A special village in Poland

Zaborze is located around 180 kilometers south of the Polish capital Warsaw. For many years, this small village has grown to around three times its size in the summer – whenever The United Methodist Church (UMC) in Poland sets up a very special “village within the village.”
 
From July 7 to 12, 2025, it was time for the 17th edition: 405 children aged 6 to 13 and 180 volunteers moved into their special village to enjoy a very varied week of vacation together. Quite a few of the helpers had themselves been participants in this camp a few years ago. Now it was their turn to pass on the valuable and unforgettable experiences they had gained to a new generation of children. They were supported by two teams of volunteers from the US and the Exodus Program in Northern Ireland, as well as other adults from the Kielce UMC (Poland).
 
The program included Bible stories based on the six themes of the week: gratitude, justice, humanity, hope, wisdom, and joy. But of course, there were also lots of games and sports activities, as well as creative workshops and cultural learning opportunities.
 
The children and staff experienced a very special moment when the area was hit by heavy rain, but when the special village was spared. “We felt God's protective hand over us,” said Bożena Daszuta, the widow of the camp's founder, Pastor Janusz Daszuta. She concluded: "It was a wonderful time – many thanks to everyone who supported this special village and made it possible in the first place.
 
Source: Bożena Daszuta, Kielce/Poland – Urs Schweizer, Zurich/Switzerland