No one who goes to our church can imagine summer without evangelistic camps: children's, youth, family and women's. But in fact the word "camp" doesn't mean rest and relaxation for everyone; the organizers of these events are not on vacation, they are answering the call for conscientious hard work in God's fields of harvest.

 

We begin our report, dear reader, with the story of "Papa + me 2", the week-long children's camp that was held in the picturesque Golovachansky pine forest on the banks of the Vorskla river. It is safe to say that without God's blessing things would not have worked out. Despite occasional rain, cold nights and an intense camp program, the children were not only happy, but also energized to make radical changes in their lives.

The Campers.Let's start with the campers. There were 45 of them at the camp, mostly from unbelieving families. The age range was from 9 to 14. The kids were divided into four teams, each representing a TV channel. The camp staff ran the media studio, but more about this later …

The Program.Once in the forest, the children found themselves in a media studio called "It's worth it." Every day each team had to prepare and air a media production, ie: a dramatic episode, a music video, an advertisement or an adaptation of a biblical verse. All of the topics, one way or another, were associated with the biblical hero and prophet Daniel. After learning about the life of Daniel, the kids came to the conclusion that living with God is the best choice.

The Speakers.Valery Antonuk and Oleg Ovsy, along with friendly instructors, helped the campers and staff of the four channels plunge deeper into the biblical narrative.

Camp Life. There was plenty of food for everyone. Those who wanted even got seconds. The first few nights were cool, but it was mostly the staff who were cold. The campers dressed warmly and covered up with extra blankets. Nearly every evening ended with a gathering around the campfire, where the campers had the opportunity to express their views on good manners and the relationships between boys and girls ... There was also a movie night where the campers got to see the cartoon "Horton Hears a Who" (which I recommend for everyone). In the middle of the week there was the long-awaited excursion on catamarans. With a paddle in their hands, even the younger boys and girls felt strong and grown up. The last day was the most intense. After an incendiary charge, the teams fought for victory in a competition titled "Fort Boyer." In the evening there was another game for the campers, their task was to carry a lighted candle to a certain place and arrange them in the form of the cross.

In Conclusion. God worked in the hearts of the campers. He blessed the time at camp. He kept and cared for everyone who was there. Of course there were pitfalls and mistakes - it couldn't be otherwise since we are fallible human beings. So we ask you to be praying now for the camp ministry team and the leader, Andrey Churkin. May their work be for His glory, and provide an opportunity for spiritual growth for them as a team. We hope that next year "Papa + me 3" will be a time when even more children will open their hearts to the Lord.

Tatiana Varyanitsa

Photos: Oksana Varyanitsa, Lyudmila Rubtsov