She Just Wanted to Make Friends. She Found Something So Much More.
- Stephen Urquizo
- Apr 23
- 2 min read
Updated: Apr 24
A report from City Life KIX — Camp Oasis, Spring 2026
Janelle didn't arrive at Camp Oasis with big spiritual expectations.
She was a girl who had grown up going to church with her mom, who knew the stories, who could probably recite the right answers. But even after all those years in church, faith had never quite felt personal. It was something she knew about — not something she had truly made her own. What she found changed her life.
This Is What Your Generosity Built
Camp Oasis isn't just a trip. For the 46 young people who attended this spring through our City Life KIX ministry, it was something that rarely happens in the lives of teenagers today — an unhurried space to ask real questions, build real relationships, and encounter a real God. And that's exactly what happened.
On Tuesday, after hearing the Gospel message, campers were invited to reflect and respond. Janelle sat with her survey and paused. She wasn't going to rush this. She wasn't going to check "yes" just because everyone else was. She turned to Ms. Kenny and asked the kind of questions that only come from a heart that is genuinely searching:
"How do I know I can really say yes if I don't want my life to change just because I say it?"
"Will the plans I have for my life disappear, or will God help me with them?"
Because a caring adult was right there — not with a rehearsed answer, but with a listening ear and an open heart — Janelle didn't walk away with her questions unanswered. She leaned in. She began to understand that saying yes to Jesus isn't about losing her future. It's about trusting Him with it.
And in that moment, with confidence and clarity, Janelle marked her survey for the first time: she believes Jesus loves her, died for her sins, and rose again because He is God.
She came to make friends. She left with a Savior.
CAMP OASIS RECAP VIDEO
This Is Only Possible Because of You
Many of the young people in our City Life KIX program across Miami-Dade and Broward would never have been able to attend camp without the support of donors like you.
You put Janelle on that bus.
You put Ms. Kenny in the seat next to her.
You created the space where the most important conversation of a young person's life could actually happen.
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