BUDAPEST, HUNGARY — While many of the staff with Christian charity Mercy Projects in Ukraine were forced to flee their homes, they decided to take their summer camp ministry to Hungary where many young people have been displaced.

Many young lives were impacted during these Vacation Bible Schools as GNA Reporter Peter Wooding found out when he joined the team there.

Young Ukrainian refugees who are displaced across Hungary were able to enjoy Bible summer camps recently thanks to a team from the Christian charity Mercy Projects many of whom were forced to flee their homes in Ukraine themselves.

The camps, which took place near Budapest included plenty of fun and games, master-classes on a range of subjects, BBQs and chapel time where they had the opportunity to hear a Gospel message and receive Ukrainian Bibles.

When the war first began Mercy Projects Camp Director Yana Glushko made the difficult decision to flee her home in Kyiv with her three children and leave her husband behind to come to Hungary. But she believes God will use these camps to demonstrate the love of Christ:

I made this decision to show God’s love through actions, even if it is without words and here it’s also my decision to show God’s love to them by loving them, showing acceptance. I can see God touched their lives.

Team members from the UK and USA also helped to run the camps including Mercy Projects Sponsor Relations Coordinator Paula Thompson from California:

The staff in Ukraine were rescued out of the Kyiv area and what they said was ‘well if we can’t do camps in Ukraine, why can’t we do camps here in Hungary. We will connect.’ And they did through social media. They connected with families in the area from Ukraine and it’s just been fantastic. The kids are all loving being together and they’ve having a good time.

And these young Ukrainians shared what the camp meant to them..

“I like camp because I have new friends.”

“Here is so much good games, fun.”

“Very good, very fun camp.”

“I like this camp because I have new friends.”

“I like this camp because I met very interesting people who came here from different countries the UK and USA.”

“It is the most happy time in my life.”

So as these young lives have been impacted this summer, the Mercy Projects team will continue to do all they can to help many more people despite being displaced by the war themselves.

Read more news on Non Profit Organizations, Youth Ministry, Disaster Relief, the Refugee Crisis, Ukraine, and Russia on Missions Box.