Renovate A Children’s Summer Camp And Kick-start Summer Bible Camp Education in Russia
(Yes, after 80 years of communism’s atheist terror, Russians want to know about
the Bible, Russian parents and the kids themselves are understandably curious.)
 

This is not an idle dream. It is a God-driven vision—command—for us in Indiana, United States and the world. Look what God has already done to prepare the way. When I was at the campground last May with the first UMVIM work team to begin repairs; I saw the enormous mountain of work ahead. I learned that a Russian contractor had estimated repairs could be completed with $2,000,000.00. I learned the Russian United Methodist Church did not have any money to start. It came to me that if we could parcel out the work and the materials to one thousand churches we could easily complete the major work needed. Initially I discussed this idea with RUMC District Superintendent Igor Volovodov. This would not be limited to the United States, but it is for the whole world.
He liked the idea so much that he gave me a thick folder of drawings of the camp and its buildings. I have since discussed, at the GBGM Russian Initiative Conference in Houston in Nov 2004 with several other Russian district superintendents I know on a personal basis, with Andre Kim, the Rector of the RUMC Theological Seminary, the Eberles, GBGM missionaries to Russia, with GBGM’s Director of Church Development Sam Dixon, Vladimir Shaparenko, and Jim Athearn, consultant for the Russian Initiative. They all agree that such a plan is the only fast way and only inexpensive way to make the campground useful in one or two years.
I am the blessed with unique gifts to coordinate this project with the Russians. I am fluent in Russian, an accredited interpreter and translator, and an emeritus professor of Russian with thirty-six years of college teaching. I have been to Russia more than thirty times, half of them leading study groups. God has been preparing me for a lifetime for this assignment.
I am requesting your help because you are a leader and can better than me promote this vision for Indiana, United States, Russia, and the world. We need you to find people to play major roles in each of the four stages listed below.


The historical background for this request.
• Until the breakup of the Soviet Union, the government under the leadership of the Communist Party maintained an extensive network of excellent summer camps for children and young adults. These were run by the Pioneers and Young Communist Organization, which replaced the scouting organization after the revolution. Virtually every child could attend at least one 21day camp sessions every summer. Camping was celebrated. At the start of every session the buses for the children were decorated with flags and banners and waited at the town center for the children. When they had boarded the motorcade of motorcycle and police escort triumphantly led buses out of town. Frequent summer camp experiences were a natural part of growing up in the Soviet Union.

• Now the camp network has collapsed. The government can no longer afford to support it. Most parents work in the summer and do not like to see their children run the streets without supervision. Many parents, would, therefore, be willing to pay for a camping experience even if it taught the Bible.

• Because of cultural misunderstandings, Russian Methodists, Baptists, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Pentecostal, Catholic, and non-denominational Christians feel lonely and isolated. They would like to rent or lease the old camps and organize summer programs for youth, but they feel cut off from using the old communist-inspired campgrounds.

• God still works in mysterious ways. He made available a campground for us. In 2001, German school children collected $100,000 for the Russian United Methodist Church to buy run-down chemical workers’ campground in Voronezh Russia, 367 rail miles S.S.E. of Moscow. It has great potential, 12 acres in a lovely-forested area alongside of the quiet flowing river Usmyanka. The area is famous for the music of its huge nightingale population. The park-like setting comes with a 48 room, three-story hotel and 125 cabins and miscellaneous outbuildings. (Sauna, recreation and library building, heating plant, etc.)

• This facility is badly in need of repair, renovation, and remodeling to make it usable. The plumbing, sewage, fresh water and heating system need complete overhauling. The new owner does not have any money to repair or renovate this facility. The RUMC is not self-supporting yet and relies on contributions from abroad to help support its 100 congregations. This year contributions fell short of the goal, and Moscow was forced to cut its financial aid to individual church operations.

• This campground appears to be the largest wholly Protestant-owned campground in Russia. I have heard that there is a tiny camp owned by the Baptists, but our camp is the largest and has the greatest potential. If developed, it would be the first of its kind and a model for an exciting improvement in Christian education in Russia. With God’s blessing, your participation, prayers, and help can create an exciting option for Russian parents in the summer.

• It is against the law to teach religion to children under 18 years of age without a parent’s consent. Nevertheless, it has been proven that parents will readily give their consent to Bible study programs if combined with an active sports and recreation program. Most parents are curious about the Bible, which has been forbidden to them for so many years. At this stage, forbidden fruits are sweet. Atheist parents, not so sure anymore of their beliefs, are willing to let their children learn about the Bible. After all, they recognize it is the foundation of Western civilization. Working parents in the city want to keep their children off the city streets and involved with wholesome activities. Developing a strong Christian camp program is the only way to reach a large number of children and divert them from city street temptations.


We need your leadership on four crucial teams. Which one can you serve on?

1. The Fact-Finding Team. Go to the campsite in Russia and make an evaluation of the condition and the needs of the renovation. Because of the extreme urgency, we have pushed up the date for the visit to May 12 to May 28, 2005. We need volunteers to photograph everything, measure everything, and evaluate the present structural conditions. Discuss with local builders how to repair and renovate. Discuss with church leaders how they plan to use the facility and how we can improve and decorate it for their purposes. In this we be able to offer our experience with operating Christian summer camps.

2. The Marketing and Promotion Team. Develop a marketing plan to encourage local churches and communities to Adopt-a-cabin, using the data acquired by the first team. My idea is to involve as many congregations and organizations as possible. I want as many people as possible to understand the plight of their Christian brethren in Russia. This is a critical period in the re-emergence of Christianity in Russia. It is beginning to grow, but progress could be stopped if European materialism and anti-religious philosophies continue to spread.

The cost of renovating one cabin or one room in the hotel is small, well within the
financial reach of all churches or groups of churches. Indeed, individual families of even modest means might well afford adopting their own. It will be possible for any church or community to participate at any level it is comfortable with. For example, a church could send a work team to completely repair its building or it could collect money to pay Russian workers or any variation of this.

We would ask all participating churches to do one thing: prepare a scrapbook showing their church and community and to deposit at their cabin. We think that by dividing the work and the responsibilities into small packets, we can involve masses of people in this mission.

3. The Logistics Assistance Team. Help individual churches carry out their pledges. Once we have prospective parents for these orphan cabins, we must set about bringing them together. We assume that the vast majority of the adoptive parents will want to travel to Russia, visit their cabin, and put her in order with loving attention. But for those who just want to send money, we will have to arrange Russian foster parents to nurture the cabins.

4. The Education Opportunities ExchangeTeam. Once the Russians have the camps operational, they would like us to supply English language instructors, Bible teachers, and other camping leaders. These camps would also provide low-cost intercultural experience. The Russians can easily supply outstanding, at a low cost, educators in sports, chess, music, drama, mathematics, physics. The possibilities are enormous.

Please contact me with your questions and proposals.
We through Christ Jesus can supercharge Christian education in Russia.

Jesus is counting on you.