A man who emigrated from Russia to America 14 years ago returned to his hometown of Bryansk. He gathered together a young team of volunteers and packed them into a van along with a huge Blow-up Slide and a Bounce House. They traveled to Gomel, Belarus to conduct a summer day camp for three days. Assisting them was Rob Zapotoski, International Field Representative of Slavic Missionary Service, as well as a small team of young people from this second largest city of Belarus.
105 children and young people attended the interesting activities. Beside the excitement of bouncing and sliding, four groups (ranging from 6 to 15 years old) participated in games, Bible lessons and special crafts. The volunteer staff served as counselors and performed spiritual dramas to emphasize the theme chosen for each day.
The same three-day event was also held in Oktyabersky, Belarus, a small town of 7,000 residents. 140 children and young people gathered together to enjoy the festivities and the themes of Christian faith. Many of the children were visiting their grandparents from neighboring cities.
The Blow-up Slide and Bounce House became very special treats and were even used to celebrate the Byelorussian holiday of Independence Day (July 3rd) in the town square. The mayor of the town was quite pleased that these features were utilized free-of-charge for the community children. Many parents expressed gratitude for this gesture of generosity shown by the evangelical church of Oktyabersky.
Many children made important decisions during this time and understood the significance of making right choices. Some were interested in attending future Sunday school classes in order to increase their knowledge of the Creator and Christianity. The young team returned to Bryansk, Russia thankful for the opportunity to share their Christian faith to the children and young people of Belarus.
