Lord's Bee - youth camp

Many young people here looked forward to their trip to the Orthodox camp "Lord's Bee" in July 2000. The camp was open to all young people who regularly attend Sunday Schools, while for the organisers it provided a second year of experience in organising camps in the diocese.
The idea of organising the camp "Lord's Bee" was blessed by His Eminence, Archbishop Jonathan Archbishop of Kherson and Tavria, who personally participated in various aspects of the camp's preparation and in the selection of staff members.
The team of educators and teachers who facilitated the programme made the 12 day camp both entertaining and useful. The youth, ranging in age from 9 to 16-years-old, were divided into "families." It was interesting to observe how the older members of the families took care of the younger ones. Older boys, for example, protected the younger boys and helped to maintain order, while the teen-age girls helped the younger girls to plait their hair and look neat. The family is a unique cell of society, one that is ideally adapted to the life of an Orthodox camp. Every family selected their own name, such as "Fireflies," "Lord's Garden," "Warriors of the Truth," "The Streamlet," and "The Ladder," and each developed its own mottoes and songs. The warm and touching relations among the members of
each family was evident during various competitions. Even a short time at "Lord's Bee" was enough for the youth to make new friends, from whom it would be difficult to part.
Campers participated in sports, artistic and musical contests, and swimming. They also enjoyed looking for sweets that were hidden on the camp grounds. However one can hardly find anything better than sitting with a group of friends at an evening bonfire and listening to the guitar and songs full of love, friendship and wisdom.
The contest for the best church building - made of sand - revealed the children's architectural talents. The youngest were in charge of the preparatory work, which included gathering shells, plants, sea weeds, etc. - while the older ones were commissioned with the serious task of decorating the sand models. The campers truly worked with all their hearts, and the results were impressive! The sand exposition gathered visitors even from the nearby villages!
On Sunday, 2 July, Archbishop Jonathan visited the camp to serve the Divine Liturgy and offer all participants Holy Communion. On the evening before, the campers went to Confession - and for many, this was a first! Among those who took Communion was a boy named Roman, who had been baptised in the waters of the Black Sea just a few days before. The Divine Liturgy was accompanied by the singing of a full four-voiced choir made up of campers.
The main goal of the camp was achieved: to introduce the youth to the Orthodox way of life and to help them to grow closer to the Orthodox Church. The campers enjoyed the camp very much, as one participant observed: "Thank you very much for the opportunity to attend this wonderful camp! It has been great here. The water was warm, the sun was bright, and the sky was blue. Thank you for the money you invested in it. And thank you for making the camp Orthodox. I have made many good friends here!"