their wonderful Savior who rescued them from being victims to heinous crimes and abusive situations that entrapped them.

Though the stories of their rescues all vary, they have all been brought into the safety of the ZOE Children’s Homes to be loved, cared for and protected. The contrast with their old life and where they’re headed now helps them to see how God also provides something that we all need: hope.