VBS for Refugee Children in Spain
A team of over 20 teenagers and adults, led by pastor Andrey Kobzar, spent two weeks in Torrevieja, Spain, teaching and working alongside local ministers to run a Vacation Bible School (VBS) for slavic refugee children. This time was dedicated to building new relationship, learning, mutual support, and collective spiritual growth.
During the morning service on June 30, Grace Family Church blessed its team as they prepared for their mission to Spain. A diverse lineup of participants—ranging from a baby in its mother’s arms to middle-aged adults—stood on the church platform. It was a striking sight, prompting me to ask pastor Andrey Kobzar the questions on many minds: “How was the team selected? Is it right to send such young people on such a significant mission? Are they ready for it?” Pastor Andrey responded, “They very young ones are going with their parents. As for the teenagers, they are tried and tested team that has participated in several similar events. We are confident they will do well in Spain.” And so it proved. But let’s take things in order.
Upon arrival, the team was pleasantly surprised to find that the church was already fully decorated for the camp. This saved time, allowing them to dive straight into organizational matters. The next day, they began training the local team, introducing them to the program, teaching songs, and presenting the Bible lessons that would be taught during the VBS.
Two camps were planned, with 75 and 85 children registered for each. Many of these children heard for the first time that god exists and how POWERFUL He is! It was a blessing to watch the leaders explain the Gospel to the children during small groups, teaching them songs about how Great our God is. The kids enjoyed sports, had delicious lunches, and went home happy.
On the second day of the camp, the Sacramento team was joined by pastor Sergey’s family from Torun, Poland. After traveling 2,845 kilometers, the pastor, his wife, and daughter—who had just finished a similar camp in their city—provided invaluable help in Spain.
The workload was heavy on all the leaders and team members; some even fell ill, but as they said, it was worth it.
The second camp was led by the local team that had been trained by the visiting team. Under the guidance and with the help of leaders from Sacramento, they led Bible lessons, shared the Gospel with the children, prayed with them, and answered the many questions the children asked. These questions were varied: “Why did Christ die for sinners?”, “Are we sinners too?”, “Why does my dad drink and get so aggressive? Why is he like that?”, “How can I read the Bible if I don’t know how to read?”, “How can I come to Christ?”
Some of the children asked how to pray and invited the Lord into their hearts. Throughout both camps, the Good News of salvation was presented to the children in various forms that they could understand, and everything was done to ensure that each child grasped its meaning. Now, we need to pray that the Word of God sown in their hearts bears abundant fruit in their lives and the lives of their parents.
Pastor of the local church, Viktor Kovba and pastor Sergey from Poland repeatedly expressed their gratitude for the help in running the camp and the tremendous support Grace Family Church provided to both the church in Spain and the church in Poland. Discussing future work plans with the visiting team’s leaders, they requested prayer support and help in establishing a Children’s Sunday School and training on how to maintain connections with the children who attended the camp.
Please pray for these needs and consider joining the mission work in Europe! Short videos from various days of the camp in Torrevieja can be views on pastor Andrey Kobzar’s channel— click this link.
Announcements
Scripture To Memorize
9 And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,
10 so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;
11 being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy;
12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.
13 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,
14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.
16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.
17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.
19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell,
20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.
21 And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds,
22 he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him,
Upcoming Services and Meetings
- Thursday (7:00 PM) Bible Study (Proverbs) and prayer in cafeteria
- Sunday services:
- Worship Service in Russian at 9:00 AM
- Worship Service in English at 11:15 AM