LOVE 4 THE CHILDREN

May is always a particularly exciting time in our ministry because very soon some of the graduates will leave the school forever. This is a period when they start telling us which cities they will go to for further studies, begin to exchange contact information and at that time we try to support and encourage them, as well as introduce them to local churches in the cities they are moving to. After all it is great that the doors of churches are always open for such special young people, and there they can find support and help during this challenging period for orphan graduates. For them this time is a step into a new, unknown adult life!

At first, it is really difficult for the young people to adapt to society, which always carries the risk that teenage boys might fall into bad company, and girls might enter into complicated relationships. They are very vulnerable and easily influenced during this period, so we try to help them find worthy friends in the church and avoid negative influences. This year, there are 23 graduates at the Belinichy orphanage. We have known most of them since their very first days at the orphanage when they were 5-6 years old. Before our eyes, these young people have grown up learning, falling in love, crying and laughing; being kind and angry; joyful and strong; sometimes weak and defenseless. It was with our team that each of them first encountered God and learned concepts such as faith, love, forgiveness, salvation, and eternal life.

We send these young people into adulthood with special tenderness and fully entrust their futures to our good and loving God! Regarding our trips in May, they were quite interesting and full of activities. We dedicated the entire month to the biblical hero Joseph, who faced betrayal by his brothers, loneliness and injustice throughout his life. But in all these circumstances he remained faithful to God and God consistently supported Joseph by giving him strength and wisdom in various life situations. At the end of the story, the children learned how greatly God rewarded Joseph for his faithful and kind heart and how He gave him strength to forgive his brothers who had once betrayed him.

During our final meeting where we discussed Joseph’s example, we had an opportunity to talk with the children about forgiving themselves, forgiving those who hurt them and forgiving God. This topic is quite relevant for orphans because each of them has faced betrayal and pain caused by the most closest to them – parents. Some children still struggle with resentment towards their parents, others blame God for placing them in an orphanage, some live with feelings of guilt for various reasons. All these issues require time, special attention, patience and most importantly – God’s work in their hearts! On our part, we try to be instruments in God’s hands so that all the good things our Heavenly Father wants to give thesechildren can come true, with love, care and friendly hugs.

Greetings, brothers and sisters. I thank God for the opportunity to serve the orphaned children of Belarus. April was a special month when we prepared the children for Easter. In the first two weeks of April, we talked about the election of Moses, how God protected him. It was important for us to tell and show where the Easter celebration started from. And during the topics, we realized that many of the guys had forgotten, and the new ones didn’t know at all. Easter is a celebration of hope for all mankind. It was interesting to hear how the children assume what Easter is. But in the established tradition of Belarus, they often talked about painting eggs, as well as how important it is to bake Easter cakes. I say okay, your answer is accepted, but what does it have to do with Easter? One of the older children said, I’ve never even thought about the meaning. I just believed that it was necessary to do this on this holiday, but I do not know why.

At the third time, we talked about the Easter holiday itself. We talked and remembered what Moses did, how he brought the people out of Egypt. But our main character was a sheep, which was the prototype of Jesus Christ. When we were talking about cooking the lamb and anointing the doorposts, one boy said, “That’s probably why we need to paint the eggs!” Then we talked about Jesus, that He came to earth to redeem us from our sins. That only the blood of Christ cleanses us from sin. We said that God wanted people to be saved, but not all people believed Moses and did not paint their doors, and now many people do not believe in Jesus, and therefore they do not have an Intercessor.

After completing the topic, many guys asked a lot of questions as we walked to the car. And it was clear that they were really interested in knowing more about the holiday itself. When we arrived on the fourth Thursday, we had a stag and hen party. It’s a special time when the girls get together separately and the boys too. The topic was general – “Self-assessment”. During long time, we noticed that the guys have very low self-esteem. They are often told that they are somehow wrong. Accordingly, they are often shy and afraid to try something new. And we talked about the reasons that destroy self-esteem and about God’s view of us and the labels that people put on each other.

After the meeting, many guys came and asked us to pray for them, so that God would destroy the misconception about themselves.Despite the diagnoses of the children, sometimes people are too cruel when they say hurtful words into the lives of children. I want to share that it was my birthday this month and it was nice to see how the children prepared gifts and surprises for me. And at that moment, I thought that they were no longer demanding anything, but learning to give. The problem with orphans is that they say “they owe me everything”. But thank God, I see how orphans open their hearts and begin to give to others.

“We are so glad,” the guys said, “that you are teaching us to believe in God, this is what gives us the strength to overcome difficulties in our lives.” I understand that this is something good that has been planted and constantly cultivated. Dear brothers and sisters, thank you so much for your prayers and for your messages. We believe that serving together will bring great fruit for the kingdom of God. And now I want to ask you to pray for the guys so that the word of God changes lives and gives strength to resist sin. Also, pray for the team so that God will keep them healthy, many of the guys were sick, and that all the plans in the ministry will work out. Thank you very much, God bless you.

March was a bright and joyful month for our visits to the orphanage in Belynichi! We not only had meaningful conversations with the children but also spent some wonderful, fun-filled time together. And finally, spring arrived, bringing us warm, sunny days that made the perfect backdrop for our meetings. This month, we talked with the kids about how sin can grow, like a snowball, if we don’t stop it in time. But there’s no need to panic—there’s always a way out! And that way is repentance. We discussed how Jesus came into this world to show us the path to forgiveness and cleansing. It was an important conversation, full of hope and light! Additionally, we taught the children a new, catchy song, which they almost memorized right away. The song is called *”The Universe in Polka Dots”* and is about how Someone (we all know Who) scattered the stars in the sky. The kids had a blast singing it, and couldn’t help but smile, because the melody was so lighthearted and fun! We not only learned the lyrics and tune, but also had a great time practicing the dance moves that went along with this cheerful song. At the end of the month, the kids finished their school quarter and proudly shared their results! Some talked about their successes, while nearly everyone was eagerly looking forward to the upcoming break. After all, school days can be quite a challenge. They were excited to finally relax and enjoy some well-deserved time off. Each meeting with the children leaves a bright mark on our hearts. We’re so happy to be a part of their lives, to support and inspire them to live with kindness and light! A huge thank you to everyone who helps make these trips possible!

This month we had not that many trips to the orphanage in Belinichy than usual, as the children were sick, and at the request of the administration we had to pause our visits. On the one hand, this is disappointing but on the other hand, there are some positive aspects to it. For example, the children missed us a lot, and when the visits resumed a little later, they treated those meetings with special care. In such moments, the children always reassess their values, and they begin to cherish the time spent with us even more. Each of the kids joyfully welcomed our team, and each of them wanted to share something special that had happened during that break.

This month we still managed to talk with the kids about what faith without doubts is. I think it is very important to have such conversations with the kids, so they always have hope and don’t fall into despair or gloom in difficult moments of life. They need to remember that everything that seems hard or even impossible for humans is always possible for God! The Bible has many vivid examples of the power of faith and how people received their miracles because, in their struggles they seek help from Jesus Christ and were confident that their healing was found in Him.

A striking example of this is the story of the healing of the blind man or the woman who had suffered from bleeding for 12 years, and all she needed was to touch the hem of Jesus garment to receive her long-awaited miracle. At the next meeting we had sports relays. This is always a special time because during sports the children’s personalities really show, such as their desire to win, their self-esteem and their ability to work as a team. It doesn’t always go perfectly for them, but the guys from our team always try to actively participate in the relays and, at the same time teach the children about unity, patience, and how to support weaker members of the teams.

This time, the teenagers with Down syndrome, whom I especially love, participated with great enthusiasm. What touched me the most was how joyful and grateful they were to be allowed to participate alongside the other children in all the contests, and how hard they worked to bring victories to their teams! I am grateful to God for the opportunity to be with the children in these moments! And over the years I understand more and more what it means to have lived a day meaningfully! Thank God for the open doors to boarding schools and for the administration that is open to us and allows us to come to the Belinichy orphanage!

Dear brothers and sisters, I greet you! So the new year has begun, and with it our trips to the Belynichy School. We are glad that God allows you and us to move on to a new stage of life. Thank God. At the beginning of the year, we had the opportunity to visit graduates from the Belynichy boarding school in Bobruisk. When the guys found out that we were coming, they were very happy and prepared for the meeting in advance. We agreed that we would meet with them at the Reconciliation Church. So even before the appointed time, the guys were there two hours before our arrival. We are glad that the guys got to know the pastor of the church and the youth. When we arrived, we brought pizza with us. We listened to the guys, it was interesting to find out what they go through and how they overcome the challenges along the way. We realized that since they are orphans, there are much more difficulties for them to integrate into society. Danik the pastor told the guys, we want you to become a part of our family and a part of the church. It was obvious that the guys were surprised by the pastor’s suggestion. But they agreed anyway, and Andrey said thank you very much for your concern and for your love for us. We haven’t seen much love for us lately, and you’ve given us what we needed. We brought the guys grocery bags with food, as well as everything they needed for cooking. We talked, prayed, and then took the guys to the dorm.

Also on January 11, we came to wish the guys a Merry Christmas. Our friends, the puppet theater, came with us. It was a surprise for the guys, and when they saw the team, they were very happy. When the performance began, the dolls told the story of the birth of Jesus Christ and, in general, why he came into this world. The guys were so immersed in the story that silence and exclamations of emotion sounded during the performance. More than 40% of the children were new ones who had never heard of the Nativity of Christ. Thank God that there was an opportunity to tell an amazing story, as well as to show how the birth of Jesus changes a person’s life.

Another time, when we arrived, we discussed the topic of Zacchaeus. We talked about how a small person became big in the eyes of God. Because of their diagnoses, children have congenital developmental features and sometimes think that they are not good enough for God to pay attention to them. But when we told about Zacchaeus, how he lived and what he did, how he offended and robbed. Zacchaeus is bad, the children said. But God sees both good and bad children. For God, everyone is important. And when, during the story, the guys heard that Jesus had come to his house and had a good conversation with Zacchaeus, our hero decided to change his life. And he said I’ll give it all away if I’ve offended or robbed someone.

The guys said it’s hard to forgive someone who does bad things to them and it’s hard to change quickly. But with God, anything is possible, Sasha said. The story has shown that God sees even in a crowd, and even those who are short, ugly, or act badly. God can forgive us if we ask for forgiveness. Faith in God can change us. Escorting us to the car, the guys recalled different situations that happened to them and when they thought that God did not know and did not see them. Thanks Dima for sharing this story, it helped me to understand that God cares about me.We had another topic this month when we talked about how Jesus loves children. We have shown by our lesson that Jesus values children and wants them to trust Him as children trust their parents.

And that God doesn’t care only about adults, or stars, presidents, or teachers. Everyone is important to God. Coming to Jesus is easy. It’s okay to be curious. Children ask a lot of questions and want to learn. God likes it when we want to know God more. But it may happen just like as the disciples resisted the parents who brought the children to Christ, so sometimes the older guys may not believe in God and try to destroy faith in you. We need to remember that God is waiting for us and he loves children. The guys exclaimed, I am important to God! I say, of course. Dear friends, thank you for your prayers and for your support for us! Pray for the children to have a solid foundation and a breakthrough in their life and faith.