This is My Voice..."...at least I have a place to sleep."

I'll be using "This is My Voice" as a header from time to time to share with you some of the stories of the kids in the city.


Ten year old Carol lives in a housing co-op for battered women.  She lives with her mom, two older brothers, an older sister, and someone else.  It's a small apartment.  Her family is Buddhist.  Her brother a proclaimed atheist.  Her family doesn't have much.

When CEF staff Yvette Hewitson started working at the co-op Carol was allowed to come to the after school program, but never the good news club.  However she was allowed to come to Camp Good News: Winter Rush (our March break camp).  All week Carol heard the gospel and asked lots of questions, by the end of the week she made a decision to receive Jesus as her Lord.

The following summer she was allowed to come to our summer camp because her mother so how happy she was.  But Carol still wasn't allowed to go to good news club.  By the end of the week of camp, sitting around a campfire I asked Carol, "So what did you learn this week?"

Carol: "I learned that there is only one God and all those other gods aren't real."  She later said to another counsellor, "What am I going to do when I get home?  My mom's not going to believe me when I tell her those other gods aren't real."  We never taught these things at camp, God just worked in her heart.

I went to pick her up in the fall for Slingshot and asked if she'd be allowed to have a Bible.  She said,
"No, I'm not allowed to have a Bible, but read those comic books Bibles you guys gave me.  I also sing the songs I learned at camp and pray when I'm in the shower or no one's around."

At our programs Carol is often the only one to come up to me and say, "That was good."  "What was good?" I would ask.  "What we just did.  The stuff about the Bible and learning more about God."

One day I had this conversation with Carol.
Me: "So do you have your own room?
Carol: "No."
Me: "Do you share a room?"
Carol: "No."
Me: "So where do you sleep?"
Carol: "I sleep in the hallway under the counter.  But it's okay, at least I have a place to sleep."

I've since learned that on her birthdays there is never any cake, presents or singing.  "It's just like any other day." she says.  The first time she ever wore a dress was when one of the counsellors lent her one at camp for the banquet.

I was humbled by her gracious response.  Carol is now twelve years old and continues to grow spiritually.  She is still the only one in her family to have received Jesus but is steady in her faith.  She will soon be joining our Leaders in Training Program.  Life is not easy for her but she rarely complains.  Her light grows more and more each time I see her.  Her desire to follow Jesus never seems to fade.  During lunch at Slingshot one Saturday I saw her in tears all by herself in the eating area.  A counsellor went over to check on her and found out she was upset because she felt she had made a mistake and that it wasn't a good example if she wanted to be a Leader in Training.  She inspires me.

Please pray for Carol to continue to grow in her faith and for her family to come to Jesus.