Ukrainian refugee children have enjoyed Bible camp despite being away from their homeland.
Christian charity Mercy Projects brought its ministry to Hungary and hosted summer camps for the displaced children. While the war forced many people to leave Ukraine, including some staff of Mercy Projects, it didn’t stop the organization from continuing their mission.
I made this decision to show God’s love through actions, even if it is without words and here it’s also my decision to show God’s love to them by loving them, showing acceptance. —Yana Glushko, Mercy Projects camp director
The Bible camps took place in Budapest and young Ukrainian refugees enjoyed the fun and games, different master classes, and chapel time. They also heard Gospel messages and received Ukrainian Bibles, reports Missions Box.
Camp director Yana Glushko fled Kyiv with her three children and left behind her husband to fight for their country. “I made this decision to show God’s love through actions, even if it is without words and here it’s also my decision to show God’s love to them by loving them, showing acceptance. I can see God touched their lives.”
Team members from the US and the UK helped Mercy Projects in organizing and running the camps. Glushko and her colleagues contacted other refugee families and invited them to the Bible camps.
“The staff in Ukraine were rescued out of the Kyiv area and what they said was ‘well if we can’t do camps in Ukraine, why can’t we do camps here in Hungary. We will connect,'” said Paula Thompson, Mercy Projects Sponsor Relations Coordinator from California. “And they did through social media. They connected with families in the area from Ukraine and it’s just been fantastic. The kids are all loving being together and they’ve having a good time.”
For the young Ukrainians, the Bible camp was a breath of fresh air. One said, “It is the most happy time in my life,” while one said, “Very good, very fun camp.” Some enjoyed meeting new friends and people from other countries.
Christians in Hungary Helping Ukrainian Refugees
Hungary has four border gates with Ukraine and allows the entry of anyone from the embattled country. Christians offered their homes and other resources to incoming Ukrainians. Churches volunteer and provide any help they can.
Christian charity Dorcas Ministries prioritizes the most vulnerable population among refugees, including young children, the sick, elderly, poor, and refugees who don’t speak Hungarian. According to Abel Lukacs Kiss, a Christian aid worker, Dorcas is doing a variety of things in helping refugees. “We have seven collection points in the town of Debrecen for food, blankets and cleaning materials. Three other colleagues are focusing on collecting aid, funds and volunteers for this crisis.”
He added that, “We want to help the families long term. This means we’re not a shelter for 48 hours, but rather a place they can stay for one to three months and longer if necessary.”
Dorcas owns a campsite that can host 30-40 families. They have morning devotions, Sunday services and offer conversations about the Gospel. The organization provides a peaceful place for refugees where they can heal and recover from the trauma they experienced since the war.
