Kompas Park has become the island of Crete for this year’s camps for Widows and Widowers. As the campers arrive they are welcomed by Larissa Vovk, the camp leader, her team and the overseas volunteers– all dressed in white medical uniforms. Crete is in quarantine – and all visitors must have rigorous medical check-ups! Giant cardboard thermometers are put under arms, tongues are inspected and rubber stamp ‘shots’ are administered. The campers consider all this great fun, even if perhaps they wonder what they have come to. Mornings start with exercises, led by Fred Hendon, one of our American volunteers, and everyone joins in to limber up for the day ahead. Don’t forget to wear you name tag – or you will be soaked by Larrissa with her water gun. Of course when she forgets her tag, the campers make sure she gets soaked too!
Our overseas volunteers lead daily Bible studies on the book of Titus with small groups of campers, who now understand why they have come to ‘Crete’ for their camp. Each day a ‘golden verse’ is memorized and two ‘Teddy Bears’ visit each group to see who has the best memories. You will see that spiritual nourishment with a large measure of fun thrown in is the recipe for the camp.
After lunch the ladies and gentlemen have a chance to enjoy boating on the river, or for the more adventurous, riding the Banana inflatable. There are craft sessions led by our volunteers, who bring lots of different ideas and materials. These are always very popular and we have to find space for everyone to be busy making cards, picture frames, painting or decorating t- shirts.
The campers and volunteers share in the evening programs, where our guests love to sing and read and hear poetry. They also enjoy games and quizzes and just being together in good company. The evening rounds off with fellowship groups – giving opportunity for new friendships and renewing old ones. Everyone agrees that these final two weeks of the camp season at Kompas Park are really special. Many of our campers have very hard lives, sometimes in small villages with little opportunities for socializing and even fewer for having fun. Our volunteers say again and again how wonderfully responsive they find our guests. Serving such open and thankful people is truly a delight. We thank God for making these wonderful camps possible through the support of Hope Now.
Church 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.
