Hello!

Kids Camp in Bogdanovka is over and here are the highlights from our team…

What did you enjoy/remember the most?

I really enjoyed constantly running around with the kids. I helped out with the youngest group, and the coolest thing was seeing the way the kids changed over the course of the camp. At first, some of them cried because they wanted to go home, but after a few days, they seem to go through a “trusting process.” We were able to become each child’s family for a few days. It was really awesome to see them open up their hearts to love us and to be loved by us. –Angela Mishchuk -

What I really enjoyed was working with the pre-teens and seeing their hearts change during the days we had together. A lot of them were very bitter in the beginning, some not even wanting to talk to us. But by the end, they really opened up and became our friends. Seeing the hearts of these kids changed by God is what I remember the most. God brought out the best in these kids. –Elona Demchuk -

The most memorable things for me were working with the kids, talking to them about their problems, their worries in life, and being able to bring the hope of God to their lives. –Elena Kravchuk -

For us, kids camp was a mommy experience. We led the youngest group, which required a lot of babysitting. It was an amazing thing to be able to influence these kids at the beginning of their lives. Introducing them to God. Bribing them with gum. Simply loving the kids. It was obvious that some of them are literally hungry for love. The way they clung to us caused us to respond with God’s love. The saddest thing was seeing that a lot of the kids don’t even have the basic necessities. This experience really helped us to realize how blessed we are, both spiritually and materialistically. –Vita Guydyk & Diana Silchuk -

I saw that every child has incredible potential, though they are all unique and different. The best thing for me was getting to know them better, seeing the talent God put into them, and being there to encourage them in their potential. It’s sad to see that so many kids throw it away. My favorite part was connecting with the kids and getting to know them personally. There was a kid named Alex. I don’t know what stood out to me about him. I saw myself in him, I think, because I could connect with him in a special way. He had a real good heart, always willing to help. He’s one of the kids I’ll miss the most. He’s the only boy in my group who cried when we said goodbye. –Vadim Zanko -

My favorite part about kids camp was getting to know the kids. Looking at a person, you don’t know what they’ve been through. I was challenged to see past my first impression of them. There are kids that look okay on the outside, you’d never think that anything would be wrong with them or their families. For example, this one little girl, when her mom called, she cried because she was so afraid of her mother. It’s sad to see such broken family relations. A lot of these kids don’t understand what normal relationships are, so they have a hard time reacting normally to kindness or love. This experience encouraged me. I have a desire to possibly work with kids in the future. I was also very encouraged to tell others about Christ after this experience. I already miss the kids. –Nelli Shilo -

This was my first time being involved with a kids camp, and I really enjoyed it. I really liked building relationships with the kids, to the point where they weren’t afraid to talk about their problems or ask questions. The whole experience went by really quickly, and I will definitely remember it. –Alex Makovey -

At the end of the week, the thing that stood out for me the most was the change I saw in the kids. There’s this one boy, Dennis, who came a troublemaker but left with a changed heart. I especially felt that God was able to use me to show Dennis how much He loves him. This was my first time helping at a kids camp and I really enjoyed it. This quote really rang true for me throughout the week: “God does not call the qualified; He qualifies the called.” I feel like God was able to use me. –Diana Babiychuk

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The work in Radsad has been mostly with the orphanage. The administrators of the orphanage have allowed us to spend a few hours every day with the orphans. Yesterday some of the kids were supposed to join us for guitar lessons in the morning, but to our disappointment, none of them came. A little while later, one of the administrators called to cancel our afternoon time at the orphanage. She said we might be able to come again on Saturday, but that is also our last day in Radsad. We were troubled by the news, but we are glad that we were able to serve the kids for the past week. God’s ways are higher than our ways, and we pray that His will be done in this situation. Please pray that the seeds that were planted in the hearts of these children over the past week will only grow with time.

Please continue to pray for us; your prayers are our strength.

God bless!