Our names are Kate and Laura and we are from Kansas and North Carolina.
We have just finished our sophomore year at John Brown University in Arkansas, majoring in Early Childhood Education with an endorsement in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages). We just spent 12 days in Belarus helping with a camp and teaching English lessons there. We were excited to have this opportunity to come to Belarus to share God’s love with children and gain experience teaching English.
The camp was for needy children, many from foster homes or a children’s shelter. They heard the gospel everyday and participated in crafts, games, swimming, and English lessons. We had the opportunity to meet with a small discussion group, and we enjoyed seeing their growth in knowledge of the gospel. One of our favorite parts of camp was becoming friends with the children and just spending time with them.
Before and after camp we stayed in the Minsk Family Home. We got to know and love the girls that lived there and made new friendships. They were very hospitable to us the whole time we stayed there. We can see the fruit of this ministry and how God is working in these girls’ lives.
Before and after camp, we visited various attractions in and around Minsk, which broadened our understanding and appreciation of Belarusian culture.
We had a great experience in Belarus and were blessed to have this opportunity to meet wonderful co-laborers in the gospel of Christ and work with them to love children in need.