Ascend—Hope in the Midst of Difficulty

This summer, we hosted Ascend camps at our Powdersville and Pelham campuses, and we had a total of 74 kids attend who are experiencing various forms of grief and hardship. With the sacrificial care of our amazing leaders and volunteers, the kids and students experienced fun, connection with other kids in similar situations, and the love and hope given to us by Christ.

Robert Hall, one of our volunteers from the Pelham campus, shared this with us about his experience serving through Ascend:

As I worked with the kids and heard their stories and some challenging questions, I was reminded that despite the brokenness of our world today, Jesus has redeemed us and will one day return to make our world one of perfection again, without sadness, fear, anger, or death. That is a comforting truth to hold onto!

We also heard encouraging feedback from parents:

We have had two of our kids attend Ascend, and it's been an amazing experience for both. We love hearing them talk about how their siblings' disabilities impact their feelings and how they are learning how to express those feelings. The camp is also a week of pure fun, with our kids always excited about what the next day will bring!

- Mandy Reames, Pelham member

These two weeks represent so much prayer, work, and sacrifice on the part of our staff and volunteers, but what a privilege to serve our children and students who are walking through difficult circumstances. We hope you will join us in thanking God for the way he has and is continuing to work through Ascend.