From January 7 to 13, 2026, our mission employees held a Christian camp for teenagers aged 12–17 in the village of Polyana, Transcarpathia region. In total, there were 30 teenagers from different regions of Ukraine in the camp: The Inspiration Day Center, Shepetivka, Khmelnytskyi region; A foster family of refugees from the Kherson region, who now live in Khmelnytskyi; Rivne, Klevan, Berezne, and various villages of the Rivne region (Horbakiv, Novoukrainka, Velykyi Cheremel, Horodyshche, Kunyn, Linchyn, Horodok, Bystrychi). Many of them have come to the Christian camp from far away and for the first time. Unfortunately, several children who were preparing to go to camp were unable to attend due to illness.
A team of mentors, a sports instructor, a nurse, a musician, and a bus driver served the children. By God’s will, this year the team included young people who had previously participated in our camps and had repented and been born again by the Holy Spirit just right in front of our eyes. They shared their testimonies every day about how God found them in this world and saved them by His grace, and how He leads them now in their daily life.
The camp participants studied the Gospel of Mark (chapters 7–12) using the textbook “Listening to the Voice of Jesus.” They had two Bible lessons every day, and also glorified God with singing, and performed various creative tasks based on the studied Bible chapters. The camp program also included spending time in the mountains, skiing, and thermal pools for health improvement.
Please pray with us for all the boys and girls who participated in the camp, that the Lord would bless them, and that the seeds of the Truth of God’s Word would take root in their hearts and bear fruit for the Kingdom of God, for the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ!
At the end of the camp, we gave each participant two booklets, “Prayer for Ukraine,” and gave them the task of going out into the streets around the camp building and trying to bring the Good News to the people they met. In general, people did not really want to hear the Gospel, but for us it was a good opportunity to talk about whether the children, participants of the camp, themselves want to hear, know, and tell others about Jesus Christ!
We are grateful for the assistance in holding this camp from our partners, the Mennonite Center Foundation. May the Lord God bless you abundantly through the wealth of His grace in Jesus Christ!
Arkady Slyoza
Testimonials of the Camp Participants
“This is my first time at a Christian camp. I enjoyed many different activities here, especially the morning exercises. The Bible lessons were very instructive. I discovered even more of God’s truths for myself” (Mariyka, 18 years old).
“I liked the camp and how the Word of God was shared and explained, as well as the trips, interesting and creative tasks. I learned about the mercy and kindness of our Savior. How Mighty, Majestic, and All-Knowing He is. He was always there, even if my heart was away from Him. And now I want to be even closer to Him” (Lisa, 17).
“I really liked the camp, I feel like I have grown spiritually; I will often open and reread the book, remembering these stories from the lessons. These passages have been revealed to me in a different way, and I found answers to my questions” (Sofia, 17).
“I have unforgettable impressions about the camp. I especially liked exploring the stories from the Bible in our classes, as well as all the skits that the camp participants did, and, of course, the love and respect in our team. I would like to come here again next year” (Alina, 15).
“I like that we had a great time, that we had classes together, and that you can find many friends here. I like that there was a kind, cheerful teacher, that we lived in a big house, and that the food was good. I want these camps to be held more often and that people would praise God and love their neighbor” (Sofia, 15).
“I really liked the teachers here, our team, and all the participants. I liked that we sang songs praising God. I experienced a lot of emotions when we went tubing, skiing, and swimming in the pool. The food was delicious, it was very comfortable and fun” (Yulia, 15).
“I really liked the camp because it was comfortable here, and I could be myself. I found new friends. In the Bible lessons, I learned how sincere, kind, and great Jesus is. Specifically, in this camp, I began to believe in Him and want to study His Word more” (Victoria, 15).
