CAMP FRIENDSHIP 2014
Camp Friendship 2014 was cancelled due to the war in the region. The orphanage where the camp is usually held was instead used to house and protect local village children from the fighting in the area. We were eventually able to help evacuate these children from the area to Odessa.
Camp Friendship 2014 was cancelled due to the war in the region. The orphanage where the camp is usually held was instead used to house and protect local village children from the fighting in the area. We were eventually able to help evacuate these children from the area to Odessa.
CAMP FRIENDSHIP 2013
Camp Friendship is organized by a local groups of believers lead by Anton and Ira Marchenko, a husband and wife team who have a heart for the children of Ukraine. The camp takes place in the Lugansk Oblast, the same area from which we host. This is not a government camp that we are allowed to visit and offer Bible lessons. It is a privately funded Bible camp dependent upon donations and its purpose is to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with the children in an area that is both materially and spiritually impoverished. Because we stay onsite at camp, we have a tremendous opportunity to build relationships with the children. This year, GtU sponsored approximately 170 children for 2 camps and lead a team of 14 adults and students who spent 5 weeks in Ukraine, leading Bible studies and sharing the love of Christ with both campers and those from the surrounding village.
Camp Friendship is organized by a local groups of believers lead by Anton and Ira Marchenko, a husband and wife team who have a heart for the children of Ukraine. The camp takes place in the Lugansk Oblast, the same area from which we host. This is not a government camp that we are allowed to visit and offer Bible lessons. It is a privately funded Bible camp dependent upon donations and its purpose is to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with the children in an area that is both materially and spiritually impoverished. Because we stay onsite at camp, we have a tremendous opportunity to build relationships with the children. This year, GtU sponsored approximately 170 children for 2 camps and lead a team of 14 adults and students who spent 5 weeks in Ukraine, leading Bible studies and sharing the love of Christ with both campers and those from the surrounding village.
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This year, we gave each camper a Jesus Storybook Bible, purchased through our "Get One, Give One" project. We used a curriculum custom desgned for use with the JSB. The theme running throughout the lessons, was that God had promised a Deliverer in Genesis, and that the promise was fulfilled in the coming of Jesus Christ.
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We took the Gospel out into the surrounding village, feeding the hungry, ministering to the poor, and inviting non-campers to our nightly worship service. We were blessed to see the fruit of other believers who had come before us, leading Camp Friendship and ministering in this area for years before GtU became involved. It was encouraging to see that God was, is and shall continue to care for and call the people in this small corner of the world into His Kingdom.
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