"Summer has passed, as if it never was" - some may remember the words from Sofia Rotaru's song. Yes, summer passed very quickly and it feels as if it was short indeed. Children especially feel this way - to them it feels as if three months of vacation flew past like three weeks.

For us, the child evangelism team, summer went by even faster. We were very busy indeed! We wouldn't want to miss this wonderful opportunity when we can meet children where they live and play, and share with them simple, yet profound truths about God. Looking back on what we were able to do this summer, we want to praise the wonderful Creator, who is more interested than any of us in bringing the news of salvation to children.

I admit it would have been possible to do more. Unfortunately health issues and everyday concerns sometimes got in the way. There weren't always enough workers available to take charge of the activities, and I had to do it myself. Sometimes there wasn't enough money for the transportation. Sometimes the strength just wasn't there, since we often felt the pressure of the spiritual struggle, particuluarly when there were several days of evangelistic events in a row. Only afterward do you see the chances you missed, since the children are always available, if only there were willing workers available.

Yes, the willing workers! Without them it would not have been possible to carry out so many activities with the children this summer. And even though they were few, they were very valuable for us and to the Lord! A few of them needed to be trained. At the beginning of the summer my wife and I conducted a seminar titled "The Summer Missionary". The Sunday School graduates of Salvation Church were a big help to us. Thanks to all of you! We praise God for all of you who helped carry the Gospel to the children this summer!

We started our summer missionary work with an activity that we have been doing for five years now, in Poltava's Victory Park on International Children's Day (June 1). The park administration kindly made the space available, as well as a public address system. The Lord brought together a large number of children and their parents. There was a lot of noise, fun, games and songs. Preschoolers drew with chalk on the asphalt, while the older ones drew on boards. After the games we presented the Gospel of God's love. During the course of the entertaining program we gave out more that one thousand children's books and invitations to receive Biblical literature by mail.

It was a blessing for us to start with the Children's Day activity. After that we held camps in Abazovka and Nikolsky with disabled children, and also a three day sports event in Levada and Brialkiy. We helped with children's evangelism in Kotelvy, Sanzhar and Mirgorod. In Mirgorod we followed up with children's summer camps. God blessed our team with the chance to meet children from the the secular camp named "Bonfire" in Sanzhar, which in turn opened the door for the local church to help in that camp.

During the last two years we have been actively involved in helping with the children's work of the Klimovy missionary family in the town of Chutovo. We held a camp there this summer, too. After the camp our team of child evangelism workers set up further times together with children who participated in the camp.

During the summer we also continued our work in the bone clinic, the pediatric tuberculine clinic, the municipal pediatric hospital and the neurological clinic.

The preschool ministry is also building momentum. In parallel with the activities for older children, we also had activities for the younger set. The advantage with this ministry is that there are nearly as many adults as children, and sometimes even more adults than children. This summer God let us reach more than a thousand preschool children with the Gospel, as well as several hundred adults who brought them. You have to admit, our God is great!

Once again our busy summer showed us that the heart of a child is soft and open to the Gospel. We would never have been to bring together and stimulate interest in the same number of adults, as we were able to do with children. And the children did come, often running, with excitement to our meetings. Sometimes we were really surprised at how attentively children listen to the Good News of Christ. Surprisingly, the children preferred our activities over their usual favorites: toys, computers and friends. We had a pleasant surprise at the end of a three day evangelistic effort in Poltava's Levada neighborhood. We totalled the points at the end of the activity, and in order of points earned the children were allowed to select a toy. When the first place boy and girl came up to select their toy, they saw and picked, yes, the two New Testaments I had laid out with the toys. Both the boy and the girl chose the Gospel. This was a great encouragement for me and my team. Please join us in praying that their choice of God's Word will change their lives, that the seed of the Gospel sown in the hearts of a thousand children will grow and yield a great harvest for God's Kingdom.

I could continue telling much more, but now it is better for you to see for yourself and praise the Lord for what he did this summer. But while you are looking at the pictures, we are already moving on to preparations for the activities of the new school year. Children are waiting for us in the orphanages, shelters, schools, hospitals ... please support us in your prayers.

Vladimir Goliuk