Each year Christian charity Mercy Projects sponsors Armenian children to attend their annual summer Bible camps on the coast of Georgia. Many of them have never experienced a camp quite like this before, especially swimming in the ocean for the first time in their lives. As well as the health benefits of the camps they also transform the lives of these young people from very difficult backgrounds both emotionally and spiritually. Global News Alliance’s Peter Wooding had the opportunity to see this first hand when he attended this year’s camp along with a team from the US.

Over the past decade hundreds Armenia’s neediest children have been impacted by coming to Mercy Projects life-changing Bible summer camps on the coast of Georgia. Some from the most difficult circumstances even come back to serve as camp counsellors.

Gor continues to deal with the trauma of losing his mother as a child and because his father is an alcoholic he may eventually have to be taken into care in an orphanage.

Some of the Mercy Projects team from the US had the opportunity to visit with Gor in his home in Armenia before the camp..

Mercy Projects Volunteer Brooke Hill:

He was super closed off and had his head down at his home and he wouldn’t really make eye contact with anyone. But here at camp he’s laughing and he’s known for his singing. And I played Badminton with him all day yesterday and just to see the joy in his face and he’s laughing and he’s hugging me. He gets to be himself and not worry about his circumstances and so I just think that’s a beautiful thing to see the full picture of God’s redemption and future glory that He desires for His people. It’s just a small glimpse of what we get to see here at camp.

Gor hopes the gift God has given him to sing will someday help him fulfil his dream to do this professionally.

So many of the other young people from Armenia are being helped to fulfil their potential particularly thanks to the daily Bible teaching they receive at camp. So what have they been learning about God?

“That I should follow Jesus and Jesus hears my prayers anytime and anywhere.”

“I learned that we have to pray every day, then we can talk with God, then we can be happy.”

“God loves me and God helps me.”

“I like that God is near.”

“And I learned the stories and that God loves me.”

“I learned many things from the Bible lessons. I learned that first of all God loves me and I have to pray for every single thing that I had for that day, so I did.”

And as this next generation of Armenian youth grows closer to God through these Mercy Projects camps it’s hoped their growing faith will enable them to impact their own country for Christ.

To read more news on Chlidren’s Ministry on Missions Box, go here.