When we got together for evening worship on the first night it was obvious that the camp is different than the first session. Every counselor got up on the stage for introduction and tells a little about himself/herself. Then the singing began and it was something hard to forget. Our church is small and when you hear 110 people sing it really breaks your heart.

Every day in the morning we had Bible lessons for different ages and a class for counselors. Every morning class was led by an American teacher with a Lithuanian translator. Every teacher was well prepared and good at delivering the message. Bible lessons were based upon the same curriculum that we used for the first session but the evening huddle groups was created by David Pryor and this is what the firs camp did not have.

After the Bible classes the kids played sports. Jonathan Colvin and Juozas were responsible for it. Just as at the first camp there was a championship where the kids were divided into teams and had to compete for the prize. One day there was a soccer competition between Lithuania and Belarus and Belarus won 3:2. Then Belarus played basketball against Lithuania and Lithuanians beat Belarus 30:8! It was a friendly competition and everyone felt good afterwards.

After sports games we had lunch at the mess hall and of course it would not be so fun to eat if we did not have "Get your elbows off the table…" J The food was good and nobody complain about it.

We did not have a lot of swimming this session just as the previous one for the weather was not favorable. We had rain for few days but when it did not rain there was kind of chilly weather. Nevertheless several kids did swim.

Sveta, a woman from Klaipeda, was responsible for Arts & Crafts and she did an outstanding job with her creativity, loving heart and serving hands. Several years ago Sveta was one of the helpers for Art & Crafts who assisted Americans but now for two or three year she has been carrying out this responsibility. All materials she bought in Lithuanian and alone was in charge of the schedule for every day.

Sveta, Arts and Crafts Director

A young boy named Aliosha doing arts and crafts.

There were devotionals in every evening at the cabin area. Devotional is a special time when we sing and listen to the word from the Bible. Every night a designated counselor would share a lesson with an illustration. Then we have a prayer and hugs before we go to beds. When the cabin area gets empty and night falls upon the camp some still have devotional in the cabins, talking about eternal things. (That was great!).

There was a night out of many others but this was a special one for on that night I found out that there were two girls that wanted Jesus to become their shepherd. That night I and Juozas went to these girls to talk about faith and things that pertain to salvation. It happened to be that these girls were from Panevezys and had been attending the church there for a several years and actually they had been thinking about becoming Christians for at least 6 month before camp. The conversation along with the Bible reading went very well and it was very clear that these girls had faith in God, passion for Christ, love for the brotherhood and motive to born a new. One question, why do you want to be baptized, the answer was clear as a shiny day, "we want to be saved and be part of the Kingdom of God". Two girls, Ilma and Ruta, were very determined in their decision and so the day was set on Thursday evening.

God is an awesome God who reigns from power above… For many at camp there was another good surprise ahead that happened on Thursday afternoon. Two Belarusian boys were scheduled to be baptized. Their names were very well known for all for they have been coming to camp since they were little boys. It was Igor and Maxim. Every year God has been touching their hearts and souls to shape them in accordance with his holy will to prepare them to become jars of his grace until the day has come to shout out of the bottom of their hearts, "I do believe that Jesus is the Son of eternal God" and then the preacher of the church in Belarus, who baptized them, echoed with the words that have been going through centuries "I baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit"!

Ilma and Ruta, new sisters in Christ

Igor and Maxim, two brothers in Christ

Praying for God's blessings on Igor and Maxim

Ilma praises the Lord after her baptism.

Rutal is a new born.

Tears of happiness and joy.

In the evening two Lithuanian girls (Ilma and Ruta) accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Juozas a local evangelist immersed them into the water that God would bring them up to a glorious life with his Son.

"Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it?

I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert".

Isaiah 43:19

God makes ways in the wilderness of people's hearts and let rivers of grace flow through to create a new spirit for life. It is amazing how God's seeds of love can grow and bring fruits. Hold on a while, let me take a breath to go on J One more baptism was schedule for Friday night! It was a girl from Alytus named Skirmante. She was studying the Bible with Juozas in Alytus for some time. The camp was a place where the seed of faith sprung forth. Friday night was one more night of one more birthday. She confessed Jesus as her Lord and Savior and Juozas after a prayer baptized her. "Born of water and of the Spirit"

Hi, my name is Skirmante.

Skirmante is about to be born again.

Skirmante comes out of the water a new person in Christ.

After each baptism every new born gets a small cake to commemorate the event. All baptisms were followed by songs on the lake bank and loud shouts of joy after witnessing a miracle of new birth. It was a good place to feel the unity of the Spirit, as song goes by, "We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord…"

On Friday night we also had skits or talent show where every cabin had to perform a skit that was prepared during the week. Every performance was fun to watch but every show had something to say, a meaning that lies behind and makes you think. The last night is also known for a bonfire, a fire that brings everybody together for sharing memories and experiences. The bonfire starts when it is still early evening and we cocks marshmallows and just have fun enjoying the fellowship. When it gets dark and the leaps of blaze enlighten the circle of people who sit around the bonfire, we begin to sing praises. Some kids look sad, some do not want to talk and silently watching how the fire burns the woods. Some talk, and this is when the heart speaks. Counselors and kids express what they have experienced during the week or just express gratitude for a wonderful week, for new friends. Some had hot tears on the cheeks because tomorrow they will have to go home…to come back.

Let me finish with words from a story written by Max Lucado "Imagine what may have taken place on that day"

"...But more incredible than the moving of the flesh was the stirring of the spirit. Those who could see the unseen gasped.

Perhaps it was the wind who said it first. Perhaps what the star saw that moment is what has made it blink ever since. Maybe it was left to an angel to whisper it:

"It looks like ... it appears to so much like ... it is him!"

The angel wasn't speaking of the face, the features, or the body. He was looking inside - at the soul.

"It's eternal!" gasped another.

Within the man, God has placed a divine seed. A seed of his self. The God of might had created earth's mightiest. The Creator had created, not a creature, but another creator. And the One who had chosen to love had created one who could love in return.

Now it's our choice".

And because of those souls and love we make camps that make difference…

James said, "Or do you think that the Scripture speaks to no purpose: "He jealously desires the Spirit which He has made to dwell in us"?

James 4:5

May God send a rain of blessings upon you,

Ilia Amosov, an evangelist

Vilnius Church of Christ

P.S. I am sorry but I could not mentioned all the names because I may misspelled it and it is just so hard to mentioned everyone but the job you did at camp was essential and because of you it all happened. Thank you to the staff!

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