LOVE 4 THE CHILDREN

Our service in the orphanage in Vileyka is growing very fast. Our team is working with two groups of junior school and all groups of senior school who want to attend our lessons. I want to share how we work with the older groups. We don’t have a music worker now, so we put emphasis on biblical lessons and sometimes on games. We try to make our lessons bright and recognizable using pictures, videos, cartoons. We started from learning the Creation firstly the children to know the truth and secondly to dispel an illusion of the Theory of Evolution. Children didn’t like the idea that they came from monkeys. The truth that God created them and everything that is around us and that they are God’s children they liked most of all. They were astonished at God’s power to create the World for 6 days. The most difficult thing to understand was that they are created in imitation of God.
Several next meetings we spent talking about God’s Names. The Bible gives us different names such as Elohim (Almighty God), All-seeing God, Justifying God, Emmanuel (God is with us), Adonai (Lord and Sovereign), Yahve (God will trace) on which we stopped to learn in details on Joseph’s example. We told that God will trace their lives if they obey God’s Word not succumbing to devil’s tricks. During that lesson I tried to draw a parallel between Joseph’s life and orphans’ lives as any orphanage is not the place for a childhood. Moreover, many children are victims of abuse. Joseph’s life seemed to be much more difficult for children than theirs, but with a happy end! The reason is that Joseph stayed trust in God and never gave up. And God blessed him. I am sure that for children Joseph’s life will be an example to follow.
On the last day of October we decided to plan a trip to Minsk for children from Vileyka’s orphanage to distract them from Halloween. There were two major aims of this trip: evangelical and cultural (or entertaining). Firstly, we visited the Museum of Great Patriotic War were guides told and showed us the history of our country during World War II. It was very interesting. Then we moved to our church Bethlehem, were children had dinner. After dinner, there were games for children, relay races, songs, testaments and prayers. Children left us with happy smiles on their faces! Firstly, because the dinner was so tasty that even our team couldn’t eat everything given. Secondly, both children and educators were at our Baptist church for the first time and they were interested in the place where people who visit them every week and tell them about God go to. There is one Baptist church in Vileyka, but they don’t have a proper building, that’s why every Sunday there is a service but at pastor’s house. That’s why neither children nor their educators know about Christian churches. I was asked a lot of questions about our belief and our church. It was a pleasure for me to answer to them. I am glad educators have positive opinions about our church now as they can have an effect on children. If the educators speak only good things about our team and our service, the children will also look on us as an authority. Also, the educators will tell the rest educators about their trip to Minsk. Nevertheless, children were our main goal. They got many good emotions, they heard about Christ and visited God’s church. In my opinion, the main aims of this trip were reached. Praise God!