HARPER, Texas – A military veteran started a camp for children with incarcerated parents to provide them a place to feel loved, have fun and build relationships.
Beau Stricklin founded and currently directs Camp Agape Hill Country.
“Agape means God’s never-ending love,” Stricklin said. “Stats show that seven out of 10 kids with incarcerated parents will become incarcerated at some point in their lives. We want to break that cycle and show them that we love them. God loves them, and there is another way.”
Stricklin said he thought of the idea while he was stationed in Hawaii with his wife.
“There was a speaker who came to the church. He had been formerly incarcerated and had given his life to God. When he got out, he formed Camp Agape Hawaii, and my wife and I volunteered there,” he said. “Then God put it on my heart to start one in Arkansas and then one in Texas.”
For six years, Camp Agape Hill Country has been in existence, changing the lives of troubled children.
“We hope we can give these kids hope that their parents will get out and they can live a great life as a family,” Stricklin said. “But also, there is hope for them. They don’t have to go down that path.”
At the camp, which is located at Knotts Creek Falls in Harper, Texas, all volunteers are either children who had incarcerated parents or were incarcerated themselves.
“These kids, they are walking around with a secret. The first thing they want people to know isn’t that they have an incarcerated parent. So, it causes some shame. But once they get out here and realize they are all in the same position, there is healing, freedom and a transformation from when they got picked up at the bus stop,” Stricklin said.
Stricklin said his life has changed for the better since being a part of the camp.
“It is really an ordained camp. My faith is replenished in God every time working with these kids. We are sore, sunburnt by the end, and exhausted, but we leave rejuvenated every time,” he said. “Sometimes, having an incarcerated parent is not the only obstacle they are faced with. The family that is not incarcerated is really doing all that they can to keep it together.”
From the volunteers to the cooks and the janitors, everyone ensures that the children are taken care of, free of charge.
“A lot of kids show up with a toothbrush and one sock,” Stricklin said. “So we make sure to provide T-shirts, socks, shoes and things they need on hand. Every kid leaves with a Bible and a journal.”
Camp Agape Hill Country is still accepting children, which has become an obstacle over the years to convince children to fully commit, but once the guardians and children do arrive at the camp, they don’t want to leave.
“Hopefully, they have a good encounter with God. On the bus ride there, we are singing and all, but they have their guard up. Almost immediately, when they get off, you can feel a difference. So what you see over a weekend is fantastic, but what you see over four, five, six years is life-changing.”
Stricklin also stressed how thankful they are for his good friend, who allows them to host the camp at Knott Creek Falls.
“The crews have stepped up and made this place available every year,” Stricklin said. “The camp has a heart for the vulnerable, and this couldn’t have happened without them.”
He also hopes children can understand an important message.
“People are going to let you down. Maybe your parents made some poor decisions. We want them to know that we can’t be here 365 days a year, but God can,” Stricklin said. “Once you get them away from the distractions of their life — TVs and phones — they have a chance to meet God. Even though people will let you down, God won’t.”
Registration for the camp is still open, and it is operated solely on donations. If you’d like to see how you can help make this year and the years to come even more successful, visit the Camp Agape Hill Country website.
Children and teenagers from 8 to 16 years old are welcome from July 31 to Aug. 2.