LOVE 4 THE CHILDREN

I would like to thank you for your sacrificial giving and for your prayer support! With your participation we were able to organize and held the camp for the orphans. In 10 years of our ministry to the orphans we see that exactly in camp a person happens to make the most important decision of his or her life. In total we had 110 people in the camp. The name of our camp was “In search for happiness”. People look for happiness everywhere but very often their search turns empty. Every day at the camp kids discovered a new aspect of life but conclusion of every day was the same that the true happiness is only in close relationship with God.

Orphans are kids who lived through a lot of pain.  The kids that came to our camp have lived through: alcoholism and indifference of parents, constant loneliness and fear, drug-addicted parents, constantly changing step-fathers, sexual abuse in families, destroyed values, broken spirit and rejection. In the world of sin they have seen everything that attuned them to loose. But we believed that despite of these terrible experiences the children can still open to God and receive from Him the true hope, faith and love.

When kids arrived to the camp in buses we saw fear and distrust in their eyes. But our volunteers met them in colorful costumes, with cheerful mood and joy therefore kids also started to smile. The children did not understand yet to where they have arrived but we were already were saying to them: “welcome to the family!” These are exactly the words that describe the atmosphere that our team created for the orphans: you are who you are and you do not need to put on a mask – we receive you with joy!

The camp was held for 10 days and during all that time we saw how the children were changing – we saw how from “hedgehogs” they were transforming into champions! It is a joy to know that now after the orphans have passed the whole 10 days of training in the camp now they are able to say with assurance that it is in our camp that they have learned to trust people, learned to love themselves and people around them, learned to forgive, learned to forgive even the kind of things that seemed to be impossible to forgive. Victories in the lives of children become possible thanks to God, Who heard yours and ours united prayers and lead the team in the right direction! Every day in the camp had its own theme. Also every day in the camp we had crafts, sports, movies and games but most memorable were close fellowship inside of groups and evening church assemblies.

The shift in children’s thinking happened when kids realized that they are not orphans because Jesus set them free by paying their price in full. Therefore their sins are forgiven and now they can be close to God and live a totally different life. Therefore we tried to communicate to the kids this message: “Do not listen to those who say that you are a Looser because Jesus Himself says that you are His child.”  Oh, how deeply these words reach into an orphan’s soul because these children have heard in their lives so many words of curses and rejections! The children were saying “I want to see changes, I want people to believe in me because it is so hard to succeed when people constantly humiliate and betray me!”

Last evening was a very special evening. It is going stay in memory of children and volunteers for many years. At our last evening meeting we had a call to repentance. We saw tears of joy when 60 kids realized what Jesus Christ did for them on the Calvary’s cross. Their thinking has shifted and those 60 kids dedicated their lives to Jesus that very same evening!

Thank you for this opportunity to minister to the orphans together with you! We believe that our united ministry will bear even bigger results for the Glory of God.  Let us pray together that the children would keep the faith which they obtained in the camp and that we would see all these kids in Heaven and rejoice over the fruits of our united work! Glory to God!

ILYA

I could not believe that I will have the opportunity to go to a Christian camp! I was raised in a Christian family, but I am an orphan. Life is very hard, but I’m glad that God has taken care of me and gave me a family that adopted me. While I was in the camp, I was wondering: what all the kids are happy? Is all this sincerely? I always wanted to have real and true friends, I was praying so long about it and here, in this camp, God heard me!
There was a special evening service in the penultimate day, which greatly affected my life. There was a call to repentance, during which I felt that God is knocking on my heart and gives me the understanding of what he has done for me! At that moment I felt double senses: first – the understanding of my sinfulness and understanding that Christ suffered just for my personal sins, and the second – there was peace and quiet in my heart, because God has forgiven me and had given me the salvation.
I want to thank everyone who made it possible to be in this camp!

ANDREI

I want to say thank you for this camp! I am an orphan. I have never had friends. Since childhood I have been betrayed by parents and friends. It is painful for me to say this, but it’s true. In the camp we lived with the boys, who are also orphans. This simplified our communication. The atmosphere was very friendly.
Once I have already repented in my life, but it was because I was brought up in a Christian family, where it was needed. Although, it was not a real repentance, but just an excuse for not to be bothered. But in this camp I have not just been told about Christ, but also have been unobtrusively offered to listen Bible studies, to pray and to observe the actions of God. For the first time, I was free to choose for myself what I should do! It was very important for me. One evening sounded preaching that God is important for everyone, and that everyone is special and unique. It made me thinking that maybe God really exist, and that He loves all people? I felt His love to me personally at the time of the call to repentance. That evening I repented and this time consciously, and felt all the love of God to me and realized my sinfulness. I was overwhelmed with the feeling I had never felt before! I asked God to change my life and now I believe that He will hear me!

CHRISTINA

My name is Christina, I am 12 years old. I always thought that much in life depends on chance or luck, and I’m really lucky in life. But now I see the hand of God in my life! Not all orphans have the opportunity to find a family, but God has blessed me with a good Christian family! Every day I see an example of Christian care and love. My father is a pastor of the church. And I can really see that my father’s actions match his words. In this family, I feel an example of God’s love and acceptance!
In the camp I participated in everything. I’m curious to know about Christ and I want to learn more about Him. One evening I decided to dedicate my life to God! During the call to repentance, I felt that the Lord was talking directly to me, despite the fact that there were more than a hundred people in the hall. It was a special evening.
In this camp I saw the love of counselors; they cared about us, and realized that it was God himself cares for us through them!

SASHA

My name is Sasha, I’m from the boarding school. I got to camp by accident. The girl, who had to go, refused, and I asked to take me instead of her! I was taken. I am from Buchemlyanskoy boarding school. It was the most luxurious camp in my life! I didn’t rest so well for a long period of time! I really liked the whole program of the camp, especially the games! I communicated a lot and I have made many new friends! Very often I feel myself lacking in love and respect, but in this camp, I felt free. I was even able to say without any fear that I am an orphan, and to share what is going on in my life. The atmosphere for the communication was just wonderful. Counselors were always ready to help. During the communications in the camp every day I heard about God. Here I met him because in a boarding school I knew almost nothing about Him. One of the nights I’ll remember for a long time. Once I was taken from my family. I remember that I was weeping very bitter. And after that moment I made a decision never to cry. But this evening sounded the call to repentance. From Leader Dima I heard that God is calling me to Him, that I would reconciled with him. The atmosphere was so imbued with the love of God, that I burst into tears, and when the tears go, I just ran out of the room. I was crying from the fact that I knew that God has done for me! That evening I did not keep his promise never to cry. Because it is impossible not to cry when you realize that God has done for you. I am no longer afraid of the future, I know that I have a home in Heaven.
Looking at the counselors I wanted to help people, too! I really like being on stage and make people happy.

TANYA

My name is Tanya. I am 15 years old. For the first time in my life I have been to Christian camp. When foster parents offered me this trip, I refused. I thought it would be very boring and uninteresting. Now I am very happy that I’m here! I made new friends, I took part in games and competitions, but the most important thing – I have reconciled with the Lord.
All of my 15 years, I blamed God in all things. Firstly, that from the birth my native parents drank and made fun of me and my sister. Because they never took me in their arms, but only beat me when I cried and needed their love and care.
Secondly, because when I was 5 years old, my mother took me to a boarding school, promising to pick me up in a couple of hours, but then never came back …
I did not ask God for help, because they represent Him strict and cruel, like my father, when I turned to him. I remember once I asked Dad to play with me, and in response, he grabbed me and began to beat my head against the wall! Since then I did not ask almost no one.
At one of the evening meetings in the camp, I felt that Jesus was near. I started to cry. It was difficult for me to trust Him. All days in the camp the girls talked to me, told their stories. One of them also had a difficult childhood, but she managed to forgive her family and to follow God.
When during the last night it was spoken about repentance, I did not come out at all, because I could not speak because of tears. After that night, I asked the counselors to pray with me, and I had reconciled with the Lord.
Now I know that He is different from how I thought about Him. He is a very loving and caring father. I am very happy that I could trust Him. Thank you all for such a wonderful camp.

Grace and Peace to everyone who is following our news, prays and participate in the ministry of salvation to the orphans of Belarus! Your support, your prayers, opinion and feedback are very important for us. Thank you very much for your blessings and kind words…

At the end of June we conducted a camp for 82 orphans. Most of the orphans came from foster families. There were also few orphans from guardian families and from orphanage. This was a special time when God blessed us not just by great weather and friendly atmosphere but He also worked in a special way in the hearts of children. Around 40 children changed their lives in this camp, they saw alive and marvelous Daddy, Who loves each one of them. For some of them it was a time of renewal of neglected relationship – a new kind of look on marvelous faith or simple time of simple changes in live. While for the others it was the first repentance in live, first words to God “forgive”, first tears and changes, first joy, first turn at 180 degree. Somebody found new friends, learned new truths and saw real life examples for himself. At the camp the atmosphere of joy and gladness reigned, we did not have any injuries or accidents, minor illnesses God healed right away. I strongly remember time of our worship. It was a time when we in unity glorified our Creator for His blessing. I cannot describe in words the atmosphere of love that reigned in our meetings. I would like to note our guests, who made our time at the camp even more interesting: Dave, two Sergeis, bike trial team from Minsk. Diverse games did not give us an opportunity to be bored and kept us in good physical shape the whole day: green heel, Kapitoshka, volleyball, Zoo, football and many more… There was a time of different activities where children took photography, bungee, learned to trust each other, learned crafts and had an opportunity to simply run, jump and play. Several time we watched educational movies. Especially the children loved the movie “The singers of Freedom”, which taught them to have a good relationships with classmates, not to give up but to follow your dream. At the end we had a camp-fire where we intercommunicated on a closer level, many one on one and we just sang many songs.

I also would like to note a Brazilian style prayer that Dave taught us (stand in a circle and take each other by the shoulders). Some leaders have taught children to pray this way. The children have strongly remembered this kind of prayer, some even still write about that they miss this kind of prayer, this close relationship and special feelings when you uphold somebody not just by words but also by hands. Many children said that they are going to teach this kind of prayer their friends and their churches.

Every day at the camp we learned some lesson: Creation, The Fall of Men, The Flood, The sacrifice of son by Abraham, The Law of Moses (10 commandments), The era of Judges, The era of Kings, The coming and The Sacrifice of Jesus…This way during the camp we were able to cover the whole Bible. This is remarkable because we were able to cover almost the whole God’s plan of salvation…

I would like to note children who possess different talents and abilities. We had allocated a special time for this and children were able to show what talents they have. Everyone impressed us in a different way: by acrobatics, by might, by callisthenics, by singing, by artistic ability. Everyone was interesting in its own way and beautiful.

I am asking a question myself: what children will remember and take from this camp? They are going to take alive and un-hypocritical relationship with God which they saw on the example of leaders and which they were able to learn during those 9 days at the camp.