Arise&Shine | 2018 July 22-29
«Arise and Shine» was the theme of the retreat for 28 families who have children with disabilities. It took place July 22-29 at the Retreat Center in the village of Zaozerne. Pleasant surprises awaited the families upon their arrival. The team of volunteers welcomed the children with smiles, music, delicious lemonade and gingerbread cookies.
During the retreat, God blessed us with sunny weather, which allowed people to relax at the lake, swim, go out in the boats, play exciting games and simply enjoy nice fellowship. During the Bible lessons, parents were able to study God’s Word in separate groups from their children and to discuss relevant topics together.
As always, the beauty salon took place this year. There were also cooking lessons and interesting crafts for the children. Exciting exercises, morning worship and singing, Bible lessons and camp games in which everyone participated were an integral part of each day.
Each child with a disability had a volunteer for the week who sought to be his or her «hands and feet» and to help as much as possible in any and every way. Parents had the opportunity to relax from their daily routine and renew their strength, hear words of encouragement and witness sincere love and care for them and for their children. The icing on the cake was a talent show and an Indian party.
The adults enjoyed a special evening together during which they listened to magical music, ate delicious food and fellowshipped. Meanwhile, their children had a separate program with the kid’s band, «Notes.» The performance of these children touched the hearts of many children. Andriy Lytvyn, in particular, said that these songs were comforting.
Every day of the camp was rich and unique in its own way. At the end of the retreat each child received a gift and a group photo.
Special thanks to the Joni and Friends Mission and the team from Cleveland for taking part in the retreat, as well as all whose financial participation helped this remarkable retreat take place. Many new families felt God's love and had the opportunity to view their experiences, difficulties and lives differently, as given by God.
Feedback from Olena whose son, David, has spina bifida:
«We are very pleased with this retreat. Everything was so great that we feel as if we visited paradise. We had both spiritual and physical rest. My son wanted there to be 40 hours in every day of the retreat. I thank God that there are such people who pour their hearts into children unfamiliar to them, some of whom have severe disabilities, and they do it with unselfish devotion. Thank you for everything. Be blessed.»
Feedback from Zoriana whose son, Paul, has autism:
«We really liked it. We were spiritually enriched and our son improved his communication. Many thanks to the organizers and volunteers. Due to them we were able to rest and forget the everyday troubles related to our child’s care.
