Welcome to Word of Life Ukraine Camp 2026!
Camp is so much fun!
You can play games,
relax, make new friends,
and learn more about God!
Sophia, 10 y.o., camper
Аll the stories that follow were collected throughout the 2026 summer's camp season.
We listened carefully during campfire testimonies, open mic nights, conversations with campers and counselors, and staff prayer meetings. Together, these moments became a collection of stories we never want to forget.
We selected these testimonies to share with those who faithfully support this ministry - and to preserve a reminder of how God worked throughout this camp season.
To protect privacy, we have changed many of the names. However, every story in this collection is real and took place at our camps this year.
We are deeply grateful to God - and to every person whose prayers, generosity, and service made this camp season possible.
First Steps
Ivan, camper: My sister prayed for me for a long time because I didn't believe in God. When I came to camp, I began to notice that God was gradually working in my heart. With each passing day, I felt a stronger desire to come to Him.
Yesterday, I realized I didn't want to put off that step any longer. Someone here asked me, "Who is Jesus to you?"
Honestly? I don't know yet. But that's exactly what I want to find out.
Artem, camper: This was my first camp. Before this, I had never really thought about God, and I had never talked to Him. One evening, they told us to close our eyes and simply talk to God. So I did.
I told Him that I wanted to trust Him with my life. I asked Him to guide me, keep me from falling into a pit, keep me from becoming an alcoholic, and help me live my life well.
Veronika, age 10: I spent the whole day thinking about whether I really needed this. In the end, I realized that I need God.
Agata, camper: Yesterday, I gave my life to Christ. For me, that means I accepted God into my heart, and I want to dedicate my life to Him and tell other people about Him.
I grew up in church, but for a long time I thought I was too young to make such an important decision. I wasn't sure I could truly mean it.
My counselors helped me understand that God looks at the heart, not at my age. That's when I knew I was ready to take this step.
Emilia, camper: Last year, I came to camp carrying one prayer on my heart. There was someone I cared deeply about, and I desperately wanted them to come to know Christ.
One night around the campfire, I realized something that changed my perspective: God cared about that person's salvation even more than I did. That's when I finally let go of the burden and trusted Him to do what I never could.
Six months later, God answered that prayer. That person gave his life to Christ and was baptized. Looking back, I can see that camp was one of the first steps in his journey.
That experience taught me a lot. Sometimes when you place something in God's hands, the answer isn't "no" - it's simply "wait." This summer, I'm learning to trust Him again, this time with my job and my future.
Ivan, camper: I'm the person Emilia was praying for.
Before I met her, I knew nothing about God and considered myself an atheist. Through our conversations, I started asking questions I'd never asked before and began wondering if God was actually real.
Last year, we came to camp together. But it wasn't until I went home that everything became clear. After spending a week surrounded by people who genuinely loved God, returning to everyday life was a stark contrast. I saw the brokenness of the world in a completely new way and realized that no one can save themselves. The only answer was to trust Christ.
One ordinary day, I decided that I wanted to follow Christ and lead my family to follow Him too. I repented and was baptized.
Next Step
Liza, camper: During camp, we talked a lot about temptation and about bringing sin into the light instead of hiding it.
There was a sin in my life that I had kept hidden for a long time. At camp, I finally found the courage to tell someone about it.
For me, that was one of the most important decisions I made this summer.
Nazar, camper: This was my second time at camp. I first connected with the church through a day camp at the beginning of the war, and every time I come back, I'm amazed by the people here. It's a different kind of community - one where you can share your struggles and know someone will listen, encourage you, and pray with you.
This week, I had many conversations with my counselor, Vanya. I was honest about what was in my heart, and I'm grateful that he was willing to listen.
Last year, I accepted Christ. But this summer I realized that calling myself a Christian isn't enough. I want my faith to be more than something people see on the outside - I want it to shape the way I live.
Tanya, camper: This was my second time at camp. Last year, I made an important decision around the campfire, but afterward I realized I kept falling back into the same sins. (Tears up.) This summer, God reminded me again that real change begins with trusting Him. I want to trust God completely and learn to walk with Him every day.
Christina, camper: Tonight became a moment of decision for me. I want God to be the Lord of my life and to rule over everything I do. I realized how easy it is to let other things take His place. Little by little, they can become the things we live for. But I want there to be only one God in my life.
Vlad, camper: This was my very first camp, and I'm so thankful that this is where I got to experience it. I don't regret coming for a single moment.
The message that stayed with me most was about a choice we all have: trying to carry our struggles on our own or placing them in God's hands.
I believe God brought me here for a reason. After this week, I want to keep learning to trust Him with the things I can't handle by myself.
Eva, camper: I was excited to see the camp play, but it was even better than I expected. It felt like I had stepped into another world. I laughed, cried, and was completely drawn into the story. What impacted me the most was the King. To me, he reflected Jesus - the One who loves us, seeks us, and wants what is good for us.
The play reminded me that even though we are all sinners, God never stops calling us to Himself. Our choice is whether we will welcome Him into our lives.
Alex, age 9: I had so much fun at camp! My favorite things were swimming, playing with my friends, and of course, Muffa-Puffa. After this camp, I want to spend more time with God by praying and reading the Bible.
Den, age 14: I liked the plays about Lorin, the food, and the free time. I want to read the Bible more - just read it once a day in the evening.
Oleksandr, camper: I really liked my counselor, Vanya. He spent a lot of time talking with me and helping me think about different things. I realized that I often didn't listen to my parents and argued with them. Around the campfire, I decided that I want to listen to my parents more and be obedient to them.
Liza, camper: During camp, we talked a lot about temptation and about bringing sin into the light instead of hiding it. There was a sin in my life that I had kept hidden for a long time. At camp, I finally found the courage to tell someone about it. For me, that was one of the most important decisions I made this summer.
Anton, camp counselor: This summer, a 13-year-old boy stayed in my cabin. He told me that a year ago he had given his life to Christ, been baptized, and was now attending church. It seemed to me that everything in his life was going well.
But one day I noticed him sitting alone in tears. As we talked, he shared that he had lost both his father and his brother, was being raised by his mom, and longed to be accepted. In order to fit in, he had joined a group where he started drinking, smoking, and using foul language - simply because that was the only way he felt he could be accepted.
At that moment, I realized that there can be a very different story behind what we see on the outside. I didn't try to lecture him. I simply sat down beside him and said, "I don't know what advice to give you, but I can be here with you."
Little by little, he began to open up. We spent a lot of time talking, and at the end of the week, during a moment when campers symbolically left behind what they wanted to surrender at the cross, he said, "I want to leave behind my bad friends and my bad habits."
That conversation reminded me of my own story. I once searched for acceptance too. This summer, God reminded me how important it is for every child to know that true acceptance is found in Christ - and that it's never worth compromising to find it anywhere else.
Veronica, camper: During camp, we talked a lot about the fear of other people's opinions. I thought that wasn't really my struggle. But God showed me something different.
I realized that my worldview had been shaped more by the values of this world than by Christ. That led me to rethink many things, and I want Christ to shape the way I see life more and more.
Through the Eyes of Counselors
Vlada, camp counselor: At the beginning of camp, one of the girls in my cabin didn't want to be there at all. She asked if she could call her parents and go home, and I worried that maybe I had already done something to upset her.
But little by little, she began to open up. By the end of the week, she decided to give her life to Christ.
I'll admit, I always wonder after moments like that: Was it real? Not long after camp, she sent a message to our group asking us to pray for her because she wanted to be baptized and had started preparing for it.
That reminded me how important it is to share the Gospel clearly. Even people who have been around church can be confused, but God uses the simple truth of the Gospel to change hearts.
Nazar, camp counselor: There was a boy on my team named Tolik. He was quiet, easy to overlook, and not the strongest physically.
During the biggest game of camp, Muffа-Puffа, I noticed him sitting on the sidelines. I walked over and asked why he wasn't playing. He looked at me and simply said, "I'm praying for my team."
It may have been just a game, but in that moment it mattered deeply to him. I was moved that the best way he could think of to support the people he cared about wasn't by being on the field - it was through prayer.
Vika, assistant counselor: During our teen camp, I served as an assistant counselor. One of the girls in my cabin and I spent a lot of time talking about life, faith, and what was going on in her heart. She had started attending church only a year earlier, after losing her father in the war. She carried a lot of pain, and not everyone around her was leading her in the right direction.
One evening, during the campfire, we talked about the decision to follow Christ. After the invitation, she quietly came over and gave me a long hug. That surprised me because she wasn't the kind of person who showed affection easily.
The next day we talked again, and our conversation became very personal. Out of her own choice, she told me that she smoked. I hadn't asked her about it - she simply wanted to be honest.
In the Quiet Time Journal, the last page was reserved for each camper to write down personal decisions between themselves and God. She opened that page and simply wanted me to see that it wasn't blank. She didn't let me read what she had written, and to this day I still don't know what she entrusted to God. But I didn't need to know. Seeing that she wasn't leaving camp without making decisions before God was enough.
Sometimes I wonder if the conversations I have with campers make any difference. But this summer, God reminded me that even the simplest conversations about the gospel can become part of someone's story. Not every decision is spoken out loud, but that doesn't mean it wasn't made.
Angelina, camp counselor: One of the principles we emphasize at camp is taking your next step with Jesus.
One teenage girl especially stood out to me. She was hurt by her pastors and was even thinking about leaving her church. We talked about it a lot, and I finally said, "One of the challenges we give at camp is to make a decision. Maybe this is a good opportunity to think about what your next step should be in this situation."
At the end of camp, she told me, "I've decided to forgive my pastors. First, I'm going to talk to them, and then, if necessary, I'll decide what to do next." I think that was a very important and remarkably mature step for her.
Vika, counselor: Before the final campfire, when we invite campers to take their next step with Christ, I always look back through my notes and pray for each teenager by name.
These are still very young teenagers, and I pray that this evening will become the moment they make decisions that could change the course of their lives.
I prayed that Emily would build a personal relationship with God instead of relying on her ministry. That Faith would stop doubting her salvation. That Lily would believe God could truly accept her and find the courage to repent. That Anna would no longer be controlled by the fear of what others think and would live out her faith boldly. That Dasha, who is sincerely seeking God, would make the personal decision to follow Christ. And for Angelina and Marina, who have already been walking with God for some time, I prayed that they would continue to grow in their relationship with Him.
Those were my prayers before the campfire.
God Changes Those Who Serve
Pavlo, volonteer: At camp, I was in charge of the dishwashing team. Over those weeks, I realized something: people need someone to lead them. I remembered arguments with friends who'd often ask, "Why does God forbid everything, why do you have to keep certain things?" And there, doing my job, I kept thinking: if nowhere does anyone lead or delegate, it's just chaos, everyone doing whatever they want. I'm carrying that over to my life with God — how great it is to know He's leading me, because without Him it'd be a mess.
Dasha, counselor: Before camp, I prayed that people would see Jesus, not me. But that prayer was tested almost immediately. I was given several highly visible responsibilities - registration, program leadership, and serving as a counselor. It was through those roles that God began revealing my heart. Every day, I had to ask myself one honest question: Who do I want people to see today - Christ or me?
I can't say I always chose well. In fact, I discovered how deeply I wanted recognition and how much I wanted people to notice me.
I saw this most clearly near the end of camp, when it was time to hand over some of my responsibilities. I created a detailed checklist to help the next person continue my work. But after I finished it, I caught myself thinking, "I don't want to send it. I want them to realize how hard it will be without me."
In that moment, God exposed my heart again. If I truly wanted to be a servant, then my goal should be to make the transition as smooth as possible - not for my own recognition, but for His glory.
This summer, I saw far more of my own flaws than I wanted to. I wanted to live through these camps not in my own way, but God's way. I don't know how well I succeeded, but I genuinely tried.
I'm grateful that God loves me, accepts me as I am, and continues to work in my heart despite all my imperfections.
Olya, first-year Bible Institute student: This summer I had the opportunity to serve in several different areas of camp - on the service team, at the camp store, and as an assistant counselor. But the greatest lesson I learned had nothing to do with serving.
During camp, I broke my arm. Suddenly, I couldn't do the things I was used to doing - helping others, serving, and being useful. I felt like I wasn't contributing anything anymore.
But that was exactly when God began teaching me something very important. He showed me that my value doesn't depend on how much I do. I am just as valuable to Him when I serve others as I am when I allow others to serve me.
Lyuba, first-year Bible Institute student: I think the people who suffered the most from me this summer were our program team. Throughout the camp season, I had plenty of complaints - about the judging, the organization, and even how the winners were chosen. I thought I was simply standing up for what was right.
But during the youth camp, God placed a group of girls in my cabin who reminded me so much of myself. They were emotional, passionate about fairness, and quick to react.
That was when I realized I had a choice: I could either get caught up in those emotions with them or help lead them through them.
As I was speaking truth to the girls, God was speaking to me.
He showed me that it's not only about pursuing justice, but also how you do it. When our emotions take over, people often stop hearing the truth we're trying to share.
This summer, God taught me not to fuel the fire, but to bring peace.
Kate, second-year Bible Institute student: Before camp began, I was terrified of becoming a counselor. I felt like I had nothing to offer and that I wouldn't be able to share the gospel in a way that would truly reach someone's heart. I even tried to avoid the responsibility. But God kept working on my heart. Little by little, I realized I wasn't running away from camp - I was running away from His calling.
One day, a girl came up to me and asked if we could talk. At first, I couldn't understand why she had chosen me. But it quickly became clear that our stories were surprisingly similar. She shared about the pain and struggles she had been carrying, and I understood her in a way that only someone with a similar story could.
That's when I realized that God can use even the hardest chapters of our lives. We read Scripture together, talked about replacing lies with God's truth, and made small cards with Bible verses she could turn to whenever life felt overwhelming. After camp, we stayed in touch. Later, she told me that during one particularly difficult moment, as she was struggling with her thoughts, she took out one of those cards. God's Word helped her through that moment.
And I realized that while I was afraid God couldn't use me, He was already preparing a meeting where my own brokenness could become a source of hope for someone else.
Tory, first-year Bible Institute student: Before camp, the thing that scared me most was talking with teenagers. I felt like I wasn't spiritually mature enough and wouldn't have anything truly meaningful to say. I was afraid I had nothing to offer - and, as it turned out, there was some truth to that fear. It really was hard for me.
At one point, I went to one of the camp leaders. Honestly, I expected her to comfort me and tell me everything would be okay. Instead, she had a very honest conversation with me about my heart.
She helped me see that I was constantly trying to earn my worth through what I did. And I realized that I viewed other people the same way - I measured their worth by how useful, successful, or "good" they seemed to be.
For the first time, I truly understood that God loves and accepts me not because of my achievements. My identity and worth are found in Christ. And if that's true about me, then it's true about every person He brings into my life.
Vanya, Bible Institute student: This summer, I saw God guiding my conversations. And as I shared the gospel with others, I found myself growing spiritually too, because I wanted more and more to live out the very message I was sharing.
One of the biggest lessons God taught me this summer was to trust Him completely.
I realized that giving Him my whole life isn't asking too much of me. It's the very least I can offer in response to His love. And I don't want to do that out of obligation—I want to do it with joy.
Trusting God isn't always easy. There are always my own plans, fears, doubts, and ambitions that I want to hold on to. But this summer, I took another step in my walk with Christ by learning to surrender those things and trust Him more each day.
Epilogue
Olya Korobkin, missionary: I met a woman on the camp grounds who had come to drop off her daughter. Smiling, she said, "Twenty-five years ago, I was a camper here too."
Later we sat down and talked about her time at camp. I asked if she remembered the games, the evening programs, and all the moments that had seemed so important back then.
She smiled and said, "No. I don't remember any of that. The only thing I remember is that I gave my life to Christ here."
That day happened to be exactly twenty-five years since she made that decision.
