ICM Kids Camp – An Experience My Children Won’t Forget

Story by Carine Owens

Kids Camp provides a chance for my children and I to step outside our lives of abundance.  It creates an opportunity that allows our kids to see the reality of poverty and how many people survive each day in dire circumstances. We join these children for four action packed days to sing songs, play games, make crafts and be kids together. We wouldn’t exchange our time at Kids Camp for anything and I’m sure our kids have a collection of memories that will last them a lifetime.

This year was our fifth Kids Camp:

For my family, it all started back in May 2008 – I was just over 3 months pregnant and we were sitting in a noisy Moroccan restaurant in Hong Kong with Julie & Harry Turner, two passionate ambassadors for ICM. They had just returned from the ICM Dumaguete Kids Camp and were eagerly inviting us to join the following year. I remember saying “but we’ll have a 5 month old baby by then.”  It was noisy, but I was convinced I heard Julie say, “That’s ok, this year we had about four babies around that age.”

A year later, Lucy attended her first Kids Camp at just 5 months old.  On the first day, one of the ICM Dumaguete staff said to me, “Wow, she’s so young. I don’t think we’ve ever had a baby that young before…” I just smiled, thinking back to that noisy restaurant the year before.

That first year, I was involved in running craft so several enthusiastic Filipino ladies were looking after Lucy. Lucy’s main caregiver was a lady named Myriam. On the last day of the camp we took photos with Myriam and I was so grateful for her kindness with Lucy. After camp we parted ways, but she has always held a special place in my heart.  My family has been returning to Kids Camp yearly since 2009 so I always look for Myriam, in the hope to say hello and show her how Lucy has grown. Unfortunately, I never saw her and assumed she must have moved away.

But this year at Kids Camp, at the end of a hot and tiring day, I was walking down a path heading back towards the craft desks when a lady caught my eye – I looked at her, she looked at me and Lucy and instantly our eyes lit up. I felt quite emotional, finally having been reunited with Myriam five years later!  She was equally excited to see Lucy and without hesitation, picked her up for a huge hug.

Every year has been a very special time for all 3 of our children and for my husband and I. We’ve had many friends and family volunteer with us during Kids Camp over the years and each one of them has been touched by this unique opportunity to bring so much joy and love to the poorest of the poor here in the Philippines.  Thank you to all the families who took time out of their Easter Holiday to come serve at Kids Camp!