"Volunteering at a Bring Me Hope camp was one of the best weeks of my life! My daughters and I were able to really make a difference in these kid's lives while also establishing long-term relationships with some of Chinese / English translators. I highly recommend these camps for individuals or families looking to have fun while making a HUGE impact for the Kingdom!

We had an incredible time last summer at the Bring Me Hope camp in Xian! To be able to bond with these children for five days and see the difference the camp made in their lives was unbelievable. My daughters and I were the ones who received the huge blessing by volunteering. It truly is better to give than to receive!"

-Jeffrey D. Knipe, Florida, USA
(Jeffrey & his wife Debbie are with the ministry "A Mother's Love")

"When the lift doors opened on the 5th floor of the hotel and out spilled a crowd of some smiling and some wary children of all different shapes and sizes, I was lost in awe of what the camp means. To be given the privilege to look after these precious children, to be asked just to love them unconditionally come what may is humbling.

None of our western ways can miraculously fix either their disabilities or their broken hearts; only Jesus working through us will change anything. You just have to be willing to plant the seeds and leave everything else to God.

For a woman who has never been blessed with children, I was forever changed. A hardness in my heart that I didn't know I carried was broken off me, and an unselfish heart allowed to grow. I saw my husband grow in his faith as well. He is a Dad already but being in China with those children really affected him to the point that we have simplified our lifestyle to be more effective for God.

We plan to return to China in any way possible, and we would love to do Bring Me Hope camps again. We are happy that we still keep in touch with our translators, sharing our faith with them. And also we pray for the children to remember their camp experience as a time they knew they were loved and to know they are still loved now."

- Beth B. Nelson Bay, NSW, Australia

"God told me when I asked that question "what difference can a week spent at camp make in an orphan's life?" again last summer that just like His Word, God's love will never "return void". It is never wasted and it lives in the hearts of the children as a deposit that He will grow in His time, according to His purposes. What a privilege to be used by God in this way."

- Sharon A., Burlington, Ontario, Canada

"Nothing beats seeing someone who has felt unloved with a huge smile on their face and knowing you helped put it there. I can honestly say, I am never sure who benefits more from camp: us or the kids."

- Carm H., Michigan, USA

"I am so thankful to God for this summer serving on BMH staff and the many ways He made Himself real to me as I learned to lose myself in Him and His will. He is teaching me that the only way to find real joy is to find it exclusively in Him. My heart was full of wonder as I shared with others what He has done in my heart and life and saw the Father bring new brothers and sisters into our family."

- Rebekah G., Serving as a teacher in Taiwan

"I believe in love at first sight. The first time he looked my way he tried to hide his interest by quickly glancing away, but I was hooked. His mischievous grin immediately snagged my heart. It only took a day until his hand was seeking out mine.

The object of my affection is named Ben; also known as "my messy melon monster" (he had a particular fondness for the delectable fruit). He is a seven year- old Chinese orphan, and one of my buddies for week one of camp. I don't know if this is a phenomenon that occurs only in situations like these, when your heart's desire is to be so full of God's love that it just overflows onto others, without expectation of return, but in the span of five days my heart was fully engaged in loving Ben.

On the way back to the orphanage, Ben sat on my lap. Although he knew I couldn't understand Chinese, he would tilt his head backwards looking at me upside-down, and smile and chat- knowing that understanding was more than words. Not long into the journey he fell asleep on my chest, and I used the time to pray over him.

Watching his tear stained face as our van pulled away was the hardest thing I've ever had to experience. It literally felt as though my heart was being wrenched out of my chest. The place where he laid his head felt empty. I was providing love to the unloved, to the hard to love, and the forgotten. To see the power of a smile, a hug, a word of encouragement in the life of someone who rarely if ever gets to experience love, is priceless."

- Christy G., New Jersey, USA

"I showed my little buddy, Billy, the pictures of my four girls and wife. Billy stopped, looked at the picture and then looked at our translator, Andrew, and said "Two Chinese?". Andrew told him how we adopted both of them to give them love. He then said that I was a good person with a big heart to adopt two girls. Billy stopped again and said with a serious but sad face, "Why has nobody adopted me?". There was no way I could hold my tears back so I put my head down to hide them. I heard Andrew tell him that I was praying. I lifted my head and said, "No, I am just sad". Billy could see the tears on my face. He paused and then said, "Don't worry, God has adopted me".

- Bill B., Lithia, Florida, USA

"Bring Me Hope means a lot to me!

When I was in China, they brought us hope and took us out to play and see a different world. We spent one week at camp, and it was so fun! The first day we arrived there they put us kids into a group so we had a group game that we could play. They also gave me an English name, and my first English name given to me was Joy. They gave it to me because I love to smile and laugh a lot.

More days passed by, and we went to so many places! We went swimming, bowling, ping pong, etc. It was so fun to be with them. We had a blast time together, and they changed my life.

When I was little, my parents abandoned me in a street. Then, I thought no one would love me, and all I did is hate people. So, when I spent a week with Bring Me Hope, I finally knew outside the world there are a lot of people who love us, and also God. Even though we are orphans, they are always there for us and loved us.

The day we went back home, I treasured all these memories. I love them all so much and want to say thank you for all the time you spent with us! We would never forget it! Always in my heart!"

-Danielle, age 17

Joy is now Danielle-she is home now, living in South Carolina with her forever family which includes a little brother and a little sister.

"I heard that you take a very long journey to come here in order to love me. I am greatly moved."
-Bingying Sun

"You are like my mom to me. This is the most beautiful memory in my life."
-Zengwang Feng

"It's you who made me feel that I am still loved."
-Minglun Hua

"You let me know God. Let me know love. I know that God protects us."
-Ping Wang

"I learn from you to smile even if my life is full of adversity."
-Yan Li

"I have learned that I am very valuable and I should never look down upon myself because of our misfortunes we've encountered."
-Wenjing Dang

"You are just like a kind father. There is full love in your heart."
-Lujun Yu

"When I was feeling down, it was you who used your heart to encourage me. It was you who support me all the time."
-Liang Liu

"I am always dreaming of making friends with foreigners. Now I have my dream come true!"
-Mingnei Hua

"I am thankful for you giving me hope."
-Shuangli Fu

"You give me courage to face difficulties like a family."
-Ya Jhang

"I learned a lot from the lesson we had in this camp. No matter when and how hard a problem may be, you should never give up and be a strong man. I'll never give up and I will hold it on till it succeeds."
-Wei Xu

"It is beyond my imagination that all the activities are done in family group at the camp. We felt the warmth and love of a family. Kids like us can't imagine we could ever come here and enjoy life like this."
-Yanhong Zhang

"I spent a lot of happy and memorable time with you, which makes me feel family love and coziness inside. All of these things let me feel warmth wintin and having a family is so precious."
-Dong Fu

"I learned how to deal with something. I will put the knowledge I learned how to use in our daily life."
-Jianli Zhang

"The most important is that without your love, we will have no chance to be here and to enjoy life like this."
-Nannan Chen

"To be honest, it is the first time for me to see your kind of behaviours. I am really shocked. Your good behaviours really impressed me."
-Xiangshuai Yang

"In the camp, I feel as if I really saw hope. Among the kids, some are very naughty. But, our 'parents' love them and care for them all the same. This really touched me a lot."
-Dang Ai Guo

"Different cultures, different ages, different colour skins, different languages....but we can get along with each other. I think this is only because of your love. Thank you for the memories you left to me. I will lock it in my deep heart."
-Qian Zhang

Interview with a post-camper:

BMH: Can I ask you what your thoughts were when you were told you were coming to camp?

Camper: (Laughing) At first I was so nervous because I never went anywhere before. Plus that time I don't really trust anyone in my life except myself. So it was hard.

But when the bus drove us to the camp and we saw y'all and you welcomed us, then I was little bit ok.but still nervous.

But when I got to know y'all then I said to myself that I am happy to come. It was the best time of my life, all of my 13 years while I was in China.


BMH: Thanks for being so honest. If I were you, I would be really scared going somewhere new and meeting new people too!

Camper: I am so thankful that I choose to go and met y'all. If I didn't go, I don't know what I would have missed. Y'all have changed my life in so many ways. I don't even know how to put the words.


BMH: You have changed our lives too!

Sometimes people ask what the campers feel and are thinking when camp is over. It's really hard for both the volunteers and the campers to go back to their homes. What were your thoughts when you left?

Camper: Well to be honest, I really didn't want to go back. The night when we drew, wrote letters to each other, danced, played games, I said to myself that I wish the time would stop at this place with these people.

I knew that we would leave in the morning so I was so disappointed because I absolutely like what we did and everything in that week. And I wish we could stay like that forever. I really wish the time would go back or slower sometimes.


BMH: I know that feeling. We wish it didn't have to end either. And we're sad when you leave.

Some people have questioned if it's worth running the camps just to ultimately send campers back to their orphanages, as if we were abandoning you again. What do you think?

Camper: I believe if you ask everyone who was at camp, their answer would be Yes. It's still worth running the camps even though y'all have to send campers back.

Because like us who were abandoned from families, went to a big orphanage, and stayed there for many years, we don't get the privilege like other kids who have parents with them and go on vacation every summer.

So we would die to go some place different and see different things and meet different people.

So I believe that even though we were sad to leave, we also go to see what the other side of the world looks like. And also know there are a lot of people who care and love us who don't have parents.

I really wish everyone in America would get involved with this, no matter if they're teenagers or adults, because some people don't really see the differences between each country.

Bring Me Hope changes a lot of people's lives. So I would love to see Bring Me Hope available forever and always.24/7 , 365 days a year!


BMH: What's it like for you to live in America after living in China for so long?

Camper: (Laughing) I like America.I like seeing different sides of the world, having my own stuff so I don't have to fight over what stuff I want and also getting to meet new people.

Also here I have a chance to go to college and have my own family and a future. And I can get involved with sports and make many new friends who care about me. In China I don't really get this stuff, no matter what. And also I would not learn about or believe in God.


BMH: God sure knows what you need and has provided so much for you. But China will always be a huge part of you.

Camper: I think I am the luckiest person in the world. I have family, friends, you all, and God in my life. I am so happy.


BMH: If you were able to go back to China, what would you like to do?

Camper: If I got to go back to China, I would like to go where I was from and see the changes. Also I would like to take all the orphans out and take them somewhere different, like y'all did. Also, I would like to go shopping (laughing). I would like to spend all the time with the orphans and play with them.and also find my real parents.

BMH: Those are beautiful dreams. I hope they all come true. We love you!