Sethi: Once a Camper, Now a Counselor

Sethi is a refugee from Tanzania who now resides in inner-city Dallas.  He spent several weeks this summer serving on staff for Hidden Acres Mission Camps.  As we talked with him about his life, Sethi told about some of the hardships of being a child growing up in a refugee camp.  He remembers hundreds of families displaced from their homes and struggling to meet their daily needs.  He and his family were given the opportunity to leave Africa as refugees and relocate to the USA for their safety and well-being. While the transition to life in America is not easy for refugee families, Sethi thanks God for the freedom he has found in America.

When asked what Hidden Acres means to him, he replied, “Hidden Acres is like a second home to me.” He remembers crying on the bus ride home his last day of summer camp at Hidden Acres several years ago.  “I did not want to leave.  People would tell me that I would be back next summer, but next summer felt so far away. I always wanted to stay at least two more weeks.” Through the years we have seen Sethi mature into the young man he is today.  His dream to spend more weeks at camp came true when he was invited to join our summer camp staff in 2013.  It has been a blessing to see him become a leader for God’s glory.