Prayer focus

THANK YOU, GOD

• For the successful completion of CCI/Ukraine’s October “Island of Hope” online series on trauma-informed counselling in Christian camps. We are grateful that eight webinars brought together participants from 53 camps, with more people continuing to learn through the recordings.
• For the opportunity for CCI/Georgia Director Valeri to attend a pastors’ conference in Moldova this past weekend, together with a group of Georgian pastors. The conference brought together 250 pastors from Moldova, Ukraine, Central Asia, and Transcaucasia.
• For a fruitful prayer gathering in Country X, bringing together 53 pastors and leaders from 14 churches, united in their vision to reach children and youth with the Gospel.
• For Camp Neon in Ukraine, which held four summer camp sessions, including a tent camp and three-day camps, reaching 150 campers.  

ACTIVITIES 

• This week, Oksana, CCI/Ukraine’s Director of Training Programs, is travelling to Bethel University in Arden Hills, Minnesota, USA, by invitation to deliver a lecture on the effects of war on Ukrainian society, families, children, and leadership as part of the students’ trauma training and coursework. CCI/Ukraine’s seminar on supporting children affected by war, originally planned for October 31, has been rescheduled for November 19.
• CCI/Armenia is holding its November 7 gathering for 50 camp leaders to reflect on the summer season, share experiences, and develop new ministry ideas.
• CCI/Country X is holding a Steering Committee meeting with 15 invited leaders from six churches to discuss the upcoming winter camp season.
• Camp Neon continues its teen club meetings and is preparing for the upcoming winter and summer camp seasons.   

INTERCESSION

• Please, pray for Oksana’s safe travels, wisdom as she teaches, and meaningful connections with students, friends, and new contacts. Please, also pray for her family, who will remain at home while she travels.
• Please pray for strength, health, and wisdom for CCI/Country X leaders as they reach out to churches, offer training in camp ministry, and encourage camper follow-up programs that help children and youth grow in faith.
• Please intercede for God’s financial provision and the equipment Camp Neon needs to bring its ministry plans to life and continue reaching young people through Christian camps.
• Thank God for protecting Oleg, Andriy, and Maxim, the husbands of our CCI/Ukraine staff Oksana, Dasha, and Jenya, as well as Oksana’s older son, Ilya, this past week as they serve in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Pray for their continued health and safety. Pray for Andriy’s recovery and for the restoration of his leg function after he was wounded at the front line in January.
• With the sharp increase in Russian missile and drone attacks on Kyiv and the surrounding area and Kryvyi Rih, with many civilian infrastructure sites and homes destroyed, please pray for God’s protection over our staff Pavlo, Oksana, and Dasha, their families and homes, and the CCI/Ukraine office in a residential area of Kyiv. 

FROM THE MISSION FIELD  

Guga, a 17-year-old boy from Georgia: Experiencing God

My name is Guga, and I'm 17. I've been attending a small church for a long time, but I hadn't given much thought to how my faith connected with everyday life. I listened to sermons and heard people talk about the Bible, but I wasn't sure how to put God's Word into practice or understand it better. When I heard about the Christian camp, I decided to go, hoping to grow in my faith and experience something new.

At camp, we talked about the Bible, reading God's Word, and building a closer relationship with Him. But this time, something was different. During the evening gatherings, I saw so many people my age worshipping God, singing, and praying from their hearts. This was important to me. Their prayers felt genuine, not simply something they did because adults expected it of them. As I joined them, I experienced God's presence in a way I never had before. For the first time, I felt I was catching a glimpse of what a personal relationship with God could be like.

I realized that reading the Bible shouldn't be something I do simply because I'm a Christian or someone tells me to. Now I want to read it, understand who God is, ask questions, and learn to follow Him in everyday life. I still have a lot to learn, but I'm going home with a different attitude and a genuine desire to know the God whose presence I experienced at camp.