Baltic Family Camp 2024 an update from david & lourelia pryor
25 YEARS OF WORK IN LITHUANIA
This year marked the 25 th year for our collective Christian camping work in Lithuania. When we met for our first meeting in the fellowship hall of the Skyway Hills church of Christ building in Brandon, little did we know how long the work would continue. More importantly we did not know how this work would change our lives.
We are told and tell ourselves we are doing mission work for the souls of God’s children. We are thanked profusely by the people we come to serve and work with. But in reality, we, the missionaries, are the ones who are blessed. Seeing God’s love transform others, seeing the joy in singing a song of God’s love, witnessing the adding of a new child in God’s family are all blessings that is hard to explain. Needless to say that joy is what sends us back into the mission field year after year, even though some of us are getting pretty old.
This year we were blessed with 126 campers and staff from eleven countries including Lithuania, Estonia, Latavia, Ukraine, Belarus, Poland, Spain, Finland, Czech Republic, Germany and the United States. We had several who were campers in our early years that now bring their own children.
Our goal at Baltic Family Camp is three-fold. First and foremost, we are there to praise our Lord and teach his Word. We also bring missionaries and their families from all over Europe to allow them a week to rest and recharge. Many of our attendees serve in very isolated areas and this week is very meaningful to them. We also serve both Christians and non Christians from Lithuania. Our day consist of multiple bible teaching sessions, praising God in song, fellowship meals and physical activities. We have morning and afternoon class time as well as worship time each evening.
We are told in scriptures that the fields are white with harvest and that there is a need for workers.
Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” Matthew 9:35-38
Danny Dodd, minister of Levy church of Christ in North Little Rock, Arkansas is the director. He and I have worked together from day one. Here is a photo of the four people who were at the first camp. Zivele, David, Danny and Viktoria. Why is it that I am the one that looks old?
Lourelia taught the 3-7 years old and had up to 13 children (and sometimes parents) in the class. She taught twice a day for four days. It is not unusual for parents to attend with their children, thus making teaching opportunities for them as well. The crafts that many of you helped us with were used every day and the children loved them.
I served as worship director for the week. I lined up the late night devo speakers, the men who lead us in prayer for each worship session, lead singing at the main worship assembly and some for the late night devo’s. The singing is always so wonderful and uplifting to all of us. I also developed and produced the song book we used. I have done this for each year as well. It takes about three weeks from start to finish in getting the songbook updated and ready to go.
This year we were honored to have Alexander Piletsky and his wife Irene with us. They were living and working as the minister of the Mariopole, Ukraine church when the war began. He told us of brave and harrowing stories of how the church members survived during the bombing of the Russian military. He told of how they would gather drinking water from the craters left by the bombs. He himself was wounded. His stories were vivid and sad. It made us all that much more grateful. He now serves as the minister in Tallin, Estonia.
Thank you for your prayers during our time in Lithuania. Thank you for your prayers for the work in Europe. Thank you for your financial support as well. God bless.