I have so much to share about all that God has done over the summer months. We praise God for all the things we were able to accomplish with His help.
Things kicked off in June with a four-day session of Day Camp, when the children from our area came to our Aid Center. Each day we had games, Bible lessons, and refreshments. Then in July, we celebrated a “Day of Family, Love, and Faithfulness.” We invited large families with many children to attend, and our brothers and sisters in the church shared testimonies about their marriages, faith, and truths that helped them to build up their families.
During the summer, the children who came to the camps received spiritual encouragement and we prayed for them. We want them to remember God and His love, and that they need to choose the right path for their lives. The children really wanted to come, too! They were able to attend different camps called The Ark, The Shelter, and The Warrior.
Afterward, 12-year-old Dasha told me she really enjoyed her time with us, had learned about God, and even wept when it was time to go home. When I took her home, we found that her mother was not at home and the house was locked up even though she knew we would be bringing her daughter home that day. Sadly, Dasha told me that her mother had probably gone out drinking. I was struck by how we had given Dasha a few days of paradise and then had to take her home to an atmosphere of bad language, alcohol, and poor food. While she was with us, Dasha read the Bible every day. This happens with almost all the children — they come to our camp and are blessed, but then must go back to their difficult home lives.
Another girl is Nastya who is 16. At one time, she had to be in an orphanage until her mother finished serving a prison term. Nastya comes to our Aid Center for the Bible clubs and attended the Warrior Camp. At the end, she told me she was overjoyed. She had never seen such kind people in such a large number in one place. She found many new Christian friends, liked the Bible lessons, and enjoyed the fellowship with other girls. She said, “At the camp, I learned how to pray,” and on Sunday she came to our church for the service!
I am thankful to God for His love and mercy to us and to the children! Please pray, dear friends, for these children that they will be saved. Pray also for us as we prepare for the coming year of ministry. We have to pay rent for the Aid Center facility, as well as the utilities. Up until recently, I had several people who helped me meet these expenses, but now this has ended and it has been difficult to find replacement funds. Please pray with us to meet this need.
Thank you, dear friends, for your support and for your prayers. May the Lord bless you and strengthen you spiritually, that you will always be in His Light and will take the Word of God to the people around you in His love.