Respite for the War-Torn
S’Mores and light-hearted songs belted out around the campfire. Splashing waves on a pebbled beach, games of relay, bug bites and balloons. Drippy watermelon, sunburned shoulders and peeling noses. Especially ‘Best Friends Forever’ made in one sun-dappled afternoon. Those few descriptive words pretty much sum up every summer camp that I attended as a child and the thousands that happen every July and August in the United States.
It is a rite of passage for many that gives children an opportunity to make relationships with kids they wouldn’t have ordinarily crossed paths with. For a handful of youngsters and teens, summer camp can inform ideals, perspectives and forge a new path toward the future.
Let me tell you about the camp that I just returned from. It was held at the Black Sea in a town called Kobuleti in the former Soviet country of Georgia. This was my third time doing camp at this location, but the first time returning in three years due to Covid restrictions. What made this year unique was that we not only had an amazing week with Armenian youth affected by the war with Azerbaijan but were able to expand the program and offer this camp opportunity to Ukrainian orphans and Ukrainian children who have either been displaced by the war and living abroad and those living in the midst of dropping bombs. You can imagine the relief they felt when they could sleep throughout the night without the jarring sounds of air raid sirens to wake them up! In total, we served 41 kids and upwards of 36 adults who also needed the rest and rejuvenation that the sea offered their traumatized minds and bodies. It was a week of perfect peace.
As in previous camps, I got to lead Master Classes that specialized in trauma-informed therapeutic art projects. This I do in so many great venues, but the chance to witness how well the children from diverse backgrounds meshed, accepted one another unconditionally and laughed unrestrained was a rare treat. It was worth all of the effort that many volunteers who had come together made happen. This was an expensive undertaking sponsored by Mercy Projects of Murrieta, California. They paid and organized travel for people to travel overland from Ukraine to Hungary and join other Ukrainians to fly from Budapest to the Republic of Georgia. They also organized a group to drive from Armenia, a group of volunteers to take a train from Armenia, who had already come from the U.S., Germany and Finland and a van full of Ukrainian kids at risk to come from Tbilisi. All of the hours of logistical headaches were worth it when we witnessed joy saturated faces. For so many of these young people, it was the greatest, most unforgettable week of their lives. I know that I shed more tears than I have for years and my heart has been permanently enlarged by the courageous, inspirational, bubbly and strong adults and children that I got to know.
Global Impact World Relief is a long time partner with Mercy Projects and sponsor outreaches in Ukraine and Armenia through the sales of Poetry Art, tax-deductible donations and grant funding. As in countless other countries we were also able to distribute JOY BAGS which were a blessing for their long journeys home. If you have given in the past to any of our ministry outreaches, THANK YOU. If you are considering a gift for the future, THANK YOU as well. 100% of all that we raise goes to the ministries that we promote. We are a grass roots organization and enjoy pouring out to others from the abundant love that our Heavenly Father has bestowed upon us. “To Whom much is given MUCH is required.”
‘Best Friends Forever’ made in one sun-dappled afternoon
This camp featured a respite from all the daily traumas of war
