With the blessing of His Eminence Metropolitan Nicolae, our Metropolia organized a virtual summer camp for children 7-14 years old. We rejoiced in the presence of 30 children from several parishes across the United States and Canada.
The camp began on Friday, July 10, 2020 with a short prayer followed by an ice-breaker activity in which the children introduced themselves and got to know the other participants. Afterwards, the children took part in a scavenger hunt, in which they searched for various items related to their faith and culture around their homes and then presented them to the group. These items included crosses, icons, a Bible, prayer books, wooden spoons, and national attire. Among the most interesting items presented were an icon painted on a seashell and a wooden spoon engraved with the family name. The evening ended with a prayer to the Mother of God, who is the protector and intercessor for all mankind.
The camp continued on Saturday, July 11. We had the privilege and joy of having in our midst His Eminence Metropolitan Nicolae, who officially opened the camp with a prayer to enlighten the minds of the children and who spoke about the importance of engaging regularly in prayer and Christian learning. Afterwards, the participants split into two age groups. The younger group played a guessing game – „ghicitori” – with short riddles related to Christian life, e.g., „Christian telephone / With a heavenly number / Man and God converse” (the answer being „prayer”). The older group listened to a captivating presentation about ROYA in hopes that they would be encouraged to join this wonderful organization when they grow older. The groups reconvened for two arts & crafts projects. First, they made a prayer jar – a decorated jar in which the children can place a small object every time they pray for their family, their friends, or for any other worthy reason. Next, they made an Orthodox journal – a notebook, decorated with their favorite icons, in which they can record memorable Bible verses and teachings from the Saints.
After the lunch break, the participants split up again into age groups. The younger group learned to prioritize God and their neighbor by placing them at the center of their lives, and only afterwards to address their other needs. The older group had the opportunity to listen to a mini-conference about the place of Orthodox children within their families and within society, after which they participated in a Q&A session.
The second part of our virtual camp took place on the weekend of July 24-25, 2020. We were glad to meet the children again, excited and curious to see what other wonderful things they will learn at camp. Our collaborators all worked hard to engage the children in a variety of activities. Just like every Orthodox Christian should start the day by asking God to bless his work, we started off with a prayer. Afterwards, “The Sun and the Holy Trinity” story led to an interesting discussion about how we understand God the Creator from the perspective of the Holy Trinity. For this, the children cut out large paper sunglasses with which they could perceive the beautiful world created by God, even in times of trouble.
The next activity, “Recognize the Icon”, introduced the participants into the world of the Saints. It proved to be a challenging test to identify important Romanian and American saints from their icons. Nevertheless, we were amazed to see that the participants recognized almost all the saints in the icons presented, thereby showing their closeness to these saints. The evening ended with a thanksgiving prayer to the Mother of God.
The next morning marked the final day of camp. As usual, we started the day with prayer and then leaped into a world of knowledge through a game of Kahoot! For this activity, the children used a tablet, phone, or computer to answer questions related to what they had learned in Sunday school throughout the year. Besides being educational, the Kahoot game proved to be quite engaging and entertaining.
After so many questions, the children became hungry, so they were invited to a cooking lesson where they learned to make “No-Bake Nut-Free Granola Bars”. Our little chefs were skilled in crafting their confections and were even more excited to eat them right away! After the lunch break, the children listened to an informative presentation about the structure of the Divine Liturgy, followed by a short activity titled “The Hand of Prayer” in which they were reminded about the importance of prayer for others. This marked the end of our virtual camp.
Organized for the first time online, this camp helped us stay in touch with the children from Sunday school during the pandemic. Moreover, the camp allowed the children to meet old friends and make new ones, something very important in the current social context. We hoped that by being together in workshops, games, and prayer, the children would remember that regardless of what circumstances surround them, they can always grow rich in their knowledge of our culture, nation, and Orthodox faith.
None of this would have been possible without the efforts of many people. We would like to thank everyone who organized the camp and led the various activities: Psa. Andaluzia Mureşan, Veronica Pavalache, Dragoş Boscoianu, Ana Nedelea, Anca Iuhas, Violeta Tănase, Diana Vancea, Marc Manolache, Ana & Danielle Radu. We would also like to thank the children for their enthusiasm and their parents for their loving support. May God reward you for your selfless dedication!
Violeta Vancea, Mariana Somogyi, and Mirela Manga
