Camp on the Farm

We just returned from a camp up the village of Andreevka. It is a small village near the city of Kotovsk in the northern Odessa region. The pastor of a Baptist church in Kotovsk (about a three hour drive north of Odessa) has a farm in Andreevka and uses the territory every to run at least one children’s camp. The camp was seven days and there was about 20 kids. The kids slept either on the second floor of the main house, in a small shack on a hill or in tents on the field. A team of seven came from Pennsylvania to assist in running a kids camp on the pastor’s farm. The team taught a Bible lesson every morning, had crafts, directed games and had a daily English lesson. There was also a quiet time every day, free time, swimming, walks in the forest, ping-pong, swings, horse riding, camp fire every night and other games. Meals were served in a patio kitchen and outdoor showers were used.

Our girls were able to participate in the camp while Julie Joseph and Alfie were support help. Joseph stayed with the boys in the shack, Micah and Anya stayed on the second floor with the girls and Julie and Alfie lived in a tent.

Now we are home preparing to leave for vacation in Croatia. Joseph will attend a camp for missionary kids for a week then we will all spend a week together with some friends.

Bible time puppet shows.

Wild flower bouquet contest.

Julie and Anya rounding up the kids.

Sunday morning service in the dining room

Passing the Halfway Point

Our summer is rolling along nicely. Last week, Julie, Leah, Grace and an American team hosted an ESL camp at the Black Sea Camp. It was for beginning and intermediate level speaker and believer and unbelievers were welcome. It was a lot of work but all went well. I (Alfie) and the girls visited two of the days and enjoyed the festivities and mostly the beach. Joseph stayed four of the five days and did a lot of translating.

Julie with some of her new students and friends.

Joseph helps with translation.

The teaching was done outdoors in the fresh sea air!

Last Saturday, the team came back down to Odessa and had a downtown tour. One the same day our good friend Ron and Jeane Hawkins left after a month of service at the Black Sea Camp. Also, Saturday, the next construction team arrived. It was a busy day.

Julie has been recovering this week. We have enjoyed a lot of time together as a family while putting out fires. We currently have two teams here. We spent a lot of time catching up, reading together and playing together. Yesterday we visited a new (to us anyway) catacomb tour under the fine arts museum downtown.

Tomorrow (Saturday, July 10th), our largest team from Grace Fellowship leaves. They have helped with two camps. One at the Black Sea Camp and one in a village in the northern part of the Odessa Region. Our current construction team will get their downtown tour. Another team arrives. Joseph and Alfie will meet them and travel to the city of Kotovsk for a two week camp experience. Julie and the girls will join us next Wednesday.