From Camper To Program Leader

My name is Alexey, 
I was an ordinary boy. I had just finished my sixth year at public school and was making plans for the summer with my friends from the street. Suddenly my mother suggested that I should go to a Christian camp – one of her friends had a connection with the camp. I was sure that kind of camp was not for me, but my mother insisted on me going there. So, I agreed, after all it was only for ten days. 

When I came to the camp I was pleasantly surprised – no boring Bible studies and no restrictions I had expected to see there. On the contrary, there was a lot of fun, new sports, like baseball, American football, archery, exciting crafts classes. At that camp I learned that the Bible was not a boring book and at that same time I met God, whom I had considered non-existent and unreal. 

Those ten days at camp changed everything about my life. Instead of spending the rest of the summer with my street friends, I went to the local church and joined the Sunday school program. In the church there were people I had met at camp. I was enjoying my new friends – playing soccer and studying the Bible with them. 

When my mother saw the changes in my life, she believed in the reality of God and as a result we have been part of Christian church for 18 years. 

I continued to go to camp every summer, and when I grew up, I became a camp counselor and later on a program leader. I cannot imagine a single summer without our camp. At this camp 18 years ago I met God and my life was changed forever. What would have happened, had I not listened to my mother 18 years ago when she was sending me to camp? Camp definitely became a turning point in my life.