I would like to take a moment to share a story with you about one of the children who has attended our children’s camp for many years.  This story gives you a glimpse in to the bleak circumstances of these children’s lives year round.  When they come to camp, they are able to have a short respite from the realities of their hard lives and are able to be transformed back to carefree children and see the Love of Christ in action through the love of the people at camp.

Boris has been attending the Children’s camp that LifeWay Church has hosted for years now. Currently he is 13 years old. But he also comes from a very troubled home, raised by his grandmother because his dad is nowhere to be seen, and mom has so many substance abuse issues she is unable to raise him. Boris is also a handful physically and emotionally. He is a non-stop basket full of personal insecurities, and it comes out. There have been times when those who have worked with him have in frustration called him “bad Boris.” But Boris is really a good kid that needed a hero… a mentor… someone to look up to. Scott Jackson became that hero for Boris at camp. Last summer at the end of camp session, Boris asked Scott  from the LifeWay team if he could stay after the camp and help clean up for a few days. It was his way to find an excuse to hang out with his hero, Scott.  After these days were finished, we dropped him off at his apartment complex to rejoin his grandmother. The gang of drunks and drug abusers met him in the parking lot to greet his arrival back. They all knew him. He knew all of them. We quickly realized the incredible value that these few days of camp were to Boris. Yolochka camp was like a spiritual oasis in the middle of a year of darkness. A dark home, a dark neighborhood, dark relationships. At summer Camp there was life, light, mentors, and the love of Jesus Christ. That’s what camp is for Boris. This is why summer Camp is so important.

This is the reason that we are in Russia and that we put on our annual auction to raise funds to send kids just like Boris to camp.  For more information on this year’s auction go to http://www.facebook.com/?sk=ff#!/pages/Federal-Way-WA/Russia-Mission-Auction/110516972313436?ref=ts

In Christ’s Love,

Pastor Billy Arnold

To register to attend the auction go to www.russiamissionauction2010.com