The Hand in Hand team, together with local churches, organized two children's summer camps in Kazakhstan in the summer of 2024.
The camps welcomed children from all kinds of families, giving everyone a chance to play, sing, and hear about God’s word in two cities—Karaganda and Almaty.
In each city, we stayed for 3 to 5 days, dedicating all those days to the kids.
Hand in Hand has been operating for 20 years, but this was the first time we held children’s camps in Kazakhstan. We believe this experience helps local churches to grow and develop, supporting others in need.
Leyla joined the camp for the first time.
- Which camps did you go to, and how many children were there?
- I went to two camps. In the first one, there were about 80 kids, and in the second, around 40.
- What did you remember and notice in the camps?
- The first thing I noticed was how fast the kids learned the songs they didn’t know at the start of the camp. Another story happened in Almaty; there was a group of five boys at that age when they think they're the "coolest" and don’t need or care about anything. We were making crafts and weaving bracelets. I was sure they wouldn’t be interested. But it turned out the opposite—they seemed more interested than anyone else.
- And what was difficult for you?
- The hardest thing for me was being confident in what I was doing, but with time, as you go through it, it gets easier.
Our volunteer Fillip shared this story:
This past summer, I had an incredible opportunity to participate in my first missions trip to Kazakhstan. After flying into Almaty, we spent one day preparing for the camp, and the following day it began. The camp took place over three days in the yard of a small, dedicated church, where the number of kids grew from about forty-five on the first day to around eighty on the last. My assignment was to lead crafts with the children, which included making friendship bracelets and tie dye.
Watching the children bond with their counselors was my favorite part of the camp. I hoped these connections would grow into lasting friendships, and could be used by God to bring them closer to Him. The most challenging aspect was engaging a group of boys who initially resisted participation. However, with God’s help, we found a way to connect with them by the last day, sparking their interest. It would have been nice to extend the camp, but previously, local residents expressed concerns when it ran longer than three days.
After Almaty, we flew to Karaganda for a second camp in the small village of Rastovka. This camp was smaller but just as impactful. We started with only ten children, but by the end of the week, that number had increased to about thirty. This smaller setting allowed for more personal interaction, and my role remained focused on crafts.
I was particularly inspired by the missionary family living in the village; their dedication and eagerness to serve the Lord left a lasting impression on me.
There are many ways you can help. Please pray for the missionaries overseas who continue their work while we’re back home. We also need volunteers for another short missions trip to Kazakhstan this winter. Additionally, consider donating and joining us for our Russian Dinners to support our cause.
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