Since 2000, we as members of "The Ark Singers" group began to organize and conduct children's Christian camps. Now there are five people in our group, and we are members of the four different churches of Donetsk, Makeyevka and Avdeevka. In each church, we have a team of young people and members of the church who conduct this ministry with us.
Each church rented children recreation center and held two-week camp there. It was expensive, and usually was in late summer, when the recreation centers were out of their planned programs. We all dreamed of our own Christian Center, and God gave us such an opportunity. In 2012, we jointly bought an old pioneer camp that is 35 km away from Donetsk. For two years, we had been working on the reconstruction of this base, but in the spring of 2014, the war came. Our Center became a temporary refuge for Christian refugees from Donetsk and Makeyevka. 50-70 people had been constantly living in the Christian Center for three years. In 2015, we held the first children's camp together with those Christian refugees who lived there. Next summer we also held a camp and three children camps in 2017.
We now face an acute need. Our Christian Center is located next to the gray zone (the risk zone that is periodically under fire.) There are many migrants and poor families who cannot afford to go to another safer place and have to stay in the “gray zone”. There are more than 14 churches in the small villages, which are situated near the “the gray zone”. Children from these places cannot afford to pay the cost of recreation summer camp, and children from other more prosperous regions of Ukraine are afraid to go to a place where fighting zone is close.
We have freedom of preaching in Ukraine, a Christian Center with good conditions, many brothers and sisters who desire to work hard for God, but counting only on our strength and possibilities, we can only hold two camps for 120-150 people.
If funds and program teams would be available, at least four such camps could be freely held, where 500-600 children could rest and hear the Gospel. In conditions of high food prices and with maximum savings, the staying of one child may cost $5.00 (140-150 UAH) per a day.
Please pray for this ministry.
If God touches your heart to help us with this ministry, please go to our Donate page to see several available options to join the ministry.
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