Ben and Kristy Blog

Ternopil Camp Visit

The weekend before Christmas we had a very successful, blessed time visiting “New Life” and “Druzhba” churches in Ternopil, where we did camp with Blanchard Alliance Church (Wheaton, IL) last July. Like Paul did with Timothy and many of his other missionary travel companions, we enjoy inviting our students to join us in these city visits. Syava and Yulia were at camp with us in Ternopil last year, and Sergiy is dating a girl in Ternopil, so the 5 of us spent 2 nights and 3 full days meeting with students, leading a youth group service, I think Ben preached 3 times that weekend, visiting a village church that meets in a one-room house, meeting one-on-one with the head leaders to brainstorm plans for this coming year, we led a youth leader training where we had about 15 leaders hearing about different stages of Christian development, and how to minister to students in each category. We were guests at a boy from camp, Nazar’s house, which was special. He’s 14. His parents live and work in England. His grandmother raises them in Ukraine. Ben and I were talking after this visit, and would love for God to give us some “Nazars” like these guys in Ternopil – these young men were hungry to hang out non-stop with us, hungry for relationships. One repented at camp, but he needs a male in his life to really help grow him in the faith. Perhaps there are young men like this in Lviv – perhaps God would bring them to us. The young men we do have like this are, unfortunately, stuck in the juvenile rehab center at the moment. But there must be others!

The weather was below zero F, and the ice and snow was treacherous, so we took the electric train. It was an adventure! Now we must pray for God to clearly show us our plans to bless Ternopil this summer, and exactly what that will look like. We praise God for the fruit seen in students after camp, and we pray for these diligent youth leaders to not grow weary in their ministry, even when the results are almost always less than we dream for.