On the first day of Angel Tree® camp at Sagrada Scholarship Bible Camp, a facility nestled in the woods near the Lake of the Ozarks, I (Julia) wasn’t thinking about kayaking, campfires, skits, or games. I was a 10-year-old girl with brown hair falling to my shoulders and a permanent scowl. I hadn’t chosen to attend camp. I’d been sent to camp by my grandmother, who is raising me during my parent’s incarceration—and I was not happy about it.
When the other campers stood up to give enthusiastic renditions of songs like “Father Abraham” or watched skits and Bible presentations, I leaned back in my chair, arms folded and anger written across every feature. Though my counselors encouraged me to participate, I wouldn’t budge.
