Kids Camp

Last week from June 10-12 we helped out New Hope Center with a kids camp for the remaining kids at orphanage #3. Every year the orphans go to summer camps at the sea but there's always a few week window where they are just hanging around the orphanage doing nothing. We did a camp at the orphanage last year but this year decided to take the kids out to do some fun activities. There are only 10-12 kids that were remaining there who are actual orphans - they are transitioning the orphanage into a boarding school - so we took these kids and had some fun. I've been waiting since then for these pictures from a friend so finally here they are! 

Day one started at New Hope Church for some games and then we went to Pobyeda (Victory) Park for some soccer competitions, card game playing, frisbee and then beach. Afterwards we went back to the church for a Bible lesson, lunch and more games. 

Day two they headed to Khortitza Island for games, rock-climbing, swimming and shashlik.

Day three was spent at the beach playing soccer and doing water games.

This week we did a baseball camp which unfortunately was a bust. It was scheduled for three days and one of those days was pouring rain and the last day about 15 people showed up. We found that last summer everyone was really interested and excited to come out for activities and sports and this year there is next to zero interest. It's like everyone wants to just sit around and do nothing although when we present ideas to people everyone is always super excited and can't wait - but then the day of, no one shows up!!! It's frustrating and it's also presenting an interesting challenge to come up with interesting and exciting events to invite people to. Hopefully we can make a breakthrough soon. Steve has been meeting a lot of new people recently - out playing basketball in the park etc. and for the next two weeks he'll be helping out at an English camp so hopefully some new relationships can build out of that.