Due to the people that made a great job for preparing and gathering everything and everyone, were eager to volunteer and donate, and Father Igor Kisil, who organized all the aspects of the camp, one of the most anticipated events happened on the shores of the Pigeon Lake in this year of 2023 from July 30 to August 6.

So, we spent again the blessed week at our camp “monastery” getting charged with the energy of sun, fresh and clean air, and good and healthy food (also blessed each time by the prayer), as well as getting pacified and edified by the grace of God through the common prayer, Liturgy, His word, learning about the Church’s foundations, Her Saints, and spiritual communication.

We started the day with the morning prayers and did not go to bed without the evening prayers, and by the God’s mercy, we had this year as many as three Liturgies – on the Holy and Glorious Prophet Elias (Elijah) (9th c. b.c.) day (August 2^nd), on the Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos “Pochaev” (1675) commemoration day (August 5^th), and on the 9th Sunday after Pentecost,  Martyr Christina of Tyre (ca. 300) and Holy Martyrs and Passion-bearers Boris and Gleb (1015). With our church choir constituted by the young counselors (some, the campers of just the last year), and the campers and their parents, as well as the choir of St. Barbara’s Cathedral. Our children choir (both singing and reading at church), we should mention this, were very diligent in practising, literally every time and everywhere! With the result of the harmonious peaceful singing during the Liturgies.

The beautiful St. Michael’s Church, although humbly standing aside was our spiritual home and the center during this blessed week. Some children tasted the fruit of the prayer at church for the first time, some were sharing the gift of reading with the rest of us.

The topic of the camp was “Seven Sacraments of the Orthodox Church”, with a lecture on one or two Holy Sacraments every day, both for the younger campers and the seniors. That we tried to make not overly complicated and with the accent on the essence of things, with quizzes and creative tasks, and even prizes at the end of each lesson.

While one group (elder or younger) had a lecture at the building that included a classroom and a playroom, the other had a craft lesson with our talented volunteers who shared with the kids their art talents: modeling, decoupage, vintage postcards, drawing and painting.

And at the same time, our children had a lot of time for the outdoor activities, starting with the morning exercises, and all the way through the swimming in the lake, up to the campfire on every evening (yes, with mashmallow)!

We were worried about the weather, but it never failed us, this year we spent even more time in the lake, and the water was cleaner and warmer. If there was rain, it was at the time we were occupied inside or well asleep in our cozy premises!

At least three birthdays were celebrated during the camp time, with cakes and candles and “Many Years” sung, and the friendly applauding and wishes!

What had the most of our applauding was again our wonderful meals; the kitchen staff, headed by our experienced camper cook Natalia Ilina, again did their best to not only sustain but treat and surprise us.

Always on guard was our ‘doctor’ Tatiana Popovskaya, never letting the situation grow, no matter how serious it could seem at the first glance. Thanks God we were all kept under His protection!

This was one of the easiest camps for us, due to the great and kind cooperation of the campers and counselors, when they were not just eager to listen and labour but were eager to contribute to in may ways on their own initiative! We never had any problem with the everyday chores that were given several times a day to every group, to do a lot of ‘household’ things, to keep the camp clean and safe!

And the final concert when children presented the lives of the saints of the groups was a good surprise for us as for how serious our kids tackled this task, especially the boys of the senior group.

We, the campers and the staff, would like to express our sheer gratitude to all those who laboured selflessly for the common joy of this camp, to those who provided all kinds of supply, paper work, organizational, kept an eye on the babies, took beautiful photos, decorated our kitchen with flowers, were ready to help and assist not only those they were in charge of, donated their time, venturing for the journey to the campground (quite remote for some), helping repair and keep in proper order things, correcting and eliminating any safety issues, providing us with their labor, vehicles, devices, fulfilling the supply of water and food, humbly labouring at the kitchen till late at night!

May God remember and bless all of us and grant us to have a no less graceful time at the camp in the years to come!