"Vishetarasovka" Camp Recap. - August 11-
15, 2003
by Julia Ostaptsova
 |
|
|
This camp was very different from the rest of the camps we had this summer. This camp was for the kids from the orphanage. It was not just a day camp that we usually do. A group of 20 church volunteers (ages 15 and up) actually lived with the kids in the orphanage for five days. Some of the volunteers have been coming to this orphanage every Saturday during the last school year.
There were about 60 kids ages 6-16, most of them without families, some of them didn't even know where their parents were. These are the kids that had to grow up too early. Unfortunately, they've learned that no one cares for them and no one loves them. We were told by the teachers that most of the children in that orphanage were sent there because of their bad behavior.
All the kids were divided into groups of up to 10 people. Each group had two leaders. This was an exciting time both for kids and for their leaders. The kids had a great opportunity to learn more about God and about the Bible. But what is probably more important they made some new friends.
The team that was doing the camp could see an amazing transformation in the kids as a result of experiencing God's love over the course of a single week. The first day of the camp many of the children did not want to hear anything about God, did not want to do anything, and did not want to obey their leaders. The rest of them were very reluctant about doing anything. Two days after that the leaders could not put their kids to bed, because they wanted to spend every single moment they had with their new friends.
 |
|
|
Here is a little story to show you how the attitude towards the Christian leaders was changing. There is a lot of stealing in this orphanage. Kids keep their most treasured things under their mattresses. All the bedrooms don't have any doors so that the caretakers could easily see what is going on in the rooms. The leaders slept in the bedroom on the third floor, all their things were locked in the room on the first floor. They were told not to keep anything in their bedroom, because someone might steal it. Once a 12-year old girl named Vika came to her leader and asked her to keep a craft she made to the end of the camp. The leader asked why, and Vika said she was afraid someone would steal it. The leader said that this bedroom doesn't have any doors too. But Vika answered: "No, they are not going to steal from you. And they won't let anybody else to do so!"
As most of the team members admit, God has been teaching them so much during the five days they spent with the kids.
Please, PRAY for God to open the eyes of these children and save them so that they could have a better future. PRAY also for the ones that will continue coming to this orphanage and share the good news with the kids.
Feature: Day in the Life of a Volunteer Team - Day camp 2002
Photo Gallery: Medical Clinics
