JULY 2024:
Every day, funerals are taking place in town squares across Ukraine. The vast majority of those being mourned are not career soldiers; they joined the military when the full-scale war began. Young men in their early 20s, much-loved fathers, sons, brothers; men and women with bright futures, all killed in the war.
Recently in Rivne there was a funeral of two soldiers, one of which was Maxim, just 25 years old when he was killed. He was a committed Christian, and his mother takes comfort in knowing she will see him again. About 10 years ago, Maxim went to one of Mission Without Borders’s summer camps.
With funerals never far away, summer camps – like the one Maxim once laughed and played at – are more important than ever in Ukraine. They are a chance for children to be carefree and joyful, to play and have friends, and maybe for a little while, to forget the horrors of war.
Most importantly, they give children the opportunity to hear about a loving God who is close to the broken-hearted – who will always be with them, even when summer camp is over; even as the war continues on.
Sasha (pictured above) is 14 and lives in western Ukraine. Her mother works for the security service and her father is in the army – on the front line.
Sasha said, “Before I lived in Rivne, I lived in the Kherson region, which is now occupied by Russians. The town where I spent my childhood is flooded due to the dam explosion. I try not to think about it and I don’t watch the news. Otherwise I would never have any happy days at all.”
Liliya, Sasha’s camp leader, shared about how Sasha felt that God Himself gave her this time at summer camp:
“Today we talked and prayed with Sasha. She cried and told us that she feels so happy being here at camp. It’s not because of all the fun, leisure and good times, but also because she’s finally found what she’s been looking for: this peace, inner joy, and a relationship with God.”
We cannot see children’s hearts, but we have the tools to influence them. At Summer Camp, we try to provide kids with an atmosphere of true friendship, trust, and acceptance.
Liliya, a Mission Without Borders camp leader, had this to say: “There is a phrase that describes what’s going on at summer camp: ‘God allows me to observe what He is doing. He uses me too, but I mostly stand aside and adore watching how He works’.”
Liliya continued: “I plan time to communicate with each child in my group individually; God gives me the chance when they are ready to talk.”
“I can see that the children have a lot of important – and sometimes tough – questions. They are looking for the answers, and I understand that it’s my duty to help them with finding out the right answers. Some of them have deep trauma connected with their parents’ divorce, or resentment towards their parents, and they need to overcome these feelings.”
“They pour out their problems. They see their own broken families and realize that they want something else, something more than this. We talk about God’s values in practice: how to build a family in the right way, how to forgive people who hurt you. God leads each conversation in a different way for each person.”
We realize that when the summer camp is over, they will be back to their usual lives. But we believe that summer camp makes changes. And yes, we believe in miracles too.