A Summer Harvest…

More Spiritual Fruit from 2010 Summer Camps

We are thankful for the opportunity to share more highlights from this summer’s camp outreaches that SGA partners helped make possible in Russia and eight neighboring countries. This year, we were able to help evangelical churches reach more than 13,000 children across Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Armenia, as well as in three former Soviet nations in Central Asia. For security reasons, we are not publishing details of the camps in those largely Muslim countries. For this article, we are featuring camps in the nations of Kazakhstan and Belarus.

Kazakhstan

Yaroslav, Sasha and their friends loved each camp experience, including prayer time.

Evangelical churches in Kazakhstan have been blessed with wonderful opportunities to reach children at orphanages and children’s homes. This year’s camp season had a powerful impact on two 12-year-old boys named Yaroslav and Sasha, who were there for the first time. Church worker Zhennya Milhailovna gave the Lord the glory for building the relationship with the two eager children. “They eagerly received everything that was offered at camp. They always smiled and were constantly thanking us for accepting them. They told us that it’s not just a good camp, it’s a divine camp!”

In the evening, coordinator Larisa Zotova went to see Yaroslav and Sasha along with the other children in their tents. She told them a Bible story and helped explain how they could incorporate Bible truth in their lives, then had prayer with them. Before the last evening, I went to see them again as they were sitting in their beds and preparing their skit for the last day. They were busily sewing their velvet hearts for the skit, which was called ‘The Living Heart of Jesus.’ Afterward, the boys wanted to give a little heart to each counselor and assistant. The next evening after their skit, the boys came up to each adult seated in the hall, and silently placed the hearts in their hands, and invited them up to the stage. Many of the counselors were unable to hold back their tears. We closed the service with prayer, and the children came forward again to ask God for forgiveness, and to thank us for the camp.”

In Belarus, there were 22 Christian camps held across the country. In the city of Gomel, camp ministry coordinator Natalya Zlotnikova said that they are thankful for the impact of the camp on the teenagers who attended. “The children were from 13 to 18 years old, and more than 80 percent were from unbelieving, troubled families. The theme was “Everything Leaves a Footprint.” We talked to the children about what leaves footprints in their lives and hearts. What footprints do we leave — with God or without Him? During the whole time, we watched the Lord change hearts . . . withered hearts getting gentle, closed hearts opening up to us and to God. Pray with us that the Lord will cultivate the seeds sown, so that we will reap fruit.”

The church that coordinated the camp is small with only 40 members. But Pastor Dmitri Brusilovski says the entire church was committed to the success of the camp for the glory of Christ. As for the teenagers, 17-year-old Olesya summed up the feelings of many. “It’s the first time I’ve been to camp, and I liked it a lot. I came to understand that I’m not the center of the world (the world doesn’t revolve around me). The Father always loves me, and expects the same from me. His plans for my life are better than mine. Any doubts that I have are just nonsense that want to blear my eyes. I love my Creator and He loves me. That is the main thing.”

At another Gomel-area camp led by SGA-sponsored church planter Leonid Kolesnichenko, 16-year-old Roma found himself drawn by Christ’s love. “In this camp, I saw people loving and helping each other. It’s great. If all the people in the world lived like this, life would be far better. I listened to the stories about God and Jesus Christ, and the examples of (faithful) youth from the past. Now I want to live and behave like Jesus. He is a real hero for me.”

These are just a few snapshots of the dynamic ministry that takes place not only through the children’s camps, but also throughout the year through the SGA-sponsored Orphans Reborn ministry. And as you can see, the children being reached come from all backgrounds and circumstances — from orphanages and children’s homes to families steeped in abuse and neglect. Please pray with us for follow up ministry that will take place with the children, asking the Lord to draw them to Himself in saving faith.