Guest Post from Team Imagine

Today’s blog post comes from Sue Ann Mills, the co-leader for Team Imagine. Thank you, Sue Ann for sharing with all of us! -Darryl-

========================================================

Last fall my co-team leader, Terry Kile and I were able to go to a meeting with the Ukrainian Camp Directors who host the EEM teams.  We were able to hear the directors share what the teams brought to their camp, not in terms of numbers or even the materials were given away, but the actual life changing concepts and techniques that were used. It boiled down to the most basic concept that we Love God, that we love others and that we have a Light: a light that shines in all aspects of what we do, no matter which camp, no matter which team. It was amazing to hear the powerful messages a team can teach through the simplest of acts. We were humbled as team leaders and it made us pause and think.  What more could we do?  We were able to have deep conversations with our own camp director Andrei and his deputy, Saniych.  In those conversations we asked if we could do anything more, they were open to suggestions.  We offered to teach a Bible class for the staff, like we do for the children. With tears in their eyes they asked, “You would do that for us?” [Sigh] How could we not? At that time we thought we had many returning American team members.  We have always trusted that God would provide us with the team we needed. But in our haste Terry and I were planning away the year, sometimes forgetting that we truly believe that “God-touched” concept. As it turned out the team would be much smaller, and a little worry washed over the leaders –even I was not sure I would be able to attend this year.  But God, like He did with Gideon, reminded us that He makes the team for what He has in mind.  So humbling us, He sent a much smaller team to Ukraine, and the Lord smiled on us all. The human mind could see the “great things” that a large team could accomplish; we would have a set of teachers for just the adult class, plus all the other teaching teams would be in place.  But that would have been too much for this year.  This year was different, different within our team and different within the camp, different within God’s plan.  It wasn’t about what the human mind could accomplish. He is the one who will do more than we ask or imagine, and He did. Team Imagine has an established relationship with Camp Dzerzhinets: relationships with the counselors and the children.  More than that, we have something we bring to the camp that helps them within their program.  We bring the love of God.  And they love that presence. We see them emulating it, we hear the changed answers in the children’s classes and we see a growing acceptance of the teachings we bring. Because of the trust we have within the camp we were able to have the adult class. They are the watch guard, a little harder to befriend and ever watchful, but we have been there for three years, and they have watched us closely. The camp staff have a very difficult schedule.  They rise early, beginning their jobs before five a.m. and they stay busy throughout the day.  We were thrilled to hear that they wanted a class at 6:00 p.m. for the cleaning staff and the maintenance people. Twelve to eighteen adults gathered for a class that fit in-between their duties.  What can you teach in thirty minutes? Sometimes more than you could ask or imagine. We were able to praise their presence in camp, for you can see the love and patience they have for these children. We were able to talk about a growth that never stops –

about an empty spot within our lives that needs to be filled –

about a help for sorrow that lies deep within us –

and about a love that knows no bounds. We answered questions about our church and our faith in action.  We saw emotions rise from quiet, hard faces.  We saw God touching them with the words of His stories. When we finished our last class we were told – not asked, but told – that we would have class at 6:00 p.m. every day of camp next year; that we were loved and needed in this camp and we were expected to return to them, all of them. We said our goodbyes… but this year they truly felt like “see-you-laters” and not farewell. We see amazing things happening in Ukraine.  We see an acceptance and desire for a loving, approachable God.  We see a hunger to fill the empty spot that cannot be filled by things or man.  We see God.  It is that simple.  We see His hand holding Ukraine in front of the world and we feel Him say “Watch this”… And we are humbled.
    –Sue Ann Mills, Team Imagine