Prayer focus

THANK YOU, GOD

• For the gift of life and for the people who stand with our country, Ukraine, in prayer, for the continued work of CCI/Ukraine despite difficult conditions, and for God’s care for every camp leader and camper. As a team, we are grateful for the support that surrounds our ministry, for encouragement that strengthens us and our families, and for the reminder that camp ministry continues to be in demand even in hard seasons.
• For CCI/Armenia, the purchase of Christmas gifts for 100 children and 15 Sunday school teachers, and for finalizing the Christmas program in local churches in Armenia.
• For the prayer gathering in Country X, where 18 churches participated, including a government representative. On the whole, this speaks to an improving climate for Christianity in the country.
• For the opportunity that Camp Golden City in Ukraine has to hold Saturday meetings in the local church for 30 teenagers. This creates a space for them to grow in faith, build friendships, and be part of a supportive community.

ACTIVITIES

• The CCI/Ukraine team is working on the program for our nationwide spring conference in Ukraine in May, shaping the sessions and goals for camp leaders from across the country. We are also preparing a list of training topics that camps can request, and our goal is to equip more churches for summer ministry.
• CCI/Georgia is preparing a Christmas program and gifts for 100 children across three cities in Georgia.
• CCI/Armenia is helping to plan a Christmas program with five Bible teachers from a local church. They serve 30 children in their Sunday school, 15 children in a nearby village, and 35 children in two nearby cities.
• CCI/Country X is meeting with leaders from five emerging church camps that are not yet established but would like to host a Christmas celebration for their children and learn from our experience. CCI/Country X volunteers are also finalizing a Christmas day camp program that will be used by nine camps in the coming weeks.
• Camp Golden City is holding Christmas events at its local church on December 15, 16, 17, 18, and 26. About 300 children and youth are expected. The events include skits, Bible messages, worship, and gifts.

INTERCESSION

• Please, pray for Ukraine, for people who are weary from the war, and for God’s empowerment as electricity and gas shortages continue. Please, pray for every camp preparing for ministry, that their programs will be effective and safe. Please, pray for each camp director and camp leader as they serve, and for every camper as they grow in faith in Christian camps this Christmas season.
• Please intercede for all the Christmas events planned in Armenia and Georgia and Country X — that everything will take place peacefully and safely, and that the children will experience joy, love, and a deeper understanding of God’s gift of Jesus Christ during this special season.
• With the sharp increase in Russian missile and drone attacks on Kyiv and many homes destroyed, please pray, as God reminds you, for God’s protection over our Kyiv staff Oksana and Pavlo, their families and homes, and the CCI/Ukraine office located in a residential area.
• Thank God for protecting Oleg, Andriy, and Maxim—the husbands of our staff Oksana, Dasha, and Jenya—this past week as they serve near the war’s front line. Pray for their continued health and safety. 

FROM THE MISSION FIELD

Kateryna, 15. A Counselor’s Perspective

Before coming to camp, Kateryna, 15, was rebuilding her life almost from nothing. As an internally displaced person, she had lost her home, familiar surroundings, and a sense of stability. Fear, uncertainty, and loneliness surrounded her, yet she did not lose her desire to move forward. After her family was displaced, a local church in the community where she resettled reached out to them. Through this church, Kateryna found support and first heard about the camp, which she decided to attend.

Kateryna arrived at camp carrying these burdens, and camp became a turning point. In a safe and caring environment, she opened her heart, asked honest questions, and began to search sincerely for God. During group games, creative workshops, and short stage presentations, she discovered a gift for acting. Camp gave her space to practise this gift in front of others, express deep emotions, and gain confidence. She began to see herself not only through loss, but as a young person with gifts and purpose.

Today, this change continues to unfold in her church and personal life. Kateryna remains open, active, and sincere in her walk of faith. She continues to ask questions, seeks a personal relationship with God, and looks for ways to develop her creative abilities. Her life, once disrupted, is being rebuilt step by step, supported by faith, community, and growing hope.