Davis' Story by Brad Mowry

I met Davis and his aide, Kate, at Capernaum camp last year. Davis is 19 years old and in a wheelchair. He is not very verbal and has much difficulty with loud music and crowds. I got to know Davis as I helped his aide get his feeding pump working (my daughter is also tube-fed so I am called in when someone’s having trouble!) and I entertained him with my imitations of Elmo and other Sesame Street characters.

On the first day of camp, I saw Kate pull in to camp with Davis and ran over to greet them. Davis had an Elmo stuffed animal this year, so my Elmo imitation got an early audience! 

Davis wasn’t doing well with the crowd and staying in our club meetings, so I had one of our property staff members set up a simulcast in the game room. Kate said, “I don’t want anyone to have to go to any trouble.” I replied, “Well, you don’t know where you are then, because it isn’t any trouble for us!” We often do whatever it takes for kids at Young Life camp, and just like in Mark 2, I had no doubts that we would “cut a whole in the roof” for a Capernaum camper to hear the gospel.  

At the end of the message, our camp speaker, Lori Conner shared with the kids that Jesus is making them an offer of relationship and they need to make a choice. She told them if they wanted a relationship with Jesus, they could say, "Yes,” to Jesus and she explained a simple “ABC” prayer - Admit, Believe, Commit.

When Lori said this and Davis heard it over the simulcast, he hopped in his wheelchair and shouted, “Yes, yes, yes! A-B-C, A-B-C, A-B-C!” When Lori told us the story, we all cried. I have seen a lot of kids – mostly typically functioning high schoolers – meet Christ at Young Life camp, but that was one of the most powerful conversions I have seen!

I am so blessed by knowing Davis and grateful that God brought him to Rockbridge, we “cut a hole in the roof” by setting up the simulcast, and his prayer has impacted so many people.