“The reconstruction of Ukraine begins with the healing of hearts,” — Bishop Bohdan Dzyurakh about the summer camp for children from eastern Ukraine
The ten-day Christian recreational camp “Dawns of Ukraine 2022” for children and youth from the eastern regions of Ukraine, supported by the Apostolic Exarchate of the UGCC in Germany and Scandinavian countries with donations collected to help victims of the war in Ukraine, has ended.
In recent years, the camp has been held at the initiative of Fr. Serhiy Palamarchuk on the mission grounds in the east of Ukraine. However, this year is exceptional due to many reasons marked by war. The participants were children and youth who, until February 24, 2022, belonged to the same parish and lived in villages and towns in the Luhansk region. This year, they came to the camp from all over Ukraine, from various places of temporary refuge, as their habitats are in the zone of active hostilities or under the temporary occupation of the russian invaders. Therefore, this summer Christian recreation camp was one of the best means of complex rehabilitation.
Fr. Serhiy Palamarchuk shared his impressions and said that rehabilitation becomes especially effective if it occurs under normal conditions of casual talks, games, and a sense of trust and safety. And above all, when all this happens in the conditions of spiritual growth, in the atmosphere of God’s presence and prayer, because the children at the camp pray, participate in the Liturgy, confess and receive Holy Communion.
“We derive inspiration and motivation to serve those in need of evangelical science. After all, Christ commanded us, His disciples, to ministry those in need with selfless love,” — Bishop Bohdan, Apostolic Exarch of Germany and Scandinavia shared his thoughts about the camp and added: “It is of great importance in times of trials and tribulations, such as the current war crisis in Ukraine. More than once, we will manifest our help in simple sympathy and compassion, sharing with them their experiences, pains, and sufferings. It is what Saint Paul was talking about when he called: ‘Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.’ Therefore, we are glad that we can at least slightly reduce the suffering of children, who are the most vulnerable social group in wartime. By doing this, we are already working on the future reconstruction of our Motherland. On the other hand, we are often only intermediaries between donors in Germany and those in need in Ukraine. People in Germany see the Church here and in Ukraine as a reliable partner, so they willingly donate to charity. And we, for our part, undertake to use every cent responsibly and purposefully.”
It is worth noting that this camp is one of many projects implemented with the support of the Apostolic Exarchate of the UGCC in Germany and the Scandinavian countries.
The UGCC Department for Informationbased on the materials of the Apostolic Exarchate of Germany and Scandinavia
