From July 15 to 21 God gave us an excellent time at youth camp in a picturesque corner of the Poltava region - downstream on the Vorskla river. And there was a reason we chose that place. First, we searched for a place that most of the campers wouln't know and that wasn't close to the main roads, second, we wanted it to be suitable to accommodate tents for up to eighty people, - third, we wanted to camp at a site where the river was clean. And all of this (especially the clean part), we were able to enjoy for all the wonderful days of camp.

 

The organizers started early, stopping off at the camp site two days early to get ready for the participants. We had to clear the area of ​​debris and weeds, prepare the grounds and clean up the river a little for swimming.

Most of the campers came to the nearest town by train, then walked some three kilometers along a road through the meadows, and finally crossed the river on a makeshift raft, which left an unforgettable impression on everyone. All this happened on Sunday evening. The young people had very little time to set up their tents.

The first night was an initiation test of wind and rain, but overall we got through it OK. We organizers prayed and asked God to protect us from colds and other problems connected with the weather. During the second night it rained harder, but years of experience had trained our facilities team how to manage our little tent city in bad weather. Many thanks to them.

The young people awoke every day to calls from the leaders to get up and do exercises. Every morning and evening we had meetings for all the campers where we read the Word of God and praised God with songs. As before and after lunch the campers had 2-3 hours of free time to spend however they wanted - relaxing, playing sports or just meeting new friends and socializing. Each day ended with a campfire where we continued to discuss the topic of the day.

Our topic was: "Relationships are the main thing!" Every day the youth had the opportunity to consider various aspects of their relationships through the prism of God's Word. We talked about the importance of proper evaluation of relationships in our lives. We looked at what the Bible says about our relationships to our neighbors, to ourselves, to the opposite sex and to God above all. On the last evening each participant was asked to make a concrete decision concerning changes they might need to make in their relationships. As a symbol of their decisions, they all had the opportunity to launch a candle-powered air balloon. As a result, the night sky over the river was dotted with floating points of light, which, according to plan flew to God, who sees the human heart.

The camp program included an hours-long hike with a river crossing on a raft, and a talent show, where everyone had the opportunity to show a different side of themselves. One wrote a song, one wrote poetry, and others showed their artistic or creative ability.

It was unusual that in the woods near the river, far from power lines, you could hear live Christian music at full volume. The Youth Music Group had all the major instruments: bass guitar, drums, lead guitar and acoustic guitar.

It is also worth noting that in our camp there were many guests. In particular, we invited our Christian brothers from Georgia: pastor Oner and two younger men - Tristan and David. Their presence every day brought a highlight in our camp program, as we had to constantly learn new Georgian words. And the Georgians, in turn, delighted us with their songs and even national dances.

Furthermore, every day, especially in the evenings, more young people came to the camp to share the joy of our Christian fellowship. Some stayed for the day and some came regularly every evening. We even had a visit from correspondents of the local Ltava newspaper "to give a short report about recreation activities of Christian youth.

The purpose of our camp was to build relationships among participants, particularly between young people: between those who have long been Christians, and those who are moving toward Christianity. I would say that we can already see a lot of good results. Furthermore - God arranged for the most serious conversations to take place between the members of the team of organizers, causing us to change and to love each other more.

Thanks to all who supported the camp in prayer or financially, because we can now say with confidence that God really blessed it. We asked God's protection from injuries and accidents in the water - and he heard us, and we asked God to bless - and we were able to afford the camp financially (it almost fit into the budget).

Special thanks to all who took upon themselves the burden of organization: the cooks, the technicians and coordinators - we thank God that we can work together for Him. Let us glory in Him. Praise the Lord.

Radislav Tsurkan