Sunday, August 9, 1998

Children hope of the Ukraine

By ANDREW KELLY / Guest Columnist

Until gaining its independence in the early 1990s, Ukraine was just another part of the Soviet society.

Before the collapse of the Soviet system, the word "spiritual" meant nothing more than "good things taught by good morals." During Soviet times the spiritual life of a child in Ukraine was based on the outdoor and indoor activities of the Pioneer and Consumal organizations of the Communist Party.

The Pioneer and Consumal programs taught children principles such as love for the motherland, feelings of patriotism, helping old and weak people, and honoring the brave young soldiers who had given their lives for the happiness of the growing generation.

The way in which the children were raised became collective, and the children began to lose their individual personality. Through time, the Communist Party was successful in removing God from the lives of the Soviet children.

All spirituality was taken away from the lives of the Soviet people; however, the newborn babies were generally all traditionally sprinkled. This was the small glimmer of light from the ancient spiritual tradition of the Kievan Rus Empire.

Many families had their icons and created so-called "Saint Corners," and some tried to keep their faith alive, but those who were brave enough to enter into an Orthodox cathedral with or without their children were punished by government authorities.

Communism has fallen, and Ukraine is allowing Christians to share their faith, yet there is still something lacking. There is a giant spiritual vacuum in the nation, the result of 70 years under Communist opposition to religion in general. Consequently, there is an unfeedable hunger for a faith that many have had to suppress for so long. This hunger is seen among the adults, but perhaps it is not as simple and unbiased as it is with the children.

Since the early 1990s, thousands of Christian groups have flooded the nation of Ukraine to share the message of hope with the people. However, very few of those organizations work solely with the children.

World Wide Youth Camps Inc. works in some of the more than 26,000 former Pioneer camps. These camps were built in order to teach the children the ideals of the Communist Party.

In these camps and in the schools, spiritual changes in the children could first be seen. For the past few summers children have learned about Jesus and even have sung about him in the camps.

Teachers are using Bibles given out in the camps as textbooks for literature courses in school classrooms. Christian groups such as World Wide Youth Camps are starting to reach the hearts of the people of Ukraine who are starting to search for the truth and also beginning to raise their children in a Christian life.

As one of the Christians in Slavyanagorsk said, "It's the period when my people are starting to think about the forbidden fruit: God. It's the time of spiritual rebirth."

Now the true meaning of the world "spirituality" is being revealed to the Ukrainian people.

Many adults believe it is too late for them to change and to become Christians, but they are encouraging their children and their grandchildren to look to God and to follow him.

They believe the children have the ability to change while they are still young. One of my young friends is now a Christian after hearing the gospel in one of the camps in Ukraine.

Misha said he believes "it's rather good if children learn about God and Jesus from the very beginning of their lives."

Generally, the children are receptive of the message and listen, but usually the children who are placed in the categories of difficult, blind, mentally sick and orphaned are the ones who are always open to God's message. It is amazing to see how much they long for God's love.

The spiritual awakening in Ukraine is beginning, and it is beginning in the children. Christians have high hopes for the children and for what they may do in their nation.

Those who work with the children in Ukraine are confident God will water and harvest the seeds planted in the hearts of the children over the past few years. By showing one child who Jesus is, you have changed the future of the entire Ukrainian nation.

(This article was based on information gathered by Johny Garner and Andrew Kelly while they were working in the camps this summer.)