Summer camps
The Warmth of Christ’s Love
The summer of 2013 was a very warm one, especially for many of the orphan children of Ukraine. They reveled in the warmth they felt - basking in spiritual warmth as well as the warm rays of the sun.
Over the summer, 1,424 orphan boys and girls were able to attend 14 Christian camps held in 6 different regions of Ukraine. At these camps, 226 volunteers from Agape Ministries did all they could to convey to these children the Word of God and His love for them.
“It was great! Simply wonderful! We are all in awe from such a great camp! Yes, there are lots of positive feelings- and this is good, of course. But most importantly, a peace and sense of rest has entered our hearts through the Word of God. It reached the depths of our soul and touched our entire being. How wonderful it is to be in His presence!” Alex (a camper)
Irina Polyanskaya, a camp counselor from the Kivoi Rog region, said:
Our camp’s motto was “It’s impossible to stand on your tip-toes for long.” What did we mean by this? As a result of sin and the Fall, mankind began to experience pain. Pain, in turn forces a person to hide from others. For this reason, humans have not only been separated from God but from one other, and even from their own true selves.Hiding their pain, orphan children do not see themselves for who they actually are. Even though they are wounded, sensitive souls seeking empathy and understanding, they present themselves as arrogant and guiltless. Those who were traumatized, present themselves as strong and courageous. Living in sin and pain, always thinking of how to defend yourself while presenting yourself as someone quite different than who you really are, is what we meant by “standing on tip-toe.” For a human being this state is not natural. You cannot live a full and fulfilling life while walking on your tip-toes.
Our challenge to these children and teens consists of helping them to find the courage to really look inside themselves...and to recognize that they are hiding from God in fear of punishment. Our goal is to show the children that there is Good News for them. God is ready to accept every one of them. This is completely due to the atoning sacrifice of Christ, who died for them while they were still sinners. We try to help them see that there is no reason to live in rejection. There is really is hope in life, and each and every one of us can to stand firm on your feet and live a secure, full and fulfilling life in God’s presence.
The Good News was conveyed in different ways to the children at different camps. No matter where the camp, this was done with a single purpose: with the hope that they would accept Christ as their Saviour and become His child. God is our salvation, hope, and blessing. This joyful news did not leave many children indifferent. The warmth of Christ touched their hearts and they gave their lives to Him. Praise the Lord!
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