“God gave us this community”

When mum of six, Ali, was 12, she attended her first SU Wild Wee Jasper camp (WWJ). It changed her life forever. She went on to team lead for a season, and now her own children are returning as campers!

“I went on Wild Wee Jasper when I was in Year 7, and loved it. It was always my favourite camp, and I went every year.”

“The church I grew up in didn’t have many people my age . . . I ended up going to church with a bunch of kids that I met on WWJ, and that was really key in developing my faith,” reflects Ali.

“I went back as a leader. Leading on camps is a really important part of my faith journey. I saw I had a role to play in the Kingdom, and sharing my faith with others was really important.”

But Ali’s journey didn’t stop there. Together with her late husband, James, Ali took on a vital new role.

“For about five years, we directed WWJ together. It was so fun (and a lot of hard work!). Our kids grew up going to camp, even before they were born . . . ”

“It was just such a beautiful thing to do as a family . . . God gave us this community where people just come together and be excited about Jesus.”

Today, Ali’s children are now old enough to attend WWJ as campers themselves.

“Wild Wee Jaspers is a fun camp where you connect with other people in a Christian environment. I love it!” says Ali’s daughter.

“As a mum, my greatest hope is that my kids also choose to have a relationship with Jesus as they grow up, and to have that relationship nurtured. So I think for them to join a camp where there’s lots of leaders who love them and who teach them and encourage them and who share God’s love with them is huge!” says Ali.

“Camps like WWJ really make a difference in helping young people. The statistics of how many young people don’t stay in the church are quite scary. And I think going to camps like these allows young people to experience God in a really personal way.”

With a history spanning more than three decades, Wild Wee Jasper is one of the ACT’s longest-running camps. Ali’s family is just one example of the generational impact of this vital ministry.

Your partnership with SU is supporting generations of young people to discover life in God’s big story. Find out more about other ways to get involved in this life-changing work. Visit su.org.au/get-involved.