“The Lord stretched His hand out to me” — Sofia, 16, Ukraine

Letters from Kyiv, Week Two

“The Lord stretched His hand out to me” — Sofia, 16, Ukraine

Two years ago, sixteen-year-old Sofia arrived at iYouth Camp in Germany carrying a grief most teenagers never know.

Her father had died before the war. And in the months leading up to camp, her mother had grown sick — and Sofia had begun to feel distant from God. Remembering the fear and uncertainty of losing her father, anxiety had begun to cloud her mind.

“I thought, ‘did I do something wrong?'” she said. “Prayer wasn’t helping as it did before.”

But something happened at camp that week.

As Sofia prayed and worshiped, she felt God release her from the anxiety and fear she had been carrying.

“The Lord stretched His hand out to me,” said Sofia, “and I held onto it tightly.”

What a Week at Camp Can Do For Teens Like Sofia
Sofia is one of 70 Ukrainian teenagers returning to iYouth Camp this July.

Pastor Tim Vashchyshyn, who ministers to teenagers in Kyiv every week, describes what this generation is carrying:

“Our children are more concerned about the explosives coming their way than about their futures,” he said.

A week at camp won’t end the war. But it will give Sofia and 69 other Ukrainian teens the chance to sleep without fear, dream without sirens, and encounter a God who is reaching His hand out to them.

And thanks to friends like you, we will be there when they arrive.