Not many children can resist the thrill and excitement of a Summer Camp, but for children in Eastern Europe and Central Asia it may be the only real “holiday time” they receive. Being with other young people, playing games, taking part in craft activities and enjoying good food together is all part of the camp experience.
SGA has been financially supporting Camp ministry over many years, recognising its vital role in presenting children and young people with biblical truths, introducing them to a loving Saviour, and allowing them to witness first-hand the power of the Gospel. There have been countless testimonies of God’s saving grace to these precious souls, and 2023 was no exception.
MOLDOVA
Day Camps were held in Moldova for different age groups. Around 200 children in total attended, two-thirds of whom had no Christian background. Thanks to the help received from SGA, the day camp ministry could be extended to children from refugee families, all of them unbelievers. Besides the Bible lessons and small group activities there were many opportunities for personal evangelism and prayer.
Luida Bantea writes: “We have already seen how the biblical truths that children hear, change them. Children and teenagers begin to visit the House of Prayer regularly. We see how they look forward to meetings, how they pray”.
Some children, however, face disapproval from their parents if they attend. One girl, Lisa, had a struggle to attend camp as her parents gave her many tasks to do. But she worked hard to complete them, and even though she was late, she still came to camp. Michael Chernautsan, a young pastor on SGA’s Leadership Support Programme, credits camps with playing an important role in his missionary service. “Through the camp, new children began to attend Sunday School, which in turn provides the opportunity to work directly with their parents and allows me to visit and talk with their families”.
UKRAINE
One of SGA’s sponsored missionaries in Ukraine, Denis Khurak, writes:
“We held a children’s camp this summer. We did worry about people’s reactions. Some of them were unhappy to see someone happy when there is a war in our country. They simply couldn’t understand we are doing this for children, to somehow distract their attention from the horrors of all that is happening in our country. 56 children attended the camp and some of them have started attending church for the first time in their lives and are coming to children’s meetings”.
In another village, over 80 children came to camp and only 3 were from a Christian home. A little girl, Masha, completely changed her grandmother’s view of evangelical Christians. Initially suspicious of them, her mind changed after her granddaughter came back from camp and shared all the stories, activities, and Bible lessons.
MONGOLIA
Many thousands of children attended camps across Central Asia. However, in Eastern Asia camps were also held. Mongolia is a country of contrasts, so the venues for the camps were also diverse. Some were held in well-maintained centres, other in yurts next to rivers and mountains. The distinctive feature of the programme was evangelistic, and over 260 children participated in the activities.
The children were introduced to God as the creator, to understand the atoning sacrifice of Jesus, and the contrast with the gods of Buddhism. One child, Mishitma, said: “What I like most about camps is that they talk about God freely – you don’t have to hide the fact that you believe in Jesus, and you don’t have to hide your Bible from anyone. Other children have the opportunity to hear about Jesus and believe in Him too”.
Camp ministry cannot be underestimated in the work of spreading the Gospel. Not only does it impact the children who attend, but it has a wider influence on families and communities. A mayor of one Moldovan village gave his approval of the church initiative, sharing how important it was to provide for children’s spiritual needs. It is encouraging to see how God speaks, even to local authorities through this ministry.
