Camp Ukraine 2010 diary
Tuesday 3-08-2010
Welcome home Camp Ukraine 2010!
After a good and well deserved rest and an extensive German breakfast the group left around 9am for the last stretch to Rijnsburg. Progress could be tracked on a map on the home page of this site. At 7.30pm the 27 members of Camp Ukraine 2010 were warmly welcomed by a large crowd of family, friends and Oekroe fans at a central spot in Rijnsburg, Oekroe's home town. The first experiences were exchanged here. It has been a special kamp from several perspectives. Due to some personal problems Oekroe founder Jaap de Mooij wasn't able (for the first time) to join the group to Ukraine. Also there were two supplementary drivers both at the trip to Ukraine as well as on the way back. Furthermore it was the first time it rained cats and dogs for 5 days in a row during the camp. However the enthusiasm of the Ukrainian kids in the camps remained unchanged!
Monday 2-08-2010
On the way back
The group departed from Lavki at 5am CEST this morning. After a reasonable speedy border crossing they entered the EU (Hungary) at 7.15am. Budapest airport was reached around 11am. Here Matthijs Overdijk joined the group as additional driver. End of the afternoon eight of the paticipants boarded a flight which arrived in Amsterdam 8pm. The four minibusses left the airport around 12.15pm and faced severe traffic jams at the ring road. Shortly before the city of Gyor the group stopped at a MacDonalds for a well deserved lunch. They will stay overnight at Pension Memminger in the south-east of Germany where they arrived 8.30pm.
Sunday 1-08-2010
Church and coffee
This morning the group went to church, again in Beregowo. After this the group split into several subgroups to have coffee at different families. They had pizza as lunch at Joost's & Renate's place. As it was a nice day today the group spent the afternoon at a lake (near Dyida). They swam and/or relaxed. Afterwards they visited the family house of Sergei. Finally they went back to Lavki to formally close the camp and around 10pm (CEST) they went to bed for an short night as departure is planned for 5am CEST.
Saturday 31-07-2010
Touristic Saturday
This morning the group went to the market in Mukachevo. This afternoon they visited a waterfall after which they went to the top of the Carpathian Mountains with a chairlift. The panorama was magnificant! Around 9pm they were back at Lavki. Frank & Ellen and Joost & Renate from Hands & Feet were with the group today. It was a nice day.
Friday 30-07-2010
Farewell and relax!
This morning around 11am the kids went back home. Some of the kids were quite emotional, because after two wonderful weeks they had to go to their home situation and that is in some cases quite a hardship. After this, the two camp locations were cleared and the stuff was acked in crates. The Dutch from the Uzhgorod camp moved to Lavki where the whole group will stay for the weekend in order to jointly handle the impressions and experiences of the last to weeks. A group of eight participants went to the children's ward in Beregowo hospital where Ellen van Delft is working. At the end of the afternoon there was wonderful goulash soup and sausages in the Good Samaritan. After the meal there was the traditional soccer match against the girls who live in this orphanage. The Dutch team won this time ... Then back to Lavki and to bed at 10pm.
Thursday 29-07-2010
Last full camp day was funny
Lavki kamp: Today we woke up with water balloons in our beds. The Ukrainian camp leaders visited our rooms while we were asleep.... Today was turning around day, all clothing was worn inside out. We woke up the kids and send them straight to bed as an example. Everything else happened in reverse order. During the morning we did memory while during the afternoon we played living stratego. During the evening program we returned the favour to the Ukrainian leaders: we did an act with raw eggs and an act with buckets of water! Is was super. We received thank you's and un turn we thanked everyone. Then there was ice, fireworks and a campfire!
Uzhgorod kamp: No update received.
This morning Ton den Butter took a flight from Eindhoven to Budapest where he boarded a minibus for Ukraine. After a delay of about 1.5 hour at the border he arrived around 10.30pm at Lavki. Ton is one of the two additional experienced drivers for the return trip. On Monday Matthijs Overdijk will fly as second additional driver from Eindhoven to Budapest, where he will meet the group around noon time. Hence similar to the trip to Ukraine 2 weeks ago, as a safety precaution, there will be two experienced drivers on the way back from Budapest to Holland.
Wednesday 28-07-2010
We handle the rain creatively
Lavki kamp: Today it was raining again and we didn’t go outside. We have played a game of the Ukrainians and tinkered with clay. During the afternoon we have had the ‘camp market’ where the kids could spend the ‘camp money’ they earned (with good behaviour) to ‘buy’ goodies. They went almost out of their mind! Otherwise it has been a good day. The kids are nice & loose and there is much laughter.
Uzhgorod kamp: This morning we had a fashion show! It was great fun. The teenagers literally took pieces of clothing from everywhere. Especially the clothes from the Dutch people were attractive…. During the afternoon there was a first aid game. We as camp leaders were hiding full of painted wounds and the kids had to find us. When they found us they had to take/carry us to a central place in other to put a dressing on the wounds with … toilet paper. Again a wet day but we adopt creatively! Greetings from Uzghorod!
Tuesday 27-07-2010
Holland day (somewhat effected by the rain)
Lavki kamp: Today we had a good Holland Day. It was busy and the kids were enthusiastic. During the morning the kids worked on the adoption plan, during the afternoon the kids played old Dutch games and finally during the evening we had a good service. We taught the kids a song ‘are you large or are you small’ and showed them photographs of themselves taken when they were asleep. That was fun! The weather is still bad…..
Uzhgorod kamp: Regrettably the Holland Day was negatively effected due to the rain. It is very damp and clammy in our wooden huts under the trees as it is raining cats and dogs for several days now. We baked Dutch pancakes and those were delicious. It was fun, but we were quite opposed. Afterwards it appeared that the Ukrainian Food Inspection came along .... We as Dutchmen have not noticed them. We have adjusted the program slightly and then it went great. You see the kids enjoy! Then you don’t care about the whining. Tomorrow Peter Noort will have his birthday. By the way the electrical power is currently not working. There is always something to worry about here. But that’s Ukraine!
Monday 26-07-2010
Weather stays gloomy, kids remain cheerful !
Lavki kamp: Today we had a good day. Although the weather stays gloomy the kids remain cheerful. There was a good bible study. The kids were creative with sand. During thr evening service there was a good act how to stay loyal to Jesus especially as He is no longer on Earth. The camp itself goes very well. We thank the Lord for the strong team work. The time here goes very fast!
Uzhgorod kamp: As every morning the kids did their morning gymnastics before breakfast. Regretably it continued raining today. The kids played Bingo what, the kids liked it very much. During creative hour the kids made a painting. We had a very good evening service with mutually funny, nice and touching acts. Also the kids did Tobogan which the kids enjoy a lot. Again a day that went too fast...
Sunday 25-07-2010
Resting day
Today all Dutch leaders from both camps met each other during the resting day! The Ukrainian leaders took care of the kids in the camps. Camp Ukraine 2010 members went to church together in Beregowo (Berehove) which is a tradition during the Sunday in between both camp weeks. It was a very good service with the theme 'together in the name of Jesus', a Dutch evangelical song the Dutch group also sang during the service. Loes and Vincent told the people in the church something about their motivation and what camp is doing to them personally (this was translated into Ukrainian). After the service the group went to the mission to have some food and to visit the adjacent family house where they could buy Ukrainian souvenirs (margin is used to support the family house). As it was still raining the group didn't go (as usual) to the lake. In stead they visited the Eagle’s Nest. There they met two Dutch couples, "Oekroe veterans" themselves, who are spending a year of their live in the Transcarpatian region of Ukraine to support people in need of help (Hands & Feet). Joost told the group something about The Eagle's Nest. After this the group went back to Uzhgorod for a relaxing camp evening with all leaders and PIZZA !
Saturday 24-07-2010
Finally refreshment
Lavki kamp: We had a very good day with showers and thunderstorms the whole day. All activities had to be moved inside. Windows and doors had to be closed. The kids did creative work and during the afternoon there was a creative fashion show! The Dutch leaders are exhausted but satisfied. We are happy to take a day off tomorrow and to meet again the other Dutchmen (from Uzhgorod camp).
Uzhgorod kamp: What promissed to be a 'water day', didn't happen in the way it was planned. There was water enough in the form of heavy rain showers together with thunderstorms. Hundreds of water filled balloons have to stay where they are until the next opportunity. Let's hope the balloons are not all broken by then! Moral is uneffected! Mutual contacts with the Ukrainian kids and teenagers are growing and deepening, with quality discussions! Love from Uuzghorod!
Friday 23-07-2010
The summer camps go very well, good cooperation with the Ukrainian staff
Lavki kamp: Today was a warm day again. The kids have enjoyed themselves with some good games like Twister and 'sit-down soccer'. A collage has been made during creative hour. Also photographs have been taken of the kids individually for the 'adoption plan' (note: part of the financial funding comes from people at home who 'adopted' a Ukrainian kid for one or two of the camp weeks - as appreciation they will get a photo in return). The kids played a well known Dutch 'tag game with liberation' (in Dutch 'tikkertje met verlos'). There is a very good cooperation with the Ukrainian camp leaders which is seen as a blessing from God! Tomorrow water day, splendid!
Uzhgorod kamp: Today we played 'six camp' and various other games. The kids are extremely enthusiastic. Also the kids have been thought the song 'don't build your house on the sand'. During creative hour their was painting of wall paper and working with paper mache. There was a lot of laughing during the evening service amongst others during 'musical chairs with hats' and during the several acts like the one with the donkey on one of the pictures. The serious part was good and initiated a thought process. In summary an excellent day.
Thursday 22-07-2010
Very warm
Lavki kamp: Just as every morning before breakfast the kids performed their aerobics. During the morning the kids played various games in the woods and created a friends book. Today it was very warm.... During the afternoon the kids played a 'customs officer game'. They were very fanatic and they even cheated, but that's ok. The theme of the evening service was the price of friendship (with Jesus). The leaders played a performed a little act to illustrate things. It has been a very good day!
There is still a problem with uploading photographs from Lavki. There is something wrong with the Ukrainian sim in the camera phone. With the help of Frank van Delft a shop of the mobile network operator has been visited. After 24 hours we will know whether the problem has been solved or not. If not we will swap the phone with the working one from Uzhgorod.
Uzhgorod kamp: Again it has been very warm, 36 degrees appeared to be the coolest part of the day. Between brackets: the beds have been improved (the poor quality was legendary amongst Oekroe regulars), as is the food. The kids, teenagers and camp staff are having lots of fun. The kids in the summer camp of Peter Noort walk like pirates on the camp terrain. The girls & Huig from Vincent's camp were busy with 'living Stratego'. The assignment for creative hour was to make a friends book, which was received very creatively. After resting hour early afternoon there was again a game, while the pictures were made from all kids individually for the 'adoptionplan' (note: part of the financial funding comes from people at home who adopted a Ukrainian kid for one or two weeks - as appreciation they get a photo in return). For the teenagers there was a game with animal sounds in the dark of the night. After a hot and active day it didn't take long before the kids were at sleep in their rooms!
Wednesday 21-07-2010
Sportive day at Lavki with good evening service - Uzhgorod started well, good food but shower was cold....
Lavki kamp: It was a busy day at Lavki today. The kids played all sorts of camp games. During creative hour the kids had to make a flag. On top there was a very good evening service in a fine atmosphere. some kids praized the Lord during the service for the presence of the Dutchmen which was a chilling moment. In summary very cool. Due to a technical problem no photographs could be uploaded from Lavki (all photographs come from the other camp). Although an effort is made to solve the problem this could be difficult.
Uzhgorod kamp: Both summer camps at Uzhgorod have started very well. The Dutch were welcomed warmly by the kids and teenagers. After a brief moment of adjustment (as usual) the atmosphere became cozy. Quite a few of the kids speak Hungarian (especially for Vincent this is easy as he speaks this language reasonably). The kids played a game in the nearby forest. With crafts the kids were very creative. The flags they had to make are waving in the wind. The food is better then expected by the Dutch. The afternoon went a bit to relaxing, as a consequence an additional activity/game will be added in the program as of now. The play during which animals had to be mimicked while others had to guess the animal was hilarious. The children are very enthusiastic. After the evening service they took a (cold) shower and then is was time to go to bed.
Tuesday 20-07-2010
Second travel day also went well, however 3 hours of waiting at the border...
Tuesday morning the group, who stayed overnight in Hungary, didn't have to hurry. After a good breakfast they drove to the airport of Budapest to fetch the remaining 8 participants and to collect the rented minibus. There it was also time to say goodbye to Jaco van der Plas and his daughter Cisca. Jaco joined the group in Holland as additional driver. He and his daughter flew back to Amsterdam. Jaco thanks a lot!
Then the last stretch to the border. By the way splendid is was possible to see exactly where the group was located on this site! Shortly after 5.15pm the group reached the border. There was a long queue in front of them. At 8.15pm the last minibus crossed the border. The group was welcomed by Corine, Frank and Ellen. There the group said goodbye to Mark Heemskerk the second additional driver. Mark also thanks a lot for your support! And then it was up to the summer camps. One third of the people went to Lavki near Mukachevo, at 30 minutes from the border, where they were welcomed by the kids who sprayed the Dutchmen with water! The other two camps are on one location near Uzhgorod, which is about 40 minutes further away. It is worth a prayer that the trip went so well.
Monday 19-07-2010
First travel day went very well
After a long period of preparations Camp Ukraine 2010 has started! Today very early during the moring family, friends and other interested people say goodbuy to the group in the former town hall of Rijnsburg. The participants get short speeches from alderman Willem van Duijn and from Jaap de Mooij (chairman and founder of Oekroe) who also said a short prayer.
Around 3.45am 19 of the 27 participants departed in 4 sponsored minibuses (together with two additional drivers). After a very good journey of approx 1350 km, with a stop every two hours, they arrived safely around 6.45pm at hotel Robinson south of Györ (a city in north western Hungary). After a shower and a good meal it was time to go to bed.
The Ukrainian camp staff, who arrived in the camp locations on Sunday, have welcomed the kids today. In accordance to Oekroe point of contaict in Ukraine Corine van der Kooi, the kids are very much looking forward to the arrival of the 'Dutchmen' !
