The Orphan Connection
It has been four years since young Next Generation Christians from Mari-El, Russia held their first evangelistic summer camp for orphans in the region. In that time, these national Christians have watched children become teenagers, and have had the joy of seeing these young people grow and mature.
“Today about a dozen teenagers attend various evangelical churches, go to Sunday schools, and even help us set up and run camp-related events,” reports Eugene Dushakov, the summer camp coordinator.
Throughout the year, Eugene and other Next Generation Christians continue to build relationships with their campers. “We’ll visit their school and show Christian movies,” explains Eugene, “or sometimes we’ll take them to town just to walk and talk with them about the crucial things in life.”
Eugene recalls the first time he met Vasya four years ago. “When I first met him, he literally could not put together a simple sentence without using foul language.”
The boarding school staff had all but given up on the boy, and no one believed that he would ever change. But Eugene and other young Christian leaders stayed in contact with Vasya, and eventually they won his trust and became good friends.
“Today, to our great joy, we have witnessed some real changes in Vasya. He wants to achieve something in life, and not just go along with the crowd. Because of Vasya, the teachers and the staff of the boarding school are convinced that our summer programs and children’s ministry are effective,” relates Eugene.
“I want to thank you once again, dear brothers and sisters, for your help in making this camp a reality.”
One child + one week of summer camp = one changed life. Invest in summer camps today with a secure online gift.
It’s a simple equation that has eternal investments.
