REJOICE – Camp Report & Testimonies
Dear SGA team,
We’ve just wrapped up an important project – our youth and teen camp and we’re excited to share some highlights and reflections with you.
First of all, we’re deeply grateful to God and to you, dear brothers and sisters, for your support in making this youth camp possible. It’s one of the largest youth projects in Ukraine, and this year it brought together 160 young people in one place for worship, rest, healing, and spiritual growth. We invited an incredible team of speakers: pastors, missionaries, coaches, and counselors who poured into the youth every day. They helped shape their worldview spiritually and walked with them through the hard realities of life.
Among those who ministered to the teens were Vasyl Furta, Vice President of the Baptist Union of Ukraine, and Oleksandr, a pastor from a fast-growing youth church in Ternopil. Oleg – a successful Ukrainian clothing brand owner, led a training on financial literacy and entrepreneurship. And for the girls, we had Tatiana, a professional Christian coach and psychologist, offering sessions just for them.
And further I want to share a few stories from camp that moved me to tears.
This is Kateryna. Our counselor described her as a deeply traumatized young woman who, throughout the entire camp, was searching for support and answers. In the beginning, she was guarded and distrustful, sometimes even reacting with anger when someone showed her kindness or attention. But behind that defense was a heart crying out for help.
According to Kateryna, something life-changing happened at camp, she experienced what she called a “new birth.” She told us she didn’t want to leave camp and go back to what she described as “a house of flying knives and broken dishes.” That’s how she referred to her home. Her parents don’t love her and live a destructive lifestyle. She feels completely alone, with no one in her life she can talk to about her pain. She even shared that she’s been struggling with suicidal thoughts—and that, before coming to camp, she told herself this would be her one last chance to find a reason to keep living.
One moment that especially impacted her was the girls’ healing workshop led by Christian psychologist Tatiana. During the camp, Kateryna approached her and asked for help. Their conversations were filled with tears, but they marked the beginning of her healing.
Kateryna was deeply grateful for the camp. She said it gave her hope to keep living and, for the first time in a long while, she found people she could trust, open up to, and lean on for support.
This is Maksym. He was invited to camp by a Christian friend. Maksym comes from a family that considers itself Orthodox in name only, there’s no real faith, no relationship with God. He had never held a Bible in his hands, and he had never stepped foot in an evangelical church.
But something began to stir in his heart as soon as he arrived at camp. He said he couldn’t quite explain it, but he felt something happening deep inside. Without waiting for an altar call, Maksym stood up one evening and said he wanted to pray for the first time in his life. In that moment, Pastor Vasyl led him in a heartfelt prayer of repentance.
From that day on, something changed. Every morning at camp, Maksym dove into the Bible. He was hungry for God’s Word, eager to grow, and fully engaged in spiritual conversations. He sang worship songs loudly and with joy. We’ve now connected Maksym with a local evangelical church where he’ll be supported and discipled as he continues his journey of faith.
Every child in this photo is an orphan who was adopted by the same Christian family. Each one carries a unique story of pain and loss. Their past still hurts but their future is now in loving, faithful hands. For them, the camp was yet another reminder that they are loved and not forgotten.
Once again, thank you for your friendship, your support, and your prayers. It’s an honour to partner with you in bringing more people into the Kingdom of God.
Blessings,
Pastor Valentin,
First Bilhorod-Dnistrovskiy Church
Ukraine