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Hey everyone,
My name is Jessica. I am a young Christian (I have been a strong believer for about a year now) and this is my first Exposure Trip (mission trip). I must say, I was not expecting this situation. I have about 100 mosquito bites, increasing lack of sleep, and am sore from all of the morning work outs, squats, and games with the kids. However, even with these circumstances I am extremely blessed to be here with these kids and I would not trade my place here for anything unless God told me to.
Yesterday, the second camp day started out as a rough one, but with encouragement from my team and prayer to the Lord I was able to get pumped up and ready to face the day even stronger than before. It was a good thing too because my kids are a challenging group.
I have a group from ages 14 to 18 and they were not so excited when we came to hang out with them. Our first few group activities had the same 4 girls participating, and we are supposed to have 18 kids. Ai yai yai! However, yesterday we had 13 of them come and I was so excited; even if I can't talk to them, I know my Ukrainian teammates are teaching them well, and they sat and listened the whole time.
Hearing these kids' stories is an amazing blessing. I am constantly reminded that they are all here for different reasons and they all need Jesus' love. Three of the kids I have bonded with are completely different. Alina is 17 and she saw her mother killed in front of her eyes by someone she knew when she was 8. Daniel is around the same age, and he has an attitude, but he constantly hangs around me and tries to help. He hasn't opened up much about his parents, just saying that they are at home and he just ended up here, but I suspect that there were some issues just by the way he acts. Tolya is 18 and he is here because he did not go to school, and the government put him in a bording school. Today Tolya told me that he just wants to go home, that everyone just wants to go home. Last night after the first worship service I pulled Daniel to his feet and put my arm around him to pray and he just stood there. After the second service he stood up next to me and put his arm around me and bowed his head to pray with me. During that Russian prayer (which I couldn't understand) I thanked God for the wonderful troubled boy next to me. Another memorable moment also happened last night at worship. During a song I reached over and took Alina's hand. As I took her hand she turned and smiled at me, and when she smiled I felt an overwhelming sense of love and compassion for this girl, bigger than I ever felt before. It was not just my love, but God's as well flowing through me.
After just four days here we can all see God working here in this camp. We have all shared stories late at night before bed about what we can see God doing in these kids already, and every night each of us is amazed and so thankful for God sending us here to serve these kids and bring them the message of Jesus' love. Please continue to pray that these kids bond with us and witness the Gospel through us.
Jessica, for the Ukraine Team