Can I Pray for your Brother?

How middle-school campers spurred on the faith of their counselor 

When Kyle “Beignets” Romero first heard that Pine Cove was interviewing on campus, he never imagined that the decision to apply would change not just his life, but his brother’s too. A strategic communications major who feels called to be a pastor, Kyle signed on as a second-half counselor at the Outback—one of Pine Cove’s middle school camps.

By week eight, Kyle was settling into the swing of camp life. He had already led a cabin and was growing more confident in his role as a counselor. He found he preferred to spend the first couple of days building trust with his campers before easing into deeper conversations. But on one of the first evenings of the week, that rhythm was interrupted when a camper asked a question that caught Kyle off guard. 

“What do we do when our prayers don’t get answered the way we want them to?”

At first, Kyle gave what he thought was a helpful response. But when another camper asked nearly the same question a couple of days later, Kyle decided to get vulnerable and share a bit of his story with his campers. 

“I told them, ‘For eight years I’ve prayed that my brother would find Christ,’” Kyle remembers. “Every single time that prayer has fallen short. It still hasn’t happened to this day.’” 

When his campers asked him if he had any hope that God would answer, he replied, “At the end of the day, it’s God’s plan, not my plan. And maybe God’s timeline is not the same as the timeline that I have.”

Later that night, one of Kyle’s campers approached him to talk more about this tough topic. Kyle leaned in and continued to share with as much wisdom and openness as he could. At the end of the conversation, this camper offered something unexpected. “Can I pray for your brother?”

“That threw me off,” Kyle said, “because here I am, the counselor, who is supposed to pray over [my camper], but he’s praying over me.” 

Moved by the initiative and care of a sixth grader, Kyle learned firsthand what many counselors at the Outback discover each year: that middle schoolers are capable of more spiritual depth than adults often expect. Kyle’s campers rallied around him as a family would. Despite their age, these young guys took a step of faith and boldness that made an impact on Kyle’s life, and encouraged him to take his own leap of faith during a family vacation later that summer. 

Kyle had mentioned to his cabin that he’d be going to a Brandon Lake concert while on this trip. Originally, he planned to go with a friend, but when that friend couldn’t go anymore, Kyle found himself with an extra ticket. One of his campers asked him, “Why don’t you invite your brother?” 

“I looked at him and I said, ‘Dude, that’s an amazing idea, but the problem is that he’s not going to say yes,’” remembers Kyle. 

But this camper simply encouraged his counselor to try. 

When the time came for the family trip, Kyle picked up his brother in their hometown of Lafayette, Louisiana. In the car, Kyle mentioned the idea of the concert. Much to his surprise, his brother was more willing than Kyle expected, even though he made clear it was a Christian concert. 

Kyle’s brother ended up not being able to go to the concert due to a work conflict, but this experience encouraged Kyle to be bolder in their conversations. “That willingness then led me to ask another question and dig deeper,” Kyle said. 

Sensing a newfound openness in his brother, and spurred on by the prayers of his campers, Kyle asked, “Do you believe in God?” His brother replied, “There has to be, otherwise I wouldn’t still be here.” So Kyle continued, “Do you believe Jesus died for us? Do you believe He lives in us every day?” To both questions, his brother answered yes.

“I told him, ‘Do you realize what you just said? You just confessed Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior,’” Kyle said.

After eight years of praying and wrestling with discouragement, Kyle saw a change in his brother’s heart, a belief in God’s saving mercy, and a desire to grow in his faith. 

“That week we got to spend the entire trip glorifying the Lord and what he did,” Kyle said. 

Now, Kyle says, his brother is more eager and hungry than ever before.  

“Sometimes I’ll walk into his room and he’s got Bible videos playing on his TV. That’s how he learns best, and God is using it. His faith is growing, and it’s so amazing to watch.”

After family vacation, Kyle returned to his college campus fired up and filled with renewed energy. Even though his campers don’t yet know what happened, Kyle hopes to see them next summer and tell his week eight guys the rest of the story. 

As he looks ahead to another summer at Pine Cove, Kyle is eager to lead with a fresh perspective, encouraging his campers to continue asking hard questions and empowering them to be curious. 

“Sometimes we look at middle schoolers and we think, ‘What difference can they make?’” Kyle says. “But we just saw a middle schooler change my life eternally.”