"God put a fantastic team together," said team leader Allyson Jones, "and the team and the kids connected in an incredible way."

A GO mission team of 11 people went to Erie, PA, this past summer with a clear purpose in mind: to share and spread the good news of Jesus Christ and build relationships and support for families of the inner city.

They did this through Bonkers4Jesus, a summer camp for elementary age youth sponsored by the Erie City Mission.

This popular outreach ministry had a simple goal - to shower the youth with a love that some do not experience on a daily basis. And, it was all about building relationships, said GO team member Whitney Ward. "It took a couple of days for the kids to come out of their shells. But, once they realized that the workers would return each day and keep their promises, they began to trust us," she said. "As that happened, the campers' personalities began to blossom."

Bonkers used every day activities to teach the children the love of Christ. Each day began with breakfast and bingo, then progressed to praise and worship. That was followed by classes that included tennis, urban dance, jewelry making, music, martial arts, fun with food, and science. They ended the day with dancing and singing and left with a bag lunch to take home.

On Friday evening, families and friends gathered for a celebration in which the children showed what they learned throughout the week.

This mission outreach is designed to show inner city families just how great Jesus' love is. "I was amazed to see the kids receive love they might not always receive," Allyson said, "and the workers pointed out that the source of that love is Christ."

Sincerely,

Bob Owen,

Communications and Marketing