Since 2008, more than 60,000 children have trusted Christ at SGA-supported Summer Bible Camps. At camp, girls and boys not only enjoy games, sports, and time together—they hear the clear message of the Gospel and experience the love of Christ through caring pastors and volunteers.

Many come from difficult backgrounds. Some are social orphans. Others are growing up without fathers, or in homes marked by hardship. For many, camp is the first place where they are treated with dignity, kindness, and hope.

We praise God for how He continues to work through local churches—and we are grateful for the prayers and generous support of SGA partners who help make this ministry possible.

Below is one example of an SGA-supported church’s Summer Bible Camps outreach. Please pray for this ministry as you read through the update report shared by an SGA team member serving in Kazakhstan:

We are happy to share with you the news from this summer season. This year we held seven programs, including two camps in remote villages. Altogether, more than 700 children of different nationalities and faiths took part in our projects. For many of them, this was their very first encounter with the Gospel, with an atmosphere of love, respect, and acceptance.

A special testimony—camps in remote villages

For the first time, we were able to hold camp programs in remote villages. This was a special blessing for us. Despite the modest conditions, we were given a small building where we could gather the children.

We prepared gifts for each child, but before giving them out, the children listened to the story of the Prodigal Son—adapted for kids and explained in a way they could understand within their cultural context. Each child heard this story in their native language, and through it—the message that every person can be reconciled with the Heavenly Father.

It was amazing to see the children receive this message with open hearts, and we thank God that we had the opportunity to serve them in this way.

Camps for orphans from children’s homes.

We also want to highlight that this year we were able to invite a new group of children from an orphanage, as well as welcome back a group that had already joined us last year. For us, this is a powerful testimony of God’s faithfulness: with some, we continue building relationships, and with others, we are just beginning.

In our country, orphanages remain closed institutions, and it is very difficult to gain access there. Moreover, by law, it is forbidden to exert any religious influence on these children. But God opened the doors, and children who had never heard about Jesus before were able to learn about Him and experience His love.

Our team

The team that worked in the camps consisted of about 30 people. What brings us special joy is that most of this team were young people who themselves once grew up in our camps. Years ago, they were just participants, and now they have become full-fledged ministers.

Some of them were baptized this year, while others are in the process of growing spiritually. Today, they are already taking on responsibilities, helping in organization, and serving other children. This is a clear testimony that the seeds planted years ago are now bearing fruit.

What inspires us even more is that this year graduates of orphanages also served with us. Just a few years ago, they themselves came to camp as orphans, but now they are encouraging, supporting, and helping today’s orphans. One of them said: “Thank you for continuing to do these camps. We were once kids just like them, and it gave us hope and strength. Now we are happy that we can serve others.”

For us, it is a great blessing to see how children, once served by us, are now becoming servants themselves and an example for others.

Football camp

One of the programs this year was our football camp, which we have already held several times. Teenagers took part—boys from orphanages as well as kids from different families and villages. Many of them are growing up without fathers, some are raised by their grandmothers, and many of them have the status of social orphans.

Through sports, we have the opportunity to build close and trusting relationships with them. This year there were both new participants and those with whom we already have lasting friendships. We can see that some of them have begun coming to church programs, and this is a great encouragement for us. Even though most of them come from Muslim families, we have established warm and sincere relationships, through which we can bring the light of the Gospel into their lives.

Football has become a wonderful tool of ministry for us, and we thank God and everyone who helped organize this program.

All of this has been possible thanks to your support—prayerful, material, and spiritual. Thank you for building this ministry together with us and investing in the future of these children. So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who makes things grow. (1 Cor. 3:7) May the Lord abundantly bless you for your faithfulness and participation!