Summer Bible Camps
Roma’s Story: A Child’s Heart Open to God
Recently, a children’s Bible camp was held at the Reimer Center in Zaporizhzhia, a city just 30 kilometers from the front line of war in Ukraine. In a place where the echoes of shelling are heard daily, the camp became a refuge of joy, games, and friendship for boys and girls longing to escape the constant weight of fear and uncertainty. Among the children was Roma-a boy whose energy, openness, and eagerness to serve stood out from the very beginning. Every moment of camp was precious to him. He listened attentively to Bible stories, played every game with enthusiasm, and was quick to help counselors and encourage other children. For Roma, the camp wasn’t simply recreation-it was a place where he felt protected, needed, and deeply happy. The most powerful moment came after camp had ended. On Sunday, when the local church gathered for worship at Mission Eurasia’s Reimer Center,…
Evangeline’s Story: 6-year-old sharing Christ at Bible camp
Lives are changing for Christ across Eurasia through our summer camps every year. Just ask Evangeline of Novomoskovsk, Ukraine. During the pandemic last year, the 6-year-old seized on opportunities to share the gospel with other children while serving alongside her parents at our neighborhood Bible day camps. While she has endured her own ongoing health challenges and disease, her parents-Sergey and Valentina-say she is growing strong physically and in her faith. The young girl speaks about God with knowledge, wisdom, and understanding that is far beyond her years, her parents say. Instead of fearing death, Evangeline sees it as a road to eternity with the Lord. Sergey, who is a pastor, sees his daughter’s name as an example of God’s providence. Her passion for sharing the Good News of the Jesus with everyone is evident, he says. While working through their daughter’s health issues, Sergey and Valentina have learned to trust God more…
Irina’s Story: A Heart Transformed by Summer Bible Camp
God can transform even the hardest of hearts in an instant, and at our summer Bible camps each year, thousands of young people surrender their lives to Jesus. For the last four years, the village of Andreyevka, Ukraine has endured the violence, destruction, and despair of war. In order to share the eternal hope and peace of Christ with the children and youth living in these tragic circumstances, our School Without Walls (SWW) students from Berdyansk have been hosting summer Bible camps in war-torn Andreyevka since the war broke out. Last year, Irina, a young woman from Andreyevka, was invited to camp by one of her friends. At first, Irina and her group had no interest in Christianity and just wanted to hang out together, but then God started working in Irina’s heart. “I wanted to relax and get away from my everyday worries, but then I saw a completely…
Stepping Out in Faith: Living Israel Bible Camp
Last year, God called several young Next Generation Christian leaders to organize a summer Bible camp to share the gospel with unreached children in Israel, in partnership with Living Israel, a messianic church and ministry committed to sharing God’s love with Israel’s Russian-speaking population. These young leaders knew that many children in Israel are unreached by the gospel and in danger of getting caught up in crime or substance abuse, and they wanted to create a setting for them to experience the love of Jesus and the care of godly role models. And so, the idea for a summer Bible camp was born. We weren’t sure whether or not the camp would bear immediate fruit–but we took a step in faith, trusting that God had a plan and that He would be faithful. And by the end of that first week of camp, it was clear that God was working powerfully in the…
Alex’s Testimony: A Miraculous Transformation
Alex is one of our School Without Walls students and Bible camp leaders from Russia. His testimony is one of miraculous transformation that began when God saved his life after repeated suicide attempts. Today, Alex is a thriving leader who is serving the church, ministering to hurting people, and reaching his community for Christ. Alex’s testimony: “You could say that I came to know God through many challenges. When I was younger, my heart was filled with emptiness, loneliness, pain, and resentment toward many people who had betrayed me. In order to stifle the pain, I started doing martial arts. But that wasn’t enough to heal me, so I tried committing suicide twice. The first time I tried to kill myself, my mother was able to stop me in time. I think this first attempt was a cry for attention, because I wanted people to know the inner pain I was…
Vlad’s Story: A Life Changed at Bible Camp
Vlad is a 14-year-old boy from Russia who was born into a military family that has lived in many different places, including the United Arab Emirates, Greece, and Turkey. Sadly, his father died from a heart attack at the age of 39, so his mother is raising Vlad and his younger brother, Ruslan, on her own. A few weeks ago, Vlad and Ruslan attended a summer Bible camp led by our School Without Walls (SWW) students and graduates in Ardon, Russia. During camp, the boys received their own copies of 101 Favorite Bible Stories for Children, which Vlad began reading whenever he had free time. The stories made him very interested in God, and he started asking the camp leaders insightful questions about Jesus and the Bible. Our SWW students had many significant conversations with Vlad, Ruslan, and even their mother about Jesus, and they plan to continue their friendship with…