Basic Information, History, Trip Schedule, Camp Schedule, Class Information, Regional Information, What to Prepare, What to Bring, Suggested Topics
How to Contact Us
E-mail Jeff Whitney, Day Camp Coordinator in Russia: jewhitney@aol.com
When:
Spring - Second half of March
Fall - First half of November
Length of trip:
12 days (including travel)
Cost:
Please contact us for complete information
Normally the incoming day-camp team will begin their travels on the Thursday preceding the camp and the typical schedule is as follows:
Friday: Arrive at airport in Moscow. Travel to Vladimir in chartered bus. Check into hotel.
Saturday: Orientation and Day Camp meetings, cultural event
Sunday: Worship at Vladimir Wesleyan Church. Special lunch with entire camp staff. Depart for camp location. Taken to Russian host family.
Monday through Friday: Day Camp (see camp schedule below)
Friday: Return to Vladimir and check into hotel.
Saturday: Team Debriefing. Camp Celebration (reporting and sharing praises from each camp). Group pictures. Lunch. Free time.
Sunday: Worship in Russian Orthodox Church. Worship in Vladimir Wesleyan Church. Depart for Moscow, where there will be limited shopping, sight-seeing, and dinner.
Monday or Tuesday: Depart for home
9:00 - Daily Staff Meeting/Devotion
9:45 - Opening Ceremony (15 minutes)
10:05 - 1st Class (30 minutes)
10:40 - 2nd Class (30 minutes)
11:20 - 3rd Class (30 minutes)
11:55 - 4th Class (30 minutes)
12:30 - Lunch
1:30 - Assembly (1 hour)
2:30 - Afternoon Activities
4:00 - Return to host family
Generally each class will range in size from 15 to 25 kids. Participants are usually 11 to 16 years old, although a few younger kids always seem to find a way into these camps. Each class will have an interpreter and there will also be a Russian teacher to handle logistics and any discipline problems. The classes are usually around 30 minutes long.
Listed below are topics that have either been shared previously or would be appropriate for sharing. Always among the favorites are topics dealing with American culture, traditions, holidays, sports, and crafts.
Holidays: Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter, Valentine's Day, 4th of July
American Culture: Food, Famous Sites, Seasons/Weather, Hobbies, Sports, Lifestyle, Transportation, Leisure Time, Family Life, Churches/Religions, School System, Pets, Wildlife, Housing, Farms/Ranches, History, Entertainment (TV/Movies), Music, Dating, Fashion, Culture, Native American Indians, Cowboys, Weddings/Funerals
Occupations: Education, Police/Military, Business, Retailing, Politics, Medical Profession, Banking, etc...
Sports: Baseball, Football, Dodge ball (and similar sports uncommon to Russia)
Regional Information (Given by people who live or lived in these places): Australia, New Zealand, Liberia, Zambia, Canada
Crafts: Lanyard Lace Key Chains, Bead Animals, Crepe-paper Flowers, Tie-Die, Plaster of Paris, Painting, etc...
This is by no means an exhaustive list, but merely a starting point. We encourage participants to be creative and interesting. For example, here are a few actual class titles: "Visit the Land of the Bible with Me;" "How Americans Handle Money--Paper, Plastic and ATM's;" and "Food for Thought--Junk Food."
For the class on junk food, the person talked some about nutrition, but also had an entire suitcase full of American junk food for the kids to sample. Another person used a TV game show format to teach American history. One pastor conducted mock weddings, assigning everyone in the class a place in the wedding party, to illustrate an American Christian wedding. Some have incorporated a small five-minute craft in their presentation.
Many of the topics shared will be secular in nature, and that is alright since other times will have a more evangelistic emphasis. The classes are designed to be more cultural than evangelistic. There will be times--perhaps at the beginning of each class period or during one-on-one opportunities--for participants to share briefly about their personal relationship with God.
A. Each person should have two well-prepared subjects ready to teach prior to arrival in Russia and one or two backups ready in case the primary subjects bomb. Classes are usually 30 minutes long so be sure to have enough material for 30 minutes! (See list of possible subjects above)
B. When preparing your subject, camp volunteers need to remember that this is camp and not school! The kids are giving up their school break to take part in the camp and do not want to sit through 'lecture-style' classes. Instead, classes need to be fun and interesting. Visual aids, handouts, or other things to spice up the class are important items to bring!!!
C. All camp workers should prepare 3-minute testimonies in case they are asked to share. Testimonies should be short and simple, highlighting the participants' lives before becoming Christians, how they became Christians, and the difference Christ has made in their lives since then. Try to stay away from using Christian slang since these kinds of words might not be understood.
D. As part of the daily morning staff meetings during the camp, we often have a three to five minute devotional times. Camp team participants may be asked to share one morning.
E. In addition to having a broad number of people praying for the mission trip, each participant should find at least one person who will commit to pray daily for the team member and the day camps. Prayer is vital to what we hope to accomplish.
A. For Sunday through Friday, we ask that participants bring a MAXIMUM of three outfits (not counting sporting activity clothes).
B. Dress Code - We are usually working in public schools and should therefore look professional. For those teaching sports classes, warm-up suits or other sports clothes are acceptable. Exceptions may also be allowed if your outfit is specific to the topic you are sharing.
C. Participants also will want to bring clothes that are suitable for layering so that it is easy to add or remove clothes based on the temperature (i.e., undershirt, shirt, sweater).
D. Shoes - Participants will want to bring boots, dress shoes, and tennis shoes, boots to be worn while outside, dress shoes to be worn inside and tennis shoes for sports activities.
E. Afternoon Activities - Everyone is encouraged to participate with the kids in the afternoon activities, which often include sports activities and relay races so bring the necessary clothes for this. These are great bonding times with the kids.
F. Gifts - During the actual day camp, camp team members will be staying with Russian families. The relationships that develop tend to be very special. It is appropriate for team members when leaving to present small gifts to their host families. Something from the team membe'r home area will be a special memento for the Russian hosts.
G. Photographs - Team members will want to bring along photographs from home to show to host families and to the kids in the camps (i.e., family photos, holidays, pets, hobbies, etc.).
Time Difference:
The Moscow/Vladimir Region is 8 hours ahead of Eastern Standard time.
Weather:
Late March - Middle of Russian winter. Participants can expect the ground to be covered in a couple feet of packed snow. Temperatures are normally between 0 and 20 degrees Fahrenheit, although colder or warmer weather is possible. Participants will want to bring heavy winter coats, boots, gloves, scarves, hats, etc.
Early November - While still fall by Russian standards, early November often brings the first large snowfall of the season. Temperature varies greatly, dropping down to 10 degrees Fahrenheit or hovering in the 50s. It can be quite windy, and rain is common. Participants will want to bring a warm coat, boots for muddy or slushy areas, an umbrella, etc.
Current Weather in Vladimir, Russia
The day-camping program began in the spring of 1994, when the missionaries on the field were asked to take part in a day camp that was already taking place in the city of Murom. It turned out to be a wonderful experience for those who were involved. In addition, the school and the children really enjoyed learning about foreign cultures and traditions and also showed great interest in the Bible and Christianity. As a result, the idea to sponsor our own day camps was born, and opportunities were presented for short-term mission teams to come and take part in these camps. We held our first day camp in spring of 1995, and have continued to hold them every spring and fall since. Typically we hold camps in two or three different cities, depending on the size of the incoming day-camp team. Overall we have been in ten different cities and have had over a hundred visiting team members from at least six different countries take part.
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