In late August in the Rivne region, 57 young people gathered at our rural base “Zalissya” to explore the topic of the cost of following Christ. In this difficult time for our country, the Lord remains faithful and continues to show us His mercy. He allowed us to spend time at the camp and tell the youth about His plan for the lives of Christians.

At the camp, there were young men and women not only from Rivne, but also internally displaced people from other cities, who were served by 10 volunteers.

After the conversation with the mentor, two of such internally displaced girls prayed and asked God for forgiveness of their sins.

Children from a large Christian family who moved from the occupied part of the Zaporizhzhia region also visited the camp. Eight out of those ten brothers and sisters are adopted children. Now they all temporarily live in Zalissya.

Here’s some feedback from a few of the camp’s participants:

“We’ve had the opportunity to take a break from the realities of war at the Zalissya base and take a mentored study of the course titled, “If you want to be a disciple of Christ – be ready to pay the price.” We’ve had some quality time spent in communications and games, delicious food and songs about our Savior by the fire at night))) It was a special time of contemplating about the seriousness of our faith and whether it is worth paying a very high price. Some of the young people already knew about Christ, but there were also those who had just begun their journey with God. Also, there were those who were already in the process of preparing to get baptized, and also those who had just decided to follow Christ. This topic was relevant and useful for everyone. Thank you to those who prayed, invested and worried about this camp!”

Victoria Rygulich, volunteer

“It was my first experience at this camp, but I hope it won’t be the last. Everything was filled to the max: if it were sports competitions and games, then they were like the Olympics; if it was a snack, then it was like a royal dessert; if it was studying the Word and preaching, then it was like being near the throne of God. This is a place where they are not afraid to speak God’s truth as it is. Oh, here they are not satisfied with merely giving a moral instruction. Being a disciple of Christ, His follower, His slave are not very popular topics in today’s Christianity. However, these are fundamental themes, without which Christianity is not Christianity.

The most difficult thing for me personally was to lead a group studying this topic. It caused me to repent daily.

I am sure that the Word did not leave anyone indifferent. In this camp, His purpose was to draw a clear distinction between true discipleship and false discipleship, so that no one would be deceived. Through this Word, Christ opened our eyes to check whether we were on the wide road that leads to destruction. And He literally led us by the hand onto the narrow path to remind us once again what the path to eternal life with Him looks like.”

Georgiy Mykhailov, volunteer

“It was a very busy time and there were many thoughts. I understood the meaning of life. I learned how to set priorities in this life and what the basis of my life should be. Every day I understand that God is the main priority in this life, and that I am His creation. I understood the price that Christ paid, and that no human can pay it. I am very grateful to God that I had the opportunity to be in the camp and I hope that this camp will help me in the future with the choice of path and foundation. I am grateful to God for the people who spoke the Word to us and spent time with us. This camp is forever in my heart”

Yulia, 16 years old, Zaporizhzhia region

“Gatherings in the hall were something incredible. I really liked the idea of playing games in the hall, that is, on the entire floor, and not just on the stage! Sermons were very cool! It was impossible to get distracted! The last meeting by the fire was the most interesting, you answered my question and it was very important and pleasant for me to get an answer (my question was about whether it is possible to change God’s will through prayer).”

Oles, 18 years old, Khmelnytskyi region

“For me, this camp was valuable because it strengthened my faith. It was interesting to hear real-life examples from the mentors. I have a renewed understanding of the price of following Christ and I understand exactly why I have to pay that price. The work of the Holy Spirit is also noticeable, for which I praise Christ.”

Tymofiy, 18 years old, Rivne city

 

Here you can watch a video about the camp: