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We buried Mamman’s father at the age of 36, when Mamman was just beginning secondary school. As he was a son and the oldest of the four children, his mother began to rely on him as the man of the house. New purchases were put in his name for his future security. Sometimes mother and son discussed family issues as she used to do with her husband. Mamman was now the man of the house.
Still, just coping with secondary school was enough of a challenge. Mamman was not at the top of his class academically. What contribution could he make toward seeing that the family’s needs were met and the future secure for his siblings? His mother got a job cleaning rooms and dressing beds at a nearby Bible conference center. But Mamman wanted to do something to help.
 Then Mamman had the chance to attend ECWA Youth Camp for a week thanks to a gift from friends in America. It looked like a great way to get away and have fun! And it was. But something interesting happened that was more than just fun: the camp craft time becamethe highlight of each day for Mamman.
There was a choice of activities in the craft room. Mamman chose palm sandal making. This turned out to be the best part of the camp for sure. Not only did Mamman have fun learning how to make the sandals but he also realized, “Hey, I am good at this. My finished product looks almost professional!" Then it happened—an idea was born.
No one had ever characterized this secondary school student as a visionary, but Mamman envisioned himself sitting in a workshop back home in his village, crafting palm sandals to sell to the villagers. These sandals are something everyone uses every day of the week. People trek to the market to buy them, but what is available in the market is not nearly as nice as what Mamman saw his own hands producing. This could work!
Just two months after camp, Mamman found himself sitting in small workshop in his village, crafting sandals. Through a gift from a friend of his late father, he was able to purchase the one expensive item needed: a grinding wheel for shaping the base of the sandals. People are buying his product and Mamman can see that his work is helping his mother and taking some of the burden from her shoulders. Only one big problem remains: Mamman can't make palm sandals fast enough to meet the demand in the village! God is at work.
This is just one of many stories we get to hear about in ECWA Camp Youth Alive. Sometimes in the midst of all the printing, speaking, traveling, and planning we must do, we lose sight of the far-reaching outcomes of the ministry. Lives are being changed!!
We know this from the evaluation form campers and staff fill out at the end of camp, but more importantly, we hear and see it when we run into former campers in the market, or when former camp staff walk across the seminary graduation stage.
ECYA 2009 is just around the corner (Jos: August 4-10, Aug 11-17; Kaduna: Aug 22-29; Tangale: September 3-9). Please join us in praying for the Holy Spirit to continue working in ways on the Holy Spirit can—healing broken hearts, open blind eyes, unlocking deaf ears, setting captives free, giving hope and changing lives. And hey, if you are interested in sponsoring a camper, drop me an
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