July 29, 2002

Gage helps Metro Church youth go to camp
___By Brandon Kirk
___Staff Writer
___The youth of Metro Church of Garland finally made it to camp one month after the June 24 bus accident that killed five people and injured 36 on the way to a camp in Louisiana.
___Evangelist Rick Gage, a native Texan now based in Atlanta, organized a free week at camp July 22-26 at the Georgia Baptist Conference Center for the 70 youth and their parents.
___"The youth group and church family of Metro Church have suffered much," Gage said. "They need a touch from God and love from fellow Christians."
___Gage put up the initial camp fees of $500 per person, then solicited the support of churches in Georgia to give them opportunities to sponsor the youth and defray the costs.
___At the camp, Gage was pleased that the youth from Metro Church were enjoying themselves. "They're having the time of their life up here," he said. Gage flew the students to Atlanta, where they boarded two charter buses for the 90-mile trip to the Baptist camp at Toccoa, Ga.
___The Texas youth received a police escort to give them peace of mind.
___"I saw this as an opportunity to reach out to hurting people," said Gage. "We wanted to take a tragedy and turn it into a triumph."
___The camp has helped to bring closure to the grief the youth experienced last month, Gage said.
___Metro Church's pastor, Scott Camp, is a longtime friend of Gage's. The tragedy they experienced has helped the youth to become better Christians, Camp said. "Their faith has been tested, and they've just come out like pure gold."
___Having been a main speaker at the camp for 10 years, Camp already was scheduled to speak during the week the Metro Church youth were there.

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