Making Spiritual Impact

Those involved in any endeavor, any service, any outreach will eventually look in the mirror and ask themselves, “Did we make a difference?” This is especially true in our work with the Youth Camps in Ukraine. Since these are secular camps we cannot use measurements that might be used in Bible or Christian camps. There may be no way to quantify the results, but deep down we still want to find some means to measure the efficacy our work. Do we measure our work by the number of Bibles and Biblical materials we distribute each year (around 10,000)? Maybe we measure by the number of children we teach (sometimes up to and even over 2,000). How about the on-going relationships our team members maintain through social media such as Facebook and Kontakte? These are certainly some ways to quantify. Perhaps one of the best indicators of our teams’ work in Ukraine is the witness of the Camp Directors, themselves. I vividly remember our meeting with the Camp Directors last Fall. Each year we meet to evaluate the teams, the curriculum, and then to negotiate and sign the protocol of agreement. During one of our sessions, veteran Director, Lyudmilla Serduk of Camp Mayak told all of the gathered Directors: If EEM keeps sending teams, we’re going to have to rename our camps from “Children’s Health Resorts” to “Children’s Spiritual Health Resorts!” She was smiling when she said this and all of the Camp Directors chuckled and nodded in agreement. In reflection, I can’t help but think that this was one of the best measurements of the work our team members have done in Ukraine. The Camp Directors love our teams and they believe in what we are doing. What better way to gauge the difference being made? In less than two weeks our first team Love Wins from Colorado will be traveling to Svyatogorsk. They will be followed by Team Aape (July 9), Team Imagine (July 10), Team Mayak (July 12), and Team Inspire (July 18). Please keep these wonderful servants in your prayers! Blessings, and remember: Love Wins!