Ukraine
Challenge
An article by
Scott Parker
Ukraine volunteer
on Troy Meachum team
July 18th - August 2nd, 2003
Greetings and thanks to you, my
friends, for your prayerful support of my recent missions trip through Ukraine
Challenge to
Ukraine
.
Despite initial challenges, it was a resounding success!
My team consisted of ten individuals from
Greystone
Baptist
Church
in
Durham
,
NC
, two individuals from
South Hill
,
VA
, plus myself as the unrepentant J
from First Presbyterian Church of Eden, NC.
We met at the Raleigh-Durham airport on Friday, 18 July, but due to
mechanical problems, our NW plane was late in taking off.
Thus, we caught a later flight out of
Detroit
, and missed our flight from
Amsterdam
to
Kiev
by 20 minutes or so, resulting in a day layover.
A few of us went into town, but mostly we just rested from the fatiguing
travel.
Week I.
On Sunday, 20 July, we finally
arrived in Kiev, albeit a day late, and were quickly whisked into waiting vans
for an eight hour trip to our destination of Camp Emmanuel, near Kel’mentsi,
Chernivstsy Region – about 15 km from Moldova.
We arrived around
3am
, but not before we had to call for the camp’s tractor to rescue a stranded,
mud-impeded van. Once in camp, we
quickly stowed our baggage and, exhausted, headed for our tents.
Our camp was located in a
beautiful area overlooking the Dneister River, a steep-banked, slow-moving,
medium-sized river perfect for swimming – which we took delight in obliging.
Our ministry focus here was designed to complement the Ukrainian team
headed by Pastor Vitaliy of Kel’mintsi, as they planned and executed a youth
camp dedicated to the 125+ young teenagers to early twenty-somethings present.
The vast majority, obviously, were from the surrounding areas in Ukraine,
but due to the proximity with Moldova, there was a group of about ten from this
neighboring country, and we were gladdened by their presence.
Though due to rain there were some
interruptions, a typical day at camp would have been:
8am
– arise
9am
– breakfast
10am
– large group
11am
– small group
12:30pm
– group games
1:30pm
– lunch
2pm-6pm
– games and free time
6:30pm
– dinner
7:30pm
– a group game
8:30-10:30pm
– large group
10:30pm
– hot tea & snack
11:30pm
– bedtime (
12am
lights out)
Meals were not dissimilar, though I enjoyed them all very much, and doubt
very seriously that I lost any weight. We
Americans even helped with the food preparation, to some degree.
We drank either hot tea or compote (water boiled with apples and sugar).
We had pasta, rice, or boiled potatoes, served with a soup or borsch (the
Ukrainian version, which is served hot), fabulous tomatoes and/or cucumbers,
good, thick bread, and perhaps a cabbage salad.
We had chicken in the soup only about twice, but otherwise were
vegetarian. Most of us were happily
satisfied, with the exception of one meal involving a fish-head (sardines?)
soup, for which I simply ate the pasta and tried not to think about it. J
Large group was more complex in
the evening, consisting of songs (music led by Victor), games (often led by
members of our group), preaching, testimonies, and drama (our group did several
silent dramas that were well-received). Small
groups consisted of 20 or so mostly youth, with a few Americans and a translator
thrown in. We often followed up on
the day’s theme (True Friendship, Parents & the Generational Gap, Youth
& Sex, Music & the Occult, the Living God, and What Do We Need Church
For?). The majority of these young
people knew little or nothing about Christ; thus this was a time of quiet
challenge leading up the final day.
Friday night was the climax.
After Polaroid pictures (instantaneous, thus quite popular and practical)
& dinner, we performed a Passion play, the Road to
Golgotha
. Their were four scenes, with
Vitaliy acting as narrator: the Last Supper, the Betrayal of Judas, Pilate
Washes His Hands, and the Crucifixion. This
last scene took place some ways from camp, upon a big hill, with the
constellations bright overhead, a bonfire lighting our vision, and three crosses
raised. Paper crosses with our hated
sins were first joined and burned, followed by a wordless play called
“Redeemer” by our group (on worldly
temptations, the One who redeems us from them, and the joy emergent), and
Invitations by both Troy, our team leader, and Vitaliy.
27 youth came to Christ that night, and that, in the end, is the meaning
of our mission.
Week II.
Saturday, 26 July, saw us back in the vans for a return trip – but only
after several cars raced us through several miles of mud to reach them!
It is a pretty country, rising hills in the West, flatter in the Central
area of
Kiev
. In my mind it seems a tamed land,
different from the feeling one gets in our country, with nary a creature wilder
than a rabbit.
By the early evening we had
reached our destination, a pretty, three-story house (owned by “Evangelism
Explosion”) in Irpin, a suburb of
Kiev
. The next day, Sunday, we visited
the “Tent” Church, so called because it is literally a big white tent,
albeit with a foundation. It
is the mother church, in outreach supporting the planting of 25 new churches
around
Kiev
(currently, there are about one evangelical church per 60,000 people in
Kiev
). Our contribution to the service
included several songs (including a haunting acappella rendition of “Amazing
Grace” by Kate & Amber), an introduction by
Troy
, and a sermon by Steve). Another
American actually gave the main sermon – in Russian; we were all quite
impressed.
After the service, we met with our
Ukrainian counterparts for the week’s mission.
Mostly young university students, they were led by Victor and his wife
Tanya. Each day would have two
segments: one dedicated to
Vacation
Bible
School
for younger children, and the afternoon/evening focus would be for the local
teenagers/young twenties. The area
of ministry was Vinograd, considered the inner city.
We were a little unsure of what to expect from each other due to lack of
direct communication earlier, so Tony had planned the VBS (with our group
bringing craft & game supplies), and Steve for the youth group.
The trip was about 30 minutes from
Irpin to Vinograd, and though the latter was billed as an inner city area, we
never once felt in danger, nor did the buildings look dirty, or what one might
stereotype. On Monday, we had about
35 children show up for VBS, many of these known from Sunday School.
By week’s end there were about 80 or so, some even wanting to register
on the final day. VBS was divided
into several familiar sections, including prayer and song, scripture/Bible
story, crafts, and games (and lunch, of course).
Excepting the first, each section was led by an American(s), with strong
Ukrainian partnership and contribution. The
memory verse was John 3:16.
Basketball was the icebreaker for
the youth, in the afternoon. Though
perhaps a trifle out-of-shape and playing in the heat of direct sunlight, we
Americans mostly held our own. Though
we started out
USA
vs. UA, by week’s end we were thoroughly integrated.
Our approach began with a simple relationship-building design, be it via
basketball, sharing time watching a movie, or eating a meal.
The size of the group ranged from around ten to twenty.
On Wednesday and Thursday, however, our team performed a wordless drama,
and all were respectful, at least, and the vast majority were apt in their
attention. Some, especially
Troy
, held great rapport with some of these youth.
And they were open to the Gospel, being truly ignorant of the hope that
it holds. We were able to give them
Bibles (as we had to the VBS children, and at the camp).
The final day, Friday, was family
day and a day only for the Ukrainian team, lest the perception be that this is
an American religion, and thus when the Americans leave, so to does the
religion. The key with the youth, in
particular, is follow-up. Our
counterparts, we are told, quite understand this, and will actively pursue and
encourage these youth to walk in the ways of Christ.
The importance of mission work cannot be overemphasized.
Besides being the Great Commission (i.e. a commandment), we provide
encouragement to our fellow ministers of the Word, and support for their
ministry. It is important for us, as
well, to feel connected to the Greater Church beyond our own walls and local
experience, to pray for our Christian brothers and sisters around the world, who
often are without the benefit of our freedom of religion.
Know that I have made financial contributions in your name to both of the
ministries we were involved with – that is, to both Vitaliy’s and
Victor’s. I am confident that it
shall bear much fruit. I thank you
for supporting me and allowing me to have this experience.
In Christ,
Scott Parker
The following is a Letter of Gratitude from Pastor Vitaliy of
Camp
Emmanuel
, near Kel’mentsi:
“To the Church blessed by the Lord, we bring warm, loving Christian
greetings from the workers of Christian Youth Camp ‘Emmanuel.’
We are very thankful to you, our dear brothers and sisters, for your
praying support, and also for the wonderful young people that became a blessing
to us. Each of them performed
maximum efforts to be useful to everybody. They
have become our best friends and assistants.
It was nice and easy for us when we went through any difficulties
together. We pray for them so they
could be a real blessing for your church and your country.
Many of you can’t visit
Ukraine
and we may never be able to see each other on the Earth.
But we do believe that all who helped and supported our service will
share with us a reward that God has prepared in Heaven.
We are thankful to everybody from your church, who were supporting us
with assets or prayers. We realize
the great influence of prayer on people’s fate and world history.
Keep praying for us, and may the Lord bless you.
Director of Christian Youth Camp “Emmanuel”
Master Vitaliy
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