July 2001

Greetings to all!

We recently returned from a Bible camp outside of Oryol, Russia, near the border of Ukraine. An American group came over to join their partner church in this project. From the beginning this trip was full of uncertainties and much prayer was behind it. Repeatedly obstacles presented themselves, but the path kept clearing. It took a lot of faith to get this group to Russia, but once they got here they began experiencing this country fully.

The group arrived on Friday. On Saturday, Al and one of the adults set off with luggage by car, our nine year old Zhiguli wagon. The rest of us caught a train. Unfortunately, our seats were by the emergency exit, where the window would not open, so it was a very warm six-and-a-half-hour ride. The group kept its spirits up and didn’t let much bother them. This is what it is like in Russia.

On Sunday evening we went out to help set up the camp. Fortunately, Al and I, in the Zhiguli with three teenagers, were following a four-wheel-drive Niva. On the road to the camp we got stuck twice in horrible mud holes. The Niva had to tow us out. At one point, we were stuck, listing badly and all but two of us had to get out and put our weight on the top side to keep the car from tipping as they pulled. A neighborhood of boys and a babushka watched the spectacle and gave us advice. We arrived safely, but when we returned to the city, we took another route.

On Monday, we set out for the camp with 49 children, our group of 9 (including our own children), and the camp staff. It was quite a procession. The American group had brought over new tents for the camp. The children were thrilled to see them. As soon as we were unloaded, the staff began getting everyone organized. The Americans quickly began helping out and getting to know both staff and children. One member of the group had brought along equipment to do a rope bridge and an orienteering course, and one of the teenagers brought craft ideas. Two of us helped her to implement them. The other two teenagers were very involved in the sports activities of the camp. We all played board games with the kids.

As we spent the ten days with these children, the U.S. group became aware of what the Russian children’s lives are like outside of camp. Many of the children are undersized and very thin. The church spent the ten days filling them up with as much food as they could hold. Several of the children were quite starved for attention. The camp leaders shared some of the details of the children’s lives. It was important for the Americans to hear and see. It was part of their walk with their fellow Christians.

As the week progressed, a couple of incidents occurred to open their eyes yet further. The most profound began when two teenaged girls came into the camp at about 10:30 p.m. asking for medical supplies. They found what was needed (smelling salts) and left. A short while later, they returned and it was clear that there was an emergency down by the lake. The leader of the American team, JoAnn, is a nurse, so she was awakened and with Al and other members of the Russian group went to the other site. At the other camp site was a group of teenagers in drunken mayhem. A small boy was passed out on the ground. We still don’t know exactly how old he was, somewhere between 10-13, but he was the size of an 8-year-old. The others had given him vodka, whiskey, and beer, and then he had gone swimming and nearly
drowned. JoAnn determined that he had a heart beat and was breathing, but it was shallow. The drunken teenagers wanted to just let him sleep it off. She suggested strongly that they needed to get him to the hospital. None of them could make a decision. Finally, Al drove him to Oryol to the hospital, taking the boy’s 14-year-old brother, JoAnn, and the camp director. The hospital was primitive, an eye-opener for JoAnn, but the staff responded immediately with a great deal of care. The doctors worked hard to revive him. When they had brought the child around, they thanked the group for bringing him in and explained that he would surely have died in a short time if they hadn’t done so.
JoAnn was quiet and thoughtful the next day as she sorted out what she had seen and experienced. She has seen a side of Russia that is all too prevalent, but that few Americans can witness. It is why the church works so tirelessly to reach the children of their community. She understood more deeply the needs of the Russian community, the value of the partnership, and why she was in Russia for this trip. She has an important job, as she returns home, to share what she saw, felt, and learned.

The pastor and other members of the congregations pulled Al and me aside repeatedly to tell us how much they valued the partnership that continues to grow between the two congregations. People in Russia no longer respond to Americans as they did in the early 1990s. By sending representatives every year, the American church is developing continuity and a lasting relationship that moves them deeply.

It was an extraordinary two weeks and we feel that it was an affirmation of this program. We look forward to seeing it grow. We would ask for your prayers as we look for new American partners. Our daughter Allison will soon return to the U.S. We would ask for your prayers for her as well, and for our family as it is separated again.

Yours in Christ,

Alan and Ellen Smith