Yana Glushko is the Mercy Projects camp ministry director in Ukraine and coordinates much of the work with at-risk teens. She said that she thought that this summer’s camp will be like an “oasis” for the kids after their isolation.
During the past few months our team has been doing all they can to provide discipleship and encouragement through online gatherings. Yana says while this has been very effective, they are looking forward to being together again in person.
“I see our camps as an island!” She said. “After arrival, the children separate themselves from their everyday life and can relax, trust, hear, and see how the Lord takes care of them. They experience God’s love by being together at camp. As counselors, we do our best to share with the kids what we have gone through in our lives. Some of our counselors were sponsored kids coming to camp. We understand them.”.
Zhenya has served as a camp counselor for 20 years with Mercy Projects. She explains more about ministry to youth during the 2020 pandemic: “Unfortunately, less than half of our kids in the MP sponsorship program were technically able to join our online meetings. But they all are longing to go to camp this summer. The lockdown has caused a bigger spiritual hunger.”
Read the full story and consider sponsoring a Ukrainian child to go to camp at $15 a day MercyProjects.org.
