It has begun…

As of this week our teams have begun their journeys to Ukraine, staring with Team Roza from Glenwood Church of Christ in Tyler, TX. We ask you for your continued prayers for safe journey and for effective ministry.

This is always the most exciting time for a team. They have been working non-stop since team formation, February 1 (some began even sooner than that—almost as soon as they returned from last year’s trip in mid summer).

We are very pleased with the great group of team members and interpreters who will be working in the camps this year. We also look forward to working with a camp new to us in Lviv—Camp Druzhba (Friendship).

As always, the success of any endeavor is never dependent upon just one person. I’d like to thank all of our American team leaders: Geoff & Sherry Casella (Team Agape—Bammel Church and Memorial Church in Houston), Terry Kile & Sue Ann Mills (Team Imagine—Southside Church in Fort Worth, South Fork Church in Winston-Salem and too many other churches to name!), Glenda Moore & Tami Carroll (Team Mayak—Southwest Church in Amarillo), Jim & Sally McConnell (Team Mudbugs—White’s Ferry Road Church in West Monroe), Marjorie Hollingsworth, Jerry & Elizabeth Frazier (Team Roza—Glenwood Church), and Ray & Julie Castellano (Team Spirit—Burleson Church, Burleson, TX). Their leadership has been exemplary. 

We cannot leave out our Ukrainian team leaders when we speak of teamwork and honor to whom honor is due! Our Ukrainian team leaders are Alina Shin (Agape & Spirit), Valentina Shvydkaya (Imagine), Stas Kuropyatnikov (Mudbugs), Dmitry Pashchenko (Mayak), and Andrei Zolotuhkin (Roza).

Not named are all of our American and Ukrainian team members! We just don’t have the space to list every name. But every one of them is precious and an important part of this beautiful effort. We are all co-workers, friends, and family!

Finally, I must recognize two very important team players. Inna Kuzmenko has been working with camp programs for years beginning with World Wide Youth Camps and since 2009 has been my faithful and very professional assistant. She began her work for EEM under Denise Baggett a few years before. Inna is our Ukrainian Camp Coordinator who serves a liaison between camp directors, the Association of Workers of Children’s Health Resort Establishments (LITO), and our interpreters. She also organizes in country travel arrangements for the teams (among many other duties).

Finally there is my friend, Alexander Pishcheyko who is the President of the Association of Workers of Children’s Health Resort Establishments (or LITO). This was the organization that in the beginning invited us to come into the camps of Ukraine. He has introduced us to camp directors across the nation, has advocated for us, and has located camps for us to partner with for the last several years. It is because of Alexander’s advocacy, EEM has had the opportunity to enter into several camps throughout the years. Each summer we travel together to view the various camps and how our teams interact with the various camp staff and children.

Without these wonderful friends and team players (and those who have participated in the past) there would never have been a Youth Camp Program.

I honor all of these amazing people and praise God that I am able to participate with them each year. As I have constantly said: I am one of the most fortunate people alive—I get to work with the best people on both sides of the globe!