Guests arriving at the White Memorial Church on Sabbath morning found the stage transformed into a jungle with giraffes, elephants, lions, bamboo, palm trees and a functioning waterfall. The set was the backdrop for “King of the Jungle,” a children’s musical presented by Urban Embrace, the White Memorial Church summer day camp.

The day camp began in 1994 as a North American Division program in conjunction with WMC, the White Memorial Medical Center, Southern California Conference and the John Hancock Center for Youth Ministry at La Sierra University, which provided North American students for urban ministry. Urban Embrace has become an important outreach of the church to the East L.A. Boyle Heights community.

Directed by Perry Barlongo, Urban Embrace begins each morning with chapel and includes daily rotations of drama, reading, Bible, recreation and arts and crafts. Campers also go on weekly field trips and trips to the library and neighborhood swimming pool. Sabbath mornings, the staff—academy/high school and college students—conduct Children’s Church, inviting campers.

Again this year, Urban Embrace culminated with a musical production on which campers had worked for five weeks. The musical featured campers costumed as jungle creatures, stressing that the God of creation can also be the Lord of our hearts.

Contrasted with the increasing violence in the surrounding community, Urban Embrace provides a safe haven for children in East L.A. Despite the turmoil around, the camp has enjoyed 13 incident-free UE summers. “Urban Embrace is fun and the counselors really care about us," said camper Jonathan Lopez. "I want to be a counselor when I get older.”

With the church’s encouragement, the musical is held in the church during the Sabbath worship hour and Urban Embrace Day has become an important day on the church’s calendar. On that day, more non-members attend than on any other Sabbath and many stay for the festive luncheon.

The day camp is the first paying job for many of the staff of academy/high school and college students from the White and other Adventist congregations. At least five former staff members are now teachers, three of whom teach in SCC schools. Former staffers have indicated that they first thought of becoming a teacher at Urban Embrace.

“I had no idea the impact and influence Urban Embrace had on the children and the community," said first-time counselor Vanessa Siordia. "I was really touched.”

With the transfer of the medical school from WMC to Loma Linda in the 1960s, church membership dwindled. Urban Embrace has helped WMC transition to a community church. It also has enhanced the church’s relationship with the hospital, providing positive summer activities for the children of employees, many of whom are non-Adventists.

When hospital employees and community parents attend on UE Day, they learn that Adventists care about their children and families. Pastors invite them to take advantage of Pathfinder and Adventurer clubs during the school year and introduce them to the White Memorial School principal, letting them know that Christian education is available in the community.

Expansion planning includes a UE after-school tutoring program during the 2006-2007 school year.