What happens when the Apostle Paul arrives at Darwin Kids Games? 

Discover how your support is helping forge new paths of faith and friendship in Darwin

It’s no secret that volunteers are the heartbeat of our mission at SU Australia. This is particularly true when it comes to our camping ministry, where volunteers go above and beyond to show children and young people their place in God’s big story. 

Take Aaron, who played a key ‘role’ at  the most recent Darwin Kids Games. 

Ordinarily,  Aaron is a school chaplain,  but for five days, Aaron stepped back 2000 years and took on an entirely new identity. 

The NT’s newest Ministry Coordinator, and team leader of Darwin Kids Games, Jayden Ilett explains Aaron’s amazing transformation:

“One of our leaders Aaron was Paul.  Paul was the main character in this year’s Kids Games … and [Aaron] was just super, super into it and animated, and the kids loved him.” 

So into his role did Aaron get that when it came to Paul being bitten by a snake (aka Aaron’s lanyard) it flicked up and accidentally chipped his tooth. 

“He just kept going,” Jayden reflects.

Aaron wasn’t the only volunteer to go the extra mile. 

“Someone from New South Wales came and flew up to join Kids Games. She just sent me an email and said, ‘I saw this program. Can I come?’ I think she saw it on the SU website,” says Jayden. 

“She basically came for the program and then flew out on Friday. So it’s not even like she had a holiday here.”

Further, when original leaders came down sick, more volunteers stepped in.

Darwin Kids Games runs from Monday to Friday mornings, and is jam-packed with action and fun, as well as opportunities to share God’s big story. This year saw around 50 young people attend, a steep increase from less than 20 enrolled two days before the event commenced. 

A key focus of the week is building community among campers and leaders alike. Jayden was extremely pleased to see the children themselves take the lead in this. 

One girl who was new to Kids Games and had been bullied at her school was warmly embraced by a group of girls who already knew one another. She also shared with a leader that she prayed on the final day of the camp. 

She wasn’t the only new attendee to be embraced. A group of new boys was also warmly welcomed.

‘I was very thankful to God. Leaders would come back with stories of conversations they had and just little things … ” says Jayden, of the encouragement he himself received.

Thank you so much  for supporting our vital, life-transforming camping ministry in the NT and beyond, giving children and young people an opportunity to discover their place in God’s big story of love and hope. To read more about camps in the NT, or to find out how to volunteer visit: su.org.au/nt