Dear readers!
I want to tell you about our meetings with the children from the Belinichy orphanage in November. This month turned out to be quite eventful and interesting. At the meetings with older guys we discussed very serious and disturbing topics such as “pride”, “revenge”, “gossip” and we also talked about suicide with an emphasis on the value of life in the eyes of God.
There are several older kids at school who usually come up to greet the team and talk for a bit before the 
meeting starts, and then they leave, they think that this event is not for them because they consider themselves very mature and cool to play games and sing. Sometimes they try to peek into our classes and attract our attention because no matter what they say, they are still children, just older and they need attention, love and hugs like the others. This month these guys began to linger more and more at our meetings and even began to try to participate in our discussions. No wonder!
Each of them personally has faced pain, betrayal, rejection, and everyone knows how difficult it is sometimes to forgive someone, to stop living with the desire to take revenge on their offenders or how difficult it is sometimes to overcome your pride and show humility there, where it is needed. Some kids have faced an unwillingness to live when they encountered betrayal from their loved ones or bullying from their peers so it was important for absolutely everyone to hear how much God values the life of each of them and how many good things are ahead for them if they make the right choice, communicating with the right people and learning to cope with their negative emotions.
The topic of gossip is one of the most common problems among teenage children in all boarding schools! After all, gossip is sometimes used as a way to draw attention to one’s own person, while humiliating others by spreading negative and often false information about other people. During this topic, guys immediately begin to reproach each other for some moments, especially girls, because they perceive gossip about themselves as painfully as possible. Our task is not just to tell them that gossip is bad but to teach children not to say bad things about others, to value each other and also to think about how God looks at each of them. After all, God is the Father of orphans and the Bible says how much He loves orphans and pays special attention to them and also that He will personally intercede for them!
This month the younger children met Joseph. We divided the story of his life into several meetings, so we could tell the guys as simply as possible how important it is to forgive offenders, as well as how God lifts up those who walk with him and remain faithful to Him even in the most difficult life situations. Joseph was just a great example of all these moments. We have already talked about the fact that in this orphanage there are quite a large number of children who have mental and physical disabilities and also can not speak. You have to communicate with such children in completely different ways, for example, with gestures, sounds or images. In addition to pictures and other visual aids, we very actively used theatrical performances in which non-speaking children were involved. Yarik, for example, usually communicates with us using individual sounds, screams and gestures.
He is very impulsive and often hot-tempered but in our lessons about Joseph he had the main role. He tried so hard to convey how kind, humble and obedient Joseph was that even teachers came running to see how he did it and were very surprised that Yarik could be so calm and responsible. We were amazed by how God and His word can influence children at the simplest child level and delight them with the changes even in the adults who surround them! And for us, this is confirmation that our work is not in vain! We are grateful to everyone who reads us, as well as everyone who supports us prayerfully and financially!
Hi! My name is Ilya. I want to share how in October together with our team, I visited the Belinichi orphanage. This is a special place, with special children. When I prayed at home, I decided to talk with the guys about the reason why I came to God and reconciled with Him. Everyone has his own way to God. The topic we were discussing at that moment was: “Bitterness of resentment.”
After all, there was a moment in my life when our daughter died. My wife and I were overwhelmed with many emotions that were oversaturated with pain, emptiness and frustration. It is when you are looking for answers in your head and you don’t find them and bitterness comes. I shared with the guys how God helped us overcome the crisis and overcome bitterness. I also shared that it is important when you go through difficult times to share it with someone. In the church, you can find friends who, in difficult moments of life, pray for you and help you not to break down. Therefore, it is important to find friends in the right place. The church is a place where we can meet with God, as well as with the right friends.
I understand that many of these children live with grievances and do not know how to forgive. At the end of the conversation, we prayed and forgave ourselves, our abusers, as well as God. Thank God that there is such an opportunity to be an example for guys who are just learning to walk the path of life.
When we arrived another time, I was at a meeting with the younger children. Together with them we watched a Christian cartoon about Noah, who became the hero of our evening. The children were happy not only to watch the cartoon, but also to be able to discuss the topic: “Obedience.” The guys themselves told us how difficult it is to obey. But we told them that it is possible! Then we prayed with the children that they would be obedient to God, as well as to the educators. It’s not always easy for them, but let’s believe that gradually the guys will succeed!
for us to make sure that the guys were 
doing well… We arrived and the guys were waiting for us. They really wanted to tell how their adult life met them. “It’s not that simple! Sometimes it is difficult and weird, painful and offensive,” the guys said. “But it’s so nice to have you with us now! We feel safe!” We invited the guys to the local church, because it is important that the guys know and attend a church that accepts them and can lend a shoulder when it is difficult. “The church is a family,” we said. We had an acquaintance with the youth of the church. The guys told about themselves, about their lives. Then there were games, communication, prayers. We also brought food packages to the guys so that they would have food and everything they needed for a month. I am glad that the guys, after we arrived and introduced them to the church, began to attend it actively. Thank God! Dear friends, I want to thank you for your participation in the life of ministry to the orphans and your prayers! May God bless you!
have time to say goodbye to the graduates, so at the end of August we organized a meeting for them. There we tried to pay as much attention as possible to personal communication with
the kids. Each of them experiences serious fear of something new, like adult and independent future! Our main task was to tell the graduates once again about God’s love for each of them, as well as to pray for them and simply support them in such an exciting period of their lives. The graduates left school. At the moment, we continue our weekly trips to children who are still studying at the orphanage. We divide the children into two groups. Throughout September in the group of older 
children we talked about fears, talked about deception and its consequences and talked about laziness. By the reaction of children to a particular topic of conversation, you can quickly notice what each of them is struggling with! We are glad that 
the guys learn to share their problems and experiences and we try to give them practical keys to solving certain problems. After all, God, in His word, offers freedom, healing, forgiveness and salvation to everyone who opens their heart to Him. This year there were a lot of new children in the group of younger kids whom we are still getting to know. 
That is why we decided to move with the younger children through biblical stories, starting with the creation of the world. It’s interesting that those guys who tried to disrupt classes during the summer camp, today have become our active helpers. Many children are unable to talk or express their emotions due to mental and physical health problems. That’s why we
came up with Bible lessons that we also accompany with gestures. For example, children are happy to show how God created light, so they open their tightly closed eyes or they blow, creating the effect of air that drives clouds in the sky created by God During this month children learned how God created our world, they met the very first people and learned how sin entered the world. Some have already heard these stories and for others it was something completely new and still completely incomprehensible, but that’s why we come to the guys to talk about God, about the truth of what the Bible says, and also just to love them and to be big brothers and sisters for them.
children at the Belynichy boarding school. There were four trips in total. In recent months, we have seen how the atmosphere in the boarding school has changed. We see how more and more educators come to our meetings. New children came to the school, they brought children who are in a socially dangerous situation. For many of them this is the first meeting with believers. We continue to 
talk about God’s love and bible stories help us to understand in different examples how we need to act in life. The first topic was the parable of Jesus Christ about soils. We talked about the importance of not only hearing, but also applying faith in life. When we considered the topic, everyone could see themselves. The children came up and said it’s hard for me to defend my faith, when 
there is someone nearby whom I respect, and I listen to him more than what I believe in. One guy said I am too busy to delve into God. I like such simple sincere answers from guys, because I see what is happening in life. Therefore, when the guys talked about their weaknesses or workload, we said let’s agree to pray that God will help you to establish yourself in faith and experience the love 
of God even more. The next topic was love of God, and we were talking about a woman who came to Jesus and washed his feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. In this story, the woman is opposite to the Pharisee. The story says that one can know about God and delve into God a lot, but never experience God’s love. The reason is that being a sinner this woman understood how much her life needed a change, and the Pharisee was fine with everything. The sinner loved a lot and believed that 
only God would help her change her life. At the end, we talked about how the year has flown by so quickly and they all have an understanding of God and we dream that they grow in the love of God and realize what Christ has done for them. Because it is very easy to be a person who has a lot of knowledge about God and the Bible, but doubts everything. God wants us to experience Him as a Father.
We said that God can send people into our lives who will help us become better. It is very difficult to find a friend in boarding schools and many guys are often lonely even though there are many children around them. Often guys meet betrayals, because their so-called friends also have not learned to be friends. And we decided to tell them what God thinks about friendship and how to understand that someone is just trying to use you. Ivan, who is already 15 years old, said “I really want to find a friend who will not betray and will 
just be with me. I have often been betrayed and others used my friendship for their own benefit”. The last topic was the great invitation. We were talking about a story where one person made a holiday and invited friends and they refused to come. In the same way, God calls people to be reconciled with Him, to come to Him. But people often reject His love and His care, and most importantly His salvation, which He offers for free. “And what will you answer to God, because He is now also calling you to reconcile with Him…” And then in personal conversations the guys said “I want to give my life to God and be with Him. I accept the invitation from God”. Dear brothers and sisters, thank you for being with us. We are happy to work together with you to spread the kingdom of God on earth among orphans.
boarding school in April. This month we talked a lot about faith. At our meetings, we discussed Bible stories for example the saturation of five thousand people. This story 
shows us care of Jesus Christ. Before making the miracle, Jesus took two fish and five loaves. Also, this story showed the guys that in order to get your miracle, you need to entrust your fish and your bread to Jesus. The miracle was obvious, the people rejoiced and had fun, but all this became possible only when one boy gave his food to God. When we trust God with our natural needs, this is the manifestation of faith. We said that faith is always a challenge. We can’t just sit and pray and do nothing, the story of the saturation of five thousand people tells us that we also have to act and then God will change the situation whatever it will be in your life. The next topic was the healing of the lepers. 
With this story we showed that you need not only to ask for something, but also to thank. The story showed that ten lepers came to Jesus and they received their miracle. But only one returned to thank God. At the meeting there was a boy Gena, he had skin problems, and 
then he came up, showed his hands and said: “I also want to be healthy”. We prayed for Gena. Later the administration found out that there is a special laser that helps wound healing and we were able to buy it so that children who have health problems could warm up, and those who have problems with skin could be treated. Thank God, Gena’s wounds are gradually healing. On the next trip we talked about the resurrection of Lazarus. The story shows the close friendship of Jesus and Lazarus. One new boy said: “I also want to be friends with Jesus, because He is faithful”.
It was the friendly attitude that most affected the guys, because they often see only betrayal. “A real friend”, – said Artyom, – “is much appreciated in the boarding school as there can’t be many of them! Only one or two”. We are glad that we had the opportunity to talk about friendship and about the relationships that exist in the boarding school. But the story ended with the resurrection of Lazarus. We said God’s faithfulness lies in the fact that when the time comes, God will raise us from the dead and we will be with our loved ones and with Jesus. We also sing songs at meetings and often we see how children want us to do different movements from songs with them. When the meetings are over, many people want to pray and then we realize that faith comes from listening to the word of God. We understand that faith is usually instilled from childhood at home or in church. But boarding school is a special place where no one can come, and the children themselves cannot go to church. That is why serving orphans is so important. Thank you very much for your prayers about serving children! Blessings to you, friends.
LOVE 4 THE CHILDREN 