The ministry of YouthReach International began with a seed of information being shared among the church body. One man heard the call, another broadcast it, and it found receptive heart soil, where it took root. Through the grace of God this seed became the mission call it is today.
Professor Wendell Broom, Professor Emeritus of Missions at Abilene Christian University (ACU), gathered a group of individuals with experience in missions and working with children to tell them that Christians were being invited to work in the Pioneer Youth Camps in Ukraine. Greg Perry, former director of ACU Leadership Camps and then a teacher and coach in Abilene, Texas, attended this meeting. He learned about these camps and the Ukrainian struggle to create positive change in their country. These were camps set up by Lenin and Stalin to indoctrinate the children of the Soviet Union with communist beliefs. With the fall of Communism, Ukraine was a country trying to escape a painful past but not fully sure of how to create a better future.
In the summer of 1993, Greg and a team of co-workers traveled to Slavyanagorsk, Ukraine, to "scope out the possibilities." This small group was welcomed in camps and met people on this first trip who would be key relationships in returning to Ukraine in years to come. On the train ride back to Kiev, the dreams for World Wide Youth Camps began and the mission was formally named between friends who were experiencing the thrill of sharing the gospel in this great country.
Since then, YouthReach International has worked in Pioneer camps, street ministries, and orphanages in Ukraine, Russia, Kenya, Namibia, Croatia, Bosnia, Kazakhstan, Honduras, Brazil, Guatemala, Mexico, United States, Germany, and Australia. While our history has taken us around the world, we have returned to our roots to focus deeply in the countries of Ukraine and Russia. Through mentoring orphans and at-risk children in these two countries, we hope to make a deep impact on this next generation for the purposes of Jesus Christ.
In November of 2009, the name was officially changed to “YouthReach International”, to bring focus on our efforts to reach children around the world. The Board of Directors as further clarified our mission by adopting the following mission statement:
Equipping orphans and at-risk children for success in life
through spiritual development, positive role models, and practical skills.
