Test Blog

The first day of Camp Three at Hope Center Ukraine is officially over and it was a great start. The International Team arrived late Thursday night and managed a good night’s sleep before using Friday to do last minute planning before the kids arrived today (Saturday).

As the 87 children arrived in buses and vans, the team members were ready with games, crafts, and activities for them to enjoy. Already there are great relationships being formed and smiles, high fives, and hugs dominate the time. We had an Opening Ceremony after supper with the children introducing their wards (dorm or cabin group) and the International team, translators, and interns all doing skits to introduce themselves and entertain the kids.

Then a craft was held and the kids made a nametag, and it was time to shower and tell the kids bedtime stories. This is one of the most important times of the day as the day is reviewed, bible stories are told, questions are asked, and the children are prayed with. Tomorrow starts the full days of camp and we are definitely ready. Pray for us that the kids will see the Love of Christ in everything we do and say.

Yesterday, several of us went to a village to pick up 3 kids from two different families. It was very emotional to see the conditions that some of the kids come from. Two sisters, 7 and 9, were able to come to Hope Center after some negotiations with their abusive parents. When they arrived at the camp, they had to be showered, heads shaved and treated, and new clothes given to them. The girls were actually afraid of the hot water because they had never experienced that before. They had not worn shoes for a long time and had dirty and ragged clothes. Today they woke up clean and fresh to a beautiful day at Hope Center with brand new clothes and a new outlook on life. Pray for them and all the children that God will meet them and their special needs this week.