Christian summer camp in Spain

The Catechetical-Pedagogical Institute and the Patriarchal Catechetical Commission for the Benediction of Bishop Dionisiy (Lyakhovych), in cooperation with Fr. Ivan Lypka (pastor for the UGCC Ukrainian community in the city of Madrid), organized and conducted the Christian summer camp “In the search of treasures” for Ukrainian children and teenagers living in Spain. The camp took place from August 3 to 13, 2009. The purpose of the camp was to help Ukrainian children of emigrants to understand the essence of the Divine Liturgy, to cherish community life, to deepen their Ukrainian identity and to gain a deeper appreciation for Ukrainian culture and the traditions of their native land. Thirty two participants of the camp under the supervision of experienced leaders from Ukraine (workers of the Catechetical-Pedagogical Institute and Sister Servants of the Immaculate Virgin Mary) and from Spain (Catechists of the UGCC Ukrainian community in the city of Madrid) searched for priceless treasures for 10 days, learned the value of Divine Liturgy, reflected on excerpts from the Holy Scripture, prayed, took part in the thematic meetings which were devoted to the subject of Divine Liturgy as well as problems faced by modern youth. An important part of daily activities at the camp was the Divine Liturgy. Campers were given the opportunity to take part in the Holy Sacrament of Confession. The spiritual life of campers was harmoniously balanced with active rest, which included: sporting games and tournaments, competitions, theme nights, excursions as well as arts and crafts. On the last day of camp, the children wrote their impressions from camp: “Thank God for these days, given to us, as a new community. I felt many emotions during my time spent here at camp.”  “Most of all, I loved the people who are bold, honest and good. The leaders were very understanding and it was possible to joke around with them. They taught us a lot.”  “I really liked working in groups, the competitions, the relay races, the games, where we found answers to questions together. Also swimming in the pool, hiking in mountains to look at the sunrise. And I also enjoyed singing the Liturgy. The meals were very delicious. Thank you to all the organizers.”  Organizers of the camp are truly grateful to parents who entrusted their children to them, to the children who took part in the camp and to all people who helped in any way.

Bohdan Tymchyshyn