Summer Camp Report


Thank you for praying for this year's camp! James said it was the best since he's been having them. God was at work in incredible ways and we praise Him and thank YOU for your important part! Some of the many answers to prayer... 1. Nine young people accepted Christ! Keep reading and you'll see their pictures and individual stories. 2. Wonderful weather - it had literally rained for 3 weeks straight leading up to the camp. When James went out to the campsite a few days early to scout around his car got stuck on the only road out to the camp... he finally returned home at 3am covered in mud! Boy were we praying! The day before camp started the weather completely changed, we finally saw the sun and for the 12 days at camp it was beautiful sunny weather. 3. Lots of great helpers - Chris Brudi flew in from Michigan the day camp began, he was a huge help. At the last minute two American young ladies from a church in California arrived in Moscow with 'nothing to do'. Liz and Diana had been forced to leave the orphanage in St. Petersburg were they had worked for the past 4 months. We had been praying for extra help and what an incredible blessing they were! They basically ran the kitchen for James and did a great job. 4. Physical safety - no one got hurt on the zipline! 5. Generous financial support from the States - so many different individuals and churches gave to fund the camp. Many of the youth were from very poor families. The camp was the only 'vacation' or special event for their summer. Okay, pictures are better than words....


Here's a picture of Sergei age 20. A friend of Sergei's went to last year's camp and invited him to come along this year. The first night of camp Sergei got drunk and James almost sent him home. By the end of the camp Sergei had spent hours asking questions, reading his Bible (for the 1st time in his life) and learning about Who is God? Why was I created? Why is God interested in me? The last night Sergei prayed to receive Christ. Just yesterday he showed up at our apartment an hour early for the Bible study so he could ask James some more questions. Pray that Sergei will grow in his faith!


This is Elvira age 17 on the right. She came to last year's camp but did not seem that interested in God. This year was a different story; she was excited about the Bible lessons, singing, and asking lots of questions. She told everyone at the camp she had accepted Christ and was now a different person. Please pray for Elvira as she doesn't live in our city and so won't have a chance to come to the Bible studies and have fellowship with the friends she made at camp. Pray that she'll find some believing friends and a church where she lives during the school year.

On the left is 17 year old Zoya. She also came to last year's camp but did not seem that interested. This year she prayed to accept Christ and seemed excited to learn. Please pray for her as she comes from a very difficult home situation. She has no father and her Mom can barely provide for them. Her Mom was very grateful for a 'free camp' that Zoya could enjoy.


This is 18 year old Katya. Katya comes from a terrible home situation. No father, her Mom is an alcoholic. We have know Katya for the past two years as she lives very close to our apartment. We would see her almost every week stumbling home drunk. James and some other youth had invited her to our apartment several times but she was never interested. We learned later that Katya had been working as a prostitute for the past year. The first week of camp she was not interested in any of the lessons and slept through most of the morning meetings. Praise the Lord that He did an incredible work in her heart the last two days! Please pray for Katya as she faces such a difficult home situation. Pray that she will begin coming to the Bible studies in our apartment and that God would free her from alcoholism.








This is Lena age 14. Lena's older sister went to the camp last year. The camp was the first time Lena had ever read the Bible or heard anything about Jesus Christ. Please pray for her older sister and entire family to become Christians.

This is 20 year old Olga. She came to last year's camp along with her best friend Alona. Alona accepted Christ and became very active in the Baptist church in her city. (doesn't live in Nara-Faminsk, was just visiting for the summer). Seeing the change in her friend's life over the past year made Olga want to return to camp and study the Bible again for herself. Olga is studying to be a psychologist and her university is several hours away. Pray that she will find some believing friends and some type of Bible study at her University.






This is 14 year old Liza. She was invited to camp by a friend who went last year. For the first time in her life she read the Bible and was very interested in all the lessons. Pray she will become active in the Bible studies this coming year.









This is Julya age 15. She suffers from a rare bone disorder so is very small for her age. She also comes from a very difficult home situation. She seemed to quite literally 'blossom' before your eyes at the camp from all the love, attention, games and activities.




This is 14 year old Nastya. Her father left when she was little and her Mom is very busy at work. Her grandmother lives in our building so we invited Nastya to camp when we found out she'd be staying with her grandmother for the summer. Pray for her as she returns back home in September that there will be some kind of church and believing friends in her city.