By Frank Avio, SU QLD Relationships Manager

They say a picture is worth a thousand words.

Well, picture this…

As a 39-year-old, I went on my first ever SU QLD camp as a SMADD leader a few weeks ago.

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Alinta Ward is 15 years old, and is one of 26 young people to attend Camp Mibunn – our first camp for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth.

Alinta has big plans for her life – and that’s because of encouragement from her Indigenous elders and youth pastors in Logan.

“I want to change someone’s life in a big way. I think I want to be a social worker because there aren’t a lot of Indigenous foster parents. A lot of Indigenous kids don’t get looked after… so I think being there for them and telling them my testimony would change their life,” she says. (more…)

Splashout Far North Queensland Director Kristin Hohoi loves volunteering on SU QLD camps — so much so that even a diagnosis of cancer couldn’t keep her away!

“I just love camp!” Kristin says. “It’s absolutely the best week of the year. I’ve worked hard over the years to refine our program into an energy-filled, faith-filled camp, and I love it!”

So when Kristin received the news in December of 2012 that she had cancer (just weeks before Splashout 2013), she was determined not to let it get in the way.

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For 16-year-old Ben, surfing is more than a hobby — it’s a way to connect, to grow, and to tackle the big issues of life.

Ben grew up on the Gold Coast with his mum and his younger brother. He loves his footy and his family — but for the last three years, one of his biggest highlights has been his annual pilgrimage to SU QLD’s Surf Safari camp (now called Surfishari).

During his first camp in Year 8, Ben and six of his mates from school spent the week surfing, skating, riding waterslides and watching surfing videos. But it was also a chance for them to explore deeper issues of faith and explore the Bible, something many of Ben’s friends had never experienced. (more…)

Thanks to our generous and loyal supporters we were recently able to subsidise 75% of the cost to get 34 young people to one of our camps – Training Week 2014.

Training Week is a camp we have run for nearly 35 years. It aims to see students equipped to live out their faith in their local school, church and community. Training Week is for Christian students in Grades 10 – 12 who would be encouraged and inspired to discover how they can lead, or be a part of, programs and groups in schools and churches.

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Your support kick-starts a new camp, challenging kids to put their faith into action

A new camp, called The Quest, is challenging a group of young teens to live out their faith, make a difference, and be grateful for what they have in Australia.

SU QLD Children’s Ministry Specialist, Terry Williams, and his team wanted to create challenging activities and experiences to help children go deeper in their faith. For children who have grown up in church it is their opportunity to explore in a different way how to put faith into action to help those who are less fortunate.

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Planning is in full swing for our June camping season. Every year, over 1,500 SU QLD volunteers run nearly a hundred camps across the state. These camps provide 5,000 children and teenagers with a fun-filled, positive time away from home.

We’ve asked one amazing volunteer camp leader, Stephanie Hill, who has been involved with SU QLD camps for an amazing eleven years, to share her experiences and exactly why she keeps coming back.

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For the families and children that need financial support, a camp sponsorship shows that someone cares about their situation and wants to bless them.

Our generous friends, Don and Narelle Todman, provided finances to send four boys from struggling families to SU-Schoolies Sunny Coast last November.

One of those boys, Jonathan, shares his story:

“In my last year of high school, my parents separated. My dad, who’d been unemployed for nearly six months, went to work at a mine near Perth. Mum lost her job, and had to sell the family home. (more…)

The summer camp season is one of SU QLD’s busiest times — 750 children and young people attended 16 camps, and another 400 people attended nine community outreaches across Queensland. All these events were overseen by 460 trained volunteers.

For many children, their camping experiences are more than just a memorable time away with friends and family; they are an opportunity to learn new things about themselves and strengthen relationships with others, and to engage in significant spiritual conversations. (more…)