Vinnie and Jodie Carafano’s team of about 24 teenagers, college students and adults went to Hong Kong for 4½    weeks. We've had some very busy days and amazing ministry opportunities! Here are a few stories:

In front of the famous Tin Hau temple to the goddess of the sea, we held a public evangelistic meeting with a local ministry to inner city people. This was an awful area with strong spiritual dynamics. The park around the temple was full of booths for fortune tellers and sorcerers, the neighborhood around is seedy bars, porn stands and brothels- we had to take the kids through a roundabout route to get there without exposing them to all of it! People were responsive and willing to talk for a long time afterward. 

The Temple Street night market is one of the biggest markets, packed with people from all over the world. A big crowd gathered on the blocked-off street, and the kids performed music and drama and I preached hard, being specific about their sins, lostness and need for the Savior. We were right between a busy outdoor cafe and a divination shop, with more porn shops and brothels around. There were some great ministry times and Sikhs, Africans, Muslims, tourists, Bangladeshis and many others stayed to talk about their souls.

The team went street witnessing and to the Chungking Mansions inner city outreach in the 17 floor vertical ghetto, which was great but scary to many at first. People from about 20 nations were there and the kids did a super job with testimonies, music ministry and prayer with the people. 

We went to the waterfront and set up our PA system, when an official from the harbor department told us in no uncertain terms that we were not allowed there and must move ... and he made us go to a much more visible and crowded area, with lots more people! 

We worked with the founder of King’s Kids, Dale Kauffman, in a huge opportunity called the Gateway Camp to prepare about 1600 young people (see photo at top) for outreach in Hong Kong and Mainland China. This was an incredible opportunity to impact kids from around the world. The 108 outreach teams came from 56 nations. After the training camp, they broke into smaller teams, pairing Hong Kong Christian youth with foreigners, and went into Mainland China and the Hong Kong region. The team also served at churches and youth groups, did school evangelism and saw the Lord work in their own lives in a powerful way.

We (Dave and Mary Arnold) had an amazing and life challenging Summer of Service outreach. We started with the famous Extreme Encounter where we bond and as a team overcome difficulties through a three day wilderness trek. Then we signed up to both attend and serve at a youth camp in Kansas City with about 450 youth. We were challenged by God in many areas of life to break out of the common every day rut that we settle into and walk alongside a living God! We served at the camp through random acts of servanthood and helping with meals. It was a lot of work but a wonderful blessing as well.

Our staff of five adults, joined by four college student interns, is eager to begin the local teams this year. The 9-13 year old Junior Team starts up this month with about 25 kids, and the Senior Team has about 43. There’s so much enthusiasm among the teenagers who went on summer outreaches and other older teenagers on the team, who are seeing the Lord work in their lives in new ways. We begin the Senior Team with a three day retreat in New Mexico, and the kids will take initiative in defining the vision for outreaches this year.

This summer I (Yvette Pena) was able to go back to India with a small group of four young women including a couple of King’s Kids alumni.  We worked with Din Bandu Ministries in the central part of India in Maharastra state and with YWAM, Calcutta. Our outreach started in Warda, and its surrounding villages.  This poor, rural farm community has been experiencing a drought for some time.  Because of this many people are hopeless and in despair.  Some villages have never heard the name of Jesus before.  Our team, along with Din Bandu missionaries, was able to worship, give testimonies, preach and pray.  Every time we ministered and in every village the primary prayer requests related to alcoholism and abuse.  The women we ministered to were so beautiful, and open to receiving healing from the Lord for themselves and their families.  We came away hopeful and are even confident that some home churches will blossom from the ministry in these communities.

In Yavatmal we participated in an outreach to the children of farmers who have committed suicide over the past few years.  Because of the Hindu doctrines of reincarnation and karma, little is done to stop the suicides or help the families that have been affected.  The church is spearheading a change of thinking that is affecting these families in practical ways and helping to change public policy in relation to social responsibility to the poor.  More than 5000 people attended the event, including government officials, mayors, the Minister of Education, and community leaders along with prominent Christian leaders and pastors.  Each representative spoke about their commitment to help the hundreds of children who have lost their parents.  After our time in central India we hopped on a train and twenty four hours later arrived in the middle of one of the most populous, diverse, loud, dirty, poverty stricken, intense, hot and humid, most…everything cities in the world…Calcutta!  I went to Calcutta four years ago to work with my good friend Loch, who is now the director of YWAM Calcutta.  Since then the shelter that was her vision has become a reality.  It is functioning daily providing a safe place for children whose families live on the street.  The ministry provides a place to bathe, wash clothes, and eat. There are also literacy classes in Bengali and English.  But most importantly the children and young people that come to the shelter learn about Jesus through Bible teaching, worship, and the hands on love of the workers that are committed to daily ministering to their needs.  Along with the shelter they minister to families that live on the street daily.  Something seemingly small like cleaning and covering a wound can save the leg of someone living in the filth of the street.  They also have a night shelter, providing a safe place for girls to sleep.

Our time in India was truly amazing.  I saw the absolute worst that the world, humanity, and Satan can produce but also saw the power of Divine Love worked out through humble humans, transforming that world into glimmers of new creation that can only be realized through Christ.