A jar for loose change, a jumble sale, young people car washing. Quizzes and many generous donations meant that Mike and I could take 16 year-olds, Josh, Matt and Ben and another married couple, Anthony and Adrienne, from Godstone Baptist Church in Surrey to the banks of the River Ross in Khreshchatyk, Ukraine. There we teamed up with two other Brits, Dan and Kate.
The generosity of the church had meant that 23 additional children could attend and receive the presents we had carried with us, cuddly toys, toothbrushes and paste, notebooks, pencils, compasses and not least of all, Bibles, for every child. A blue and yellow 'T' shirt (Ukrainian national colours) were provided for each UK team member and lovely printed mugs with a picture of our church printed on the front, was given to our Ukrainian volunteers and staff.
All of this for one purpose! We had come to help lead a Children's Camp at Kompas Park, where the theme was 'Finding Your Way.’ Our prayer was that every child would find the right path to their Loving, Heavenly Father. The new Kompas Park maize and paths, along with the symbolism of the compass (Kompas) helped the 8 to 14 years old orphans and children from difficult home situations to focus on the challenge of finding their way in life.
Sometimes it is the unplanned for that God uses to get His own message across. An unemployed Ukrainian teacher had come as a volunteer leader. In her purse she had the sum total of her housekeeping money for the following two weeks – just 100 Hrivna (£8). At the beginning of the camp the money was stolen. Obviously, she was very worried! How would she cope after the camp? Though she suspected one of the girls, she said nothing to her.
However, near to the end of the camp, that same girl returned the 100 Hrivnas, saying that she had ‘found it’ on the sports field. What an amazing God. Maybe she had found a new kompas to lead her through the maize, onto the path that leads to life.
The facilities at Kompas Park, with all the excitement and fun on the River Ross nearby, give the children a wonderful opportunity to simply enjoy their surroundings for the week.
We all returned exhausted but truly blessed by the experience. Frank and Lin were never far away to help us out when needed; they are truly very special people. Alla works very hard, quietly in the background keeping everything ticking smoothly. Nadia, the Ukrainian camp leader, has unlimited energy and a wonderful sense of humour - she certainly had to while we were there! The Ukrainian team was so very special that one could write a book about the fun we shared. The cooks worked tirelessly to produce 3 meals a day for the entire camp. The father and son 'River Men' kept an eye on us all and supplied endless fun with the banana boat and water-chute, to mention just two pieces of inflatable fun equipment.
Our days were busy with all manner of sport (mostly done by the boys), acting out Bible stories, crafts and clubs. The favourite activity was a cooling trip to the river as the temperature was in the 40's. There was an air of excitement at the grand launching of a rocket made out of a pressurized Coca Cola bottle and the general mayhem of a water bomb fight. We felt very privileged to be a part of such a special team. We all worked very hard to bring fun and love to the children. Thank you Hope Now for giving us the opportunity to go and the prayer support through the Prayer Partners. Thank you also to Godstone Baptist Church for all your fund-raising, prayers and support. Everyone has been truly A MAIZE ING.
hurch life is alive and well in many of the villages around
Cherkassy. Having spent 5 days visiting several villages, progress
was evident in many of them.
t is now several years since Hope Now handed over the various ministries
in Cape Town into local hands. However, Hope Now has maintained
responsibility for some of the former residents of Rainbow House.
As the summer season at Kompas Park draws to a close with the September
widows’ and widowers’ camps, this seems a good time to say thank you to
our wonderful staff.
01.02.2012 Pray for Alla, Lena, Ksenya and the team presently working in Calcutta for another two weeks with Tear Fund projects
02.02.2012 Pray that the Mission Fund, which undergirds all that is done both here and in Ukraine, will have the finances to meet all our obligations
03.02.2012 Pray for all the older people that came to our Christmas party in Cherkiassy, that the Lord will bless them whatever their situation or background
04.02.2012 Pray for those who had a well installed last year, that as they share their water they will get opportunities to share their faith also
05.02.2012 Pray for all those who are attending the Bible School that they can give adequate time to studying, working and being with their families
06.02.2012 For all the foster parents of children supported by Hope Now, that they will have patience as they have to deal with problems that occur from time to time
07.02.2012 Our auditors visit the Southampton offices today to audit our accounts – pray that all will be in order as figures are checked
08.02.2012 Give thanks for all the volunteers that come into the office and give of their time so sacrificially, doing jobs at times without even being asked
09.02.2012 Pray for Frank and Lin as they plan for the summer at Kompas Park, and visit churches to speak about the varying areas of service possible
10.02.2012 Pray for Misha and all the staff at the Ukraine office as they consider all the requests from those asking for help
11.02.2012 Pray that all the plans for the Annual Weekend Away next month will come together well, and that people will register early while rooms are still available
12.02.2012 Pray for Alla Kostyunina, Director of Kompas Park, that she will be given wisdom in her decisions and management of the Park
13.02.2012 Give thanks that the young people in South Africa are doing well with their education, and pray for wisdom for Margaret Ferguson as she guides and directs them
14.02.2012 On this St Valentine’s Day, pray for the students we support who are in relationships, that they will be sensible and keep up their studies
15.02.2012 Pray for David and Valerie Reddaway as they oversee the Bible School, and the Church planting and twinning programme
16.02.2012 Pray for Jon as he attends a Men Meet meeting in Milford on Sea this evening
17.02.2012 Pray for Jon and Ali as they travel to Buckinghamshire to attend the Vetinerary Christian Conference this weekend
18.02.2012 Pray for Maria Shevchuki of Kuchkivka village as she celebrates her 86th birthday today
19.02.2012 Pray for the Directors and Staff of Orphanages we are involved with, that they will look after their children with love and dedication
20.02.2012 Pray for the young girls in Swindon House, and boys in Cornah House as they learn new skills which will prepare them for their futures
21.02.2012 Pray for Jon in his many responsibilities, that he will have wisdom in each decision that he has to make
22.02.2012 Pray for Lidia Savelieva and her vision of a sheltered home for older people to be realised, and pray for finances to come in for this project
23.02.2012 For Larisa Vovk in her work of overseeing the work being done with children in the orphanages and cottage homes
24.02.2012 Pray for Jon and Ali as they travel to Carlisle for the Northern Vet’s Christian Conference
25.02.2012 Pray for Cyndee and Darrell Knight and the work they do in the American Office for Kompas Park
26.02.2012 Pray for the Food Programme in Ukraine, especially through this winter time, that all those in need will receive help and no-one will be overlooked
27.02.2012 Pray for Vitaly and Ludmila Sidenko in their work with the African Students at 2nd Baptist Church, and Ludmila’s work with the deaf community at the same church
28.02.2012 Pray that we may be able to assemble a team of dentists and nurses to treat the children in the internats
29.02.2012 Give thanks for all our supporters who pray regularly for the work of Hope Now, and give sacrificially month upon month – pray the Lord will bless them as they bless the people of Ukraine
