During three weeks in late June and early July 2007, 53 American volunteers traveled to Ukraine to assist the Ukrainian Lutheran Church (ULC) with their Vacation Bible School (VBS) program. For many of the volunteers, mostly high school and college students and their chaperones, this was their first time for travel anywhere outside the United States. The volunteers pay their own travel expenses to travel to Ukraine for VBS. Over the past year there was a concerted effort to recruit more volunteers from ELS congregations and Bethany Lutheran College. This resulted in 24 ELS students and adults that volunteered their time and talents to the Ukraine VBS. Included in this group were ELS Pastors Matthew Brooks and Don Moldstad and Professor Mike Smith.

In all, the ULC carried out VBS for two weeks at 14 congregations throughout much of Ukraine. The volunteers worked in small groups to assist our Ukrainian brothers and sisters with their VBS program. The Americans taught in English through Ukrainian translators, some that have studied at Bethany College or Lutheran high schools in America. The VBS program included Bible lessons, craft projects, English lessons and songs. The American volunteers are a real draw in getting Ukrainian children and adults to attend VBS and hear the saving Gospel message. The program was blessed with around 850 children and over 150 adults participating during the ten days of VBS. Most of the children and adults who attended were either unchurched or did not belong the ULC. What a blessing and privilege to serve the Lord and help plant the seeds of faith in so many children!

The benefits of the VBS reach much further than the large numbers of Ukrainian children and adults that participated. For many of the volunteers, this was a life-changing experience resulting in a change of course for their future life and occupation. Some openly spoke of entering the preaching or teaching ministry after returning from the trip.

All credit for all these blessing from the VBS program can only be given to God. He provided the exceptional volunteers who gave freely of the their time, talents and treasures. He also brought to the 14 VBS locations some one thousand sets of ears to hear His wonderful message of salvation. We pray that He will water these seeds of faith to His glory.

For more information about the VBS program, or if you are interested in volunteering for VBS in 2008, please contact Larry Dilgard at Thoughts of Faith toll-free at (877) 892-4718 or by e-mail at larrytof@att.net.

Larry M. Dilgard is the Assistant Executive Director of Thoughts Of Faith, and lives near Oregon, Wisconsin.