From Communism to Camporee Costumes

Growing up in a Communist country caused my hunger for God. The silence about God was deafening. I was about five years old when I lifted my head toward the sky on the kindergarten playground and I knew there is God.

My grandmother and mother never told me anything about God. They were afraid that the Communists would take our family from our home or send us to work camp to die. This had already happened to my grandmother before, as my grandfather was a successful private businessman.

My great-grandmother told me once about “the gospel.” I asked her, “What is that?” and she said it was a book about God. I knew nothing about God. The world seemed dark and scary. I told myself, “When I grow up and learn to read, I will read that book.” Eventually, I knew where to find information about the One who exists and who I cannot see.

Fast forward to when I was 12 years old. My mother started to go to a Bible study in the Seventh-day Adventist church. After a year, she learned so much from the Bible that she started to talk to me about it and invited me to church. I loved every single moment of every sermon. I could finally learn about the invisible God I believed in. I studied the Bible every day. I read every book the church printing press printed.

Immediately after my baptism, the leaders invited me to be an adult Sabbath School teacher. I have been teaching Sabbath School lessons for many years for different age groups.

Later, I graduated with a master’s degree in textile engineering. My then-boyfriend became a pastor and we married, serving in Bulgaria for nine years. He wanted to study more, so we came to Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Michigan, United States, for our second master’s degrees.

Called to Costumes

While I was doing my master’s degree in Youth Ministry at Andrews University, I helped Betty Whitehead, costume coordinator at Andrews University and Bible Story producer for the International Pathfinder Camporee organization, to make some costumes for the “Passion Play” — a youth ministry event that brings to life the final events of Jesus’ life. A few months later, Betty asked me to make some kilts for the drama production on the “Story of Joseph.” We were able to dress all the boys in the cast for three months with a few bolts of off-white fabric.

I had no clue what I was getting into.

Visiting the International Pathfinder Camporee in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, for the first time was an impressive sight. They had built a life-size pyramid behind the stage to make it look like the real Egypt. About 15,000 children were watching the play. I was sold. Building a stage to tell a story, capturing the imagination of those youth for God, showing how God is present in human history and how He intervenes in human affairs, because He cares, is a cause worth working for.

It has now been 20 years that we have produced the stories of Esther, Daniel, David, and the latest, Moses, for the Camporee. I am currently the costume designer and lead seamstress for 2024 Camporee in Gillette, Wyoming. I love designing every servant, slave, prophet, king, and pharaoh costume. God is the creator of our earth and the God of all people. Being made in His image, we have creative abilities. I feel close to God when I create.

Often, when I come to a certain character that needs to be dressed, I pray, and, in the evening when my brain calms down, I see his costume in my head. Only if I see it can I make it. My husband, Evgeni, asked me, “How can you make so many different costumes?” I don’t know, I told him. I just draw creativity from the Creator of all.

In preparation for this Camporee, I spent three weeks at Andrews University for rehearsals and to do costume fittings with the actors. We invited people to help us sew the costumes. Sometimes we had five women at a time helping us. Marilyn Oliver, an invited seamstress, has been with us the longest time. Marge Schwartz, also a seamstress, joined us during the last Camporee in 2019 and has been doing an excellent job.

God loves all people, and every child deserves to hear God’s voice and see His presence. God sacrificed Himself to prove His love and convince all children of their great worth. That is what the Bible drama hopes to accomplish through seeing, hearing, and feeling God’s presence at the Camporee in Wyoming.

The original version of this story was posted on the Rocky Mountain Conference news site. Vanya Kovacheva is the costume designer and lead seamstress for the 2024 International Pathfinder Camporee and a member of the Denver South Seventh-day Adventist Church in Denver, Colorado, United States.