From July 25 to 31, 2022, a Christian camp-seminar for teachers was held in a picturesque part of the Ukrainian Carpathians. The special feature of this camp, which the Christian Mission Hope to People has been conducting for many years in a row, was that for the first time there were not only adults but also children. From the organizers’ point of view, this was a forced move, taking into account the military situation in the country and the fact that among the participants of the camp there were displaced people who could not leave their children. However, after the camp was over, you could say without hesitation that God’s plans from the beginning included exactly this format of the camp because there was an abundance of blessings for everyone.
And the very first blessing was the place where it was held: quiet, calm, safe, without the wailing of sirens, the roar of guns, and shelling.
Teachers from different parts of Ukraine had a great opportunity to share their experience of teaching Christian ethics with their colleagues, as well as to learn about the situation with the introduction of this subject in different areas.
During the seminars conducted by mission workers, Ruslana Kovalchuk, and Arkadiy Slyoza, on the basis of the course “Mortal Sins: Victory over Destructive Temptations,” camp participants learned to fight against sins that destroy us inwardly. We read many passages from the Bible, where it is written about pride, anger, envy, gluttony, and laziness, and discussed in groups how to identify them in our actions and what consequences they lead to.
In their reviews, the camp participants expressed their gratitude to the pastor from Ivano-Frankivsk, Serhiyev Kyrylenko, for his wonderful sermons: “His interpretation and explanation of the Bible were simple and clear. At the same time, with vivid illustrations, comparisons, and examples, he awakened our hearts and as a result, clearly showed what is needed in order to receive eternal life.”
At that time, the children, under the guidance of a young sister from the Rivne church, Nadia Maksymovych, also studied the Word of God and did crafts, learned Christian songs, and prepared presentations for night service.
And in the evening, everyone united together in worship and glorification of our Lord Jesus Christ. The family of Anton and Nastya Sulzhuk from Zdolbuniv was in charge of music so they led people in corporate singing as they worshipped.
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“The camp of 2022, changed my life radically. I benefited a lot spiritually, and I received answers to questions that worried me throughout my life. I thank God for this opportunity” (Oksana P.)
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“While studying the Bible in the camp, I learned that salvation is given to those who have sincere faith, and faith is a gift from God, which a person receives by reading the Word of God. After returning home, I began reading the book “Message of Hope,” which includes the New Testament, the Book of Psalms and the Story of the Creation of Man. Undoubtedly, such camps change us for the better, bring us closer to God, give us the desire to work on our shortcomings, change ourselves and our environment” (Olesya K.)
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“Daily reading of the Word of God in the camp strengthened me spiritually, instilled in me the belief that the Lord has control over my life, my time, and my plans. I grew in love with others and came to understand that it is necessary to trust people, help people, pray for every person, even for enemies, and to rely only on the Lord” (Lena K.)
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“Thanks to this camp, I was able to reevaluate my life, as it is now and how it would change if I trusted everything in God’s hands. I am trying to put into practice the knowledge I gained at the seminar, I have returned to daily Bible reading” (Vlada Y.)
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“In the Christian camp, we studied the Word of God. The Bible is the most important book in the world. Every person should know what is written in this special Book, because its author is God Himself. I realized that a person who does not read the Bible is wasting his or her life” (Nadia Y.)
