Day 3

Another exhilarating, exhausting, and rewarding day has come to an end at Hope Center. It is so encouraging to see some of the previously withdrawn kids warming up, making new friends and participating in group activities. These kids are so precious and their smiles and hugs melt our hearts.Some of today's activities included a creative Bible lesson on joy, a time of recreation and swimming in the brisk water of the Black Sea, and a great game of Biffer, which is too complicated to explain fully, but just imagine kids being chased by guys with painted faces who hit them with socks filled with flour. It's not as violent as it sounds and it's one of the kids favorite games. All participants were totally exhausted at the end of the game and the kids will likely sleep well tonight.
It is such a blessing to be here and share in the lives of these kids. This is the first time some of them have had warm showers and a bed to sleep on. But, more importantly, it is the first time that they have heard about the love of Jesus and have seen it fleshed out through the lives of the people working with them here at Hope Center.

Day 2!

Day two has come and gone already, leaving us many memories to cherish forever! After breakfast, our day started with the first Bible lesson of the week. The children learned about The Creation Story and were introduced to The Fruit of the Spirit (Galations 5:22-23). The children learned about how God knows and created all of them, and even got to meet God, thanks to our very own Bob Baker (who dressed up in a sheet and golden crown of pipe cleaners, playing God).
After the Bible lesson the children headed down to the Sea to play on the beach and go swimming. Some children played catch with beach balls and built sand castles in the sand, while others enjoyed splashing all the team members in the water. The temperature was perfect and the sun was shining continuously, God blessed us with a beautiful day for swimming! After all the children dried off and headed back to camp, everyone got ready for lunch. Since it was Jenya's birthday, all the children and team members sang him Happy Birthday, and then the team members enjoyed cake later on in the day.
At 4:00 the daily activities started where the children have some time to explore different centers set up around the camp. They could play Basketball, Table Tennis, play the Recorder, get their hair and nails done, or make friendship bracelets. All the centers were popular, however, when Matt and Sergei put their hair in dozens of pony tails and then topped them off with feathers, it was probably the highlight of the afternoon.
After dinner the children partook in craft time, where they decorated bags that they would get to keep all their things in and take home with them. Several of the children asked the team members to sign their bags as a keepsake. After the craft, the Bible Ceremony was held, where all the children where given their very own Bibles. It was an emotional moment seeing children get so excited to learn about the word of God. Lastly, the children were tucked safely into bed and read stories from their new Bibles. Day two was an eventful and blessed day by the grace of God, and we hope to have just as good of a day tomorrow!

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.