LOVE 4 THE CHILDREN

Greetings, dear brothers and sisters! We thank everyone who prayed for our ministry and for the orphans! We are glad that together with you and God we can expand the kingdom of God by carrying the gospel!

In December, we had the opportunity to visit the Rudensky boarding school 5 times. If you look at the photos, you will notice children who used to be in elementary school and did not attend our meetings. We went to their groups and held Bible meetings there. But time goes by and now these guys have matured and they are allowed to come to our general meetings. We are glad that we once laid the foundation and now we see the fruits! This month we gave more opportunities to children to pray and participate in joint prayers. What are the children asking for? “Dear God, help me win in competitions, and also give me understanding in school subjects in order to study better.” “Lord, I ask you to take me home for the winter holidays.” “Lord, help the virus to leave our country.” “Thank you for being here and already helping us.” Simple words and thoughts about the urgent. But these are the first steps, and they please us. We see how children feel safe when they come to meetings. We can reflect with the guys about the lives of biblical heroes. Recently we talked about Esther and how she conquered her fears! We also remembered Ruth and her loyalty to Naomi, as well as how Boaz was a relative of the redeemer. If it wasn’t for Boaz, then most likely they would have lived in poverty and died quickly. When we talked about Boaz, we said that he saved the lives of Ruth and Naomi, but faith in Christ gives us redemption and salvation. Usually, there are a lot of questions after such serious topics. For example: “What should the people do to stop the famine (this story is about Naomi and her husband)”? I replied that if the people repented for their sins, there would be no famine at all. So in our life, we think if we move somewhere, our personal life will change, but life depends the relationship with God only! Boaz paid for the land to redeem it, as well as for Naomi’s debts, and Jesus Christ redeemed us from our sins. We also talked to the guys about Jonah. They talked about how the disobedience of one person could lead to the death of an entire city. And how God is interested in saving unbelieving cruel people. Then we discussed that we, as people, decide for ourselves who to help and who not. But God shows his heart, and it is full of love. We didn’t choose Him, but He chose us when we were still sinners. The guys were very hooked, because “such love is simply impossible in our world” – the guys said! Then I looked and said: “Artem, God loves and gives everyone a chance. He does not want any man to perish, so He sent His Son to save and reconcile people and God.”

Also this month we talked about the Nativity of Jesus. We talked about the fact that the world lies in sin, but God does not care and He wants salvation. The birth of Jesus Christ was a decision of God and a plan to save man from his own sin. We talked about the fact that the baby Jesus was born in a stable, about how Joseph did not believe Mary and how the Angel confirmed that the savior of the world was born. Everyone knows the story, but we also watched and analyzed the angel’s words about peace on earth. Peace came to the earth only when Jesus came. It was His Birth and later life that reconciled people and God through faith. “And what is the Nativity of Jesus Christ for you?”-I Everyone has their own associations connected with Christmas. Someone associates it with dreams, someone with holiday decorations and gifts. Looking back on how this month has passed and how this year has passed, I thank God for His guidance! After all, thanks to His grace, we could make trips to boarding schools, bring joy and hope to children! Thank God for everything! Merry Christmas!