Last summer, we held a special camp for 60 children, with almost half from unbelieving homes. We also had seven orphan children. The theme of the camp was the American “Wild West.” The goal was to teach the children the importance of having true friends, and with the most important friend being the Lord Jesus Christ. The “mayor” of the ranch was the sheriff and the children were cowboys. There were also “Indians.” They all lived on a ranch and received their wages in gold and silver nuggets. The camp was decorated like a Wild West ranch, and we had Stetson hats, horses, etc. The children received a bar of gold for their special achievements during the camp. We devoted much time to Bible lessons and teaching the children to pray. Most importantly, 10 children repented and trusted in Christ as Savior . . . 

I enjoyed my time in the camp . . . the stories of Jonah, Abraham, and the Good Samaritan. They taught me to be friendly. I learned in the camp that I have to repent of my sin before the Lord. I learned that God is kind and He sent His son to die for our sins. I made a decision to pray and read the Bible. (Valera)

I liked the camp. I learned that I have to obey God and trust Him in every circumstance in my life. I learned that God is very kind and that Jesus loves people so much, and wants to save them from their sins. I repented and am going to talk to Him through prayer. (Viktoria)

I enjoyed the stories and activities in the camp. I learned that you can’t receive salvation through your good deeds. That I can repent and I know that Jesus will forgive my sins if I ask Him. I am going to tell my brother about God! (Veronika)

—Pastor Pavel, Belarus

Fruit from the Harvest Fields of the CIS

Back on Christmas Eve of 2014, our House of Prayer was robbed. I went to the local inspector, but he advised me not to take the matter any further due to “bureaucracy.” He then asked me for some cash to buy gas, and promised that he would return the stolen property by the end of the day. But as time went on, nothing happened. Local taxi-drivers told me they had their suspicions and were ready to present facts. But I went to the inspector again, and once again, he declined to act. I confronted his behavior, and we parted with offended feelings. 

But there’s another side to this story. The next spring, the wife of this inspector came to one of our worship services, repented, and turned to Christ. When I was giving the invitation, she was sitting next to my wife, and told her that she felt her heart burning. She went forward, took the microphone and began to pray in repentance! I was concerned about how her husband would react, but he received the news peacefully. More than that, we even had dinner together and have had several meetings since. We pray it will be soon time for him to repent—God continues His work in peoples’ hearts! I thank God for you and for your participation in our ministry!

—Pastor Yevgeny, Ukraine

First-Time Evangelization in Ukraine Village

During the rainy spring, we did as much as we could for the glory of the Lord. We were able to hold Easter celebrations for the first time in the local public school—previously we had only done it at our church! But God moved the hearts of the principal and the teachers, and they heard the Gospel together with the children. There were more than 120 children present. Moreover, our evangelism spread over into the village of Kotelva, where such an event had never been held! In Poltava, we held a meeting for unchurched youth. We had conversations, soccer, a bonfire, and a lot of fun. Even the head of the village administration came and was with us until the end of the meeting. Most important was that everyone heard the Word of God! We are very thankful to you for your constant prayers and sacrificial support of our ministry and family! 

—Pastor Viktor, Ukraine