World Wide Youth Camps
World Wide Youth Camps is a missions focused organization that aims to “Plant the seed of Christ in the hearts of children of every tongue, tribe, and nation.” This organization was invited to work in the Pioneer Youth Camps in Ukraine in the early 90s. These camps were set up by Lenin and Stalin to indoctrinate the children of the Soviet Union with communist beliefs. Today the camps are a place for children to make friends, play games, make arts and crafts, and most importantly to hear about Jesus and to be loved unconditionally.
American missionaries travel to the camps where they team up with Ukrainian and Russian mentors to work with the orphans of these countries. The Americans stay for at least 2 weeks teaching and ministering to the children. The in-country mentors commit to serving for one year with the orphans. This past weekend while I was in Atlanta, I heard story after story of how God has used World Wide Youth Camps to impact the lives of children in Ukraine and Russia. The seeds that were planted 10 years ago are coming to maturity while new seeds are being planted every year.
I am so honored to have been asked to travel to Kiev this summer to debrief the missionaries who will be working with the orphans. My dear ACU friends, Rob and Traci Browne and their children, have served in Russia for the past 10 years. (However, Traci will not be able to travel this summer since she is soon to deliver their fourth child.) Their love for the children in Ukraine and Russia has inspired many others to exit their comfort zones, travel for 2 days on uncertain airlines, learn a new language, and eat unusual foods in order to share the love of Christ with orphans.
“But before people can ask the Lord for help, they must believe in him; and before they can believe in him, they must hear about him; and for them to hear about the Lord, someone must tell them; and before someone can go and tell them, that person must be sent.” - Romans 10:14-15
