Mission Eurasia plans to serve 30,000 children in 14 countries this summer through a biblical camp that combines trauma care with Christian teaching. 80% of participants were Ukrainian children whose lives were lost due to a full-scale Russian invasion.
Hosted in collaboration with established churches and church plants, the camp aims to provide gospel-centric hope for children living through safe spaces, emotional stability and war trauma. In Ukraine, most are located in central and western regions where it is considered to be less dangerous, but safety cannot be guaranteed.
“These camps are the first time that many of these camps are in months or years when children feel safe, play freely and hear messages of hope,” said Mission Eurasian President Sergei Lakhba, who is from the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine, in an interview with Christian Daily International. “They are where trauma counseling and mental care go hand in hand.”
Trauma at the heart of the Ukraine crisis
International leaders warn that Ukraine’s recovery is impossible without directly addressing the needs of children affected by the war. Thórdís Kolbrún Reyk fjord Gylfadóttir, a special envoy on the situation of Ukrainian children for the Council of Europe, told a May meeting in Finland that rebuilding the country is a “almost an empty promise” without trauma-based care for young people.
“Despite the deep-rooted, widespread and debilitating trauma among children affected by all wars in Ukraine, many frontline professionals working with children are not trained in trauma-based care,” she said.
Mission Eurasia is located in that gap, mobilizing trained trauma counselors to work with local church leaders. These leaders will identify children in need and invite them to participate in camps that are often held on rental facilities, play areas, or church grounds. The activity combines recreational programs with counseling sessions tailored to children who have experienced evacuation, violence, or loss, with Bible education, small group discussions and counseling sessions.
Secure spaces and permanent connections
Rahba said many children will arrive at camps where they have distrust and fear after years of war. “They reassure them that they won’t leave them alone and that their families won’t leave them alone,” he said. “They are very grateful and take care of them, and they want to be close to people who hold them and keep them safe.”
He recalls a recent incident in Zaporigia, in which children from the Mission Eurasian camp took shelter in the basement during a drone attack. “When the attack was over, they quickly returned to the planned activity,” he said. He added that parents often feel that their children are the safest when they are near churches or caring for Christians.
“Summer Summer” camps are part of Mission Eurasia’s strategy to equip national leaders to reach vulnerable communities. Schools without an organization’s schools train young leaders in missionary and trauma care to lead camps in their own community. “The people live in the same reality as the children they serve,” Rahba said. “That shared experience builds trust and allows you to connect more deeply.”
Although the camps are rooted in Christian faith, Rahba emphasized that their purpose extends beyond evangelism. “It’s about restoring hope and building connections, so that kids know they’re part of a bigger, compassionate community,” he said. “Even though the war is not over, they can see that they are not alone.”
Follow-up is an important part of the model. After the camp is over, local church leaders will maintain connections with the family and provide ongoing support and resources. Often, parents and caregivers attend church and participate in community programs after seeing the care their child is receiving.
Witnesses of devastation
Rakhba visited the frontlines of Ukraine and recently released regions to witness the destruction firsthand. He described the families who lamented the families whose homes were damaged and whose families were killed in the attacks, and the villages who refused to leave despite constant gunfire.
One family he met lost his teenage son to a sh shotgun while running for the shelter during the bombing. “Their son was killed in front of them,” Rahba said. “Even so, they told me they would die there rather than leave the house.”
He has also seen a community of distrust after losing a loved one without a safe place. “People rely solely on organizations and churches to bring help,” he said. “We went to camps in western Ukraine, where we took children and widows to places where counselors worked with both mothers and children to help them deal with trauma.”
Models shaped by history
Mission Eurasian Camp Ministry is based on decades of experience. Rakhba recalled attending the first Christian youth camp on the outskirts of Moscow in 1992 shortly after the collapse of the Soviet Union. This site was a communist youth camp. The image of Lenin was removed and instead, a Christian leader stood with the Bible and declared the Word of God from the same platform.
“That moment marked the beginning of summer Bible camp,” Lahuba said. “The Camp Ministry is the most effective tool in the hands of national church leaders to reach isolated, traumatic communities for children.”
Today, the model continues and adapts to war situations. Ukrainian camps are often hosted in church courtyards and school fields, with air raid warnings and curfew adjustments. The counselor incorporates games, crafts and storytelling along with the counseling sessions.
Beyond Ukraine
While Ukraine is the main focus of Mission Eurasia, the organization also operates camps for the children of Ukrainian refugees in Poland and Moldova, as well as outreach programs in other Eurasian countries affected by conflict and poverty.
In Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, where the majority of the population is Muslim, camps focus on building relationships and providing safe spaces for children. Lakhba recently visited Uyghur village in Kazakhstan. There, children who have little to do in the summer gather for games, meals and Bible stories.
In Israel, the ministry supports Arab Christian initiatives, including projects that connect the Russian-speaking Jewish community with the Arab-Christian initiative. The camps are also organized in Armenia and Azerbaijan, and are in tension.
A call to prayer
The Ukrainian church has tripled since the start of the war, as the community relies on Christian fellowship for both practical and spiritual needs. “When they see true care and they know that hope is in God and Jesus, they come into the line,” Rahba said.
He sought a continuous prayer – for the end of the war, for the wisdom among world leaders, and for the protection of staff in Mission Eurasia.
“We want our kids to experience joy, make friends and hear that there is hope in their lives,” he said. “And we want them to know that hope has a name – yes.”
