Greetings from our new lodgings in Veľký Slavkov! The last few days at camp were a whirlwind! Now we are gearing up for a week at Teen Camp!

Last Thursday, students learned to have “hope in God’s forgiveness” by hearing the story of David and Bathsheba. We discussed how our choices have consequences, yet God’s love never fails. Just as David wrote in Psalm 51, “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me,” so too must we intentionally return to God with a contrite heart. Groups discussed Jesus’s death on the cross and the price He paid for our salvation. We pray that these seeds fell on fertile ground as students consider what this means for their lives. 

Thursday evening, families joined us in fellowship at church. Students proudly filled the aisles of the church to dance and sing “Jesus Loves Me.” Pastor Miro and Pastor Mark each shared a message with families, thanking them for sending their children to camp. There are countless people for whom we are grateful: families who trusted us, three local congregations, Slovak translators and helpers, school and city officials, even drivers who had to patiently wait for 93 children to cross the road each morning! We are also grateful for all of the people at home who made it possible for these children to hear the Gospel message: congregations who have prayed over us and sent us, donors who supported us financially, Sunday school children who wrote letters to share with the Slovak children, friends and family looking after our homes, coworkers who took on extra responsibilities, and so many others. Your prayers have been felt by each of us. Senders, goers, and receivers– God uses them all!

We ended the week on Friday learning about “hope in God’s promises.” A sweet anecdote that perfectly exemplified young David against Goliath: during opening, Vic asked for a volunteer to recite the memory verse for the week. For a moment, we doubted if anyone would come forward when suddenly, a tiny hand appeared. Without hesitation, Ella, one of the smallest campers, perfectly quoted Romans 15:13. We certainly overflowed with hope after hearing her!

At the end of the camp day, families gathered once more to watch their children perform skits depicting the life of David. Then, came the bittersweet final goodbyes between students and teachers. We praise Jesus for blessing this English Bible Camp in Svit, and pray for the ministry that will continue when we leave.

Most team members have now joined the teen camp team at the Ichthys Center in Veľký Slavkov. Friday night, we enjoyed dinner and a tour of the beautiful facilities. Teens from Slovakia, Germany, Ukraine, Latvia, and other areas of Europe will join us Sunday afternoon where we will live, learn, and worship together over the next week. The structure of this camp will be much different than the children’s camp, and we are experiencing a range of emotions as a result. Through this, we remember that our confidence is not in ourselves or our feelings, but in Christ alone. We pray for God to open hearts and minds so that the Holy Spirit is able to work through our discussions. We joyfully await all that is in store! Stay tuned for more updates from the Slovakia teen camp, coming soon!

A final story showing how these camps come full circle. Saturday, we spent the day at Semfest (an annual Christian festival hosted by one of our ministry partners in Slovakia.) While there, we met two sisters who had previously attended the English Bible Camps as children and now help as translators. While chatting with an American team member who had taught them both, they began listening to a nearby presentation about a group of Slovaks who had gone on a short-term mission trip to Africa. One of the members of that team was the translator for that American teacher the year one of the sisters was in her class! God is at work in Slovakia, and is spreading the faith of the Christians here to the farthest corners of the earth!