LOVE 4 THE CHILDREN

December trips to the children were especially joyful. Every Wednesday we prepared lessons that revealed the true meaning of Christmas and gave answers to many important questions: Why did Jesus come into this world? Why did God choose to be born as an ordinary human being? How did the birth of Jesus Christ change humanity? It is encouraging to see that the number of children is growing. We also see new children who have recently arrived at the school, and they especially need support. We are grateful that our Wednesday team now consists of ten committed members, which means there is enough attention and prayer for every child. Very often the children ask for more team members to come. We tell them, “Pray, and God will answer your prayers.” And it is such a joy to see how God answers them. The children say, “Faith is not something we invented — it is something that truly works.” One evening at the school, Ilya shared about how Jesus brought joy to everyone — a joy that does not depend on circumstances, new purchases, or what we own. This joy flows from our hearts and from a personal relationship with God. To live in this joy, it is very important to forgive those who have hurt us, to ask forgiveness if we ourselves caused pain, and to repent of our sins. We do all of this so that space can be freed in our hearts for true and genuine joy, because our hearts are often filled with pain, hatred, jealousy, and other darkness.

The children responded to this message, and we prayed together. They sincerely asked forgiveness from their Heavenly Father, opening their hearts to Him and confessing their sins and wounds. Sasha, a 16-year-old boy, came up and apologized for his behavior and for often being disruptive during our meetings. Already the following week, he was attentive and very obedient. It brings us great joy to see how the Lord heals their hearts and transforms their lives! What inspires us to continue serving these children is their hunger for God’s Word and prayer. This year, without exception, all the children come to the meetings and genuinely desire change in their lives. Glory to God!

I taught a Bible lesson on the topic: Jesus was born to bring us Light, and that our choices determine how we live — in the light, joy, and His love, or in the darkness of sin, offense, and harmful habits. I shared my personal testimony about how for a long time I blamed my parents and did not want to take responsibility before God or confess my own sins. It was clear that a personal example sparks interest and helps the children see how to practically apply what they learn during our meetings. Testimonies give them confidence that with God they can experience freedom from addictions and unforgiveness, and that His unconditional love will heal their wounded hearts. On the last Wednesday of December, we answered all the children’s questions about Christmas and once again shared the full biblical story of the birth of the Savior. This was especially important for children who had recently arrived at the orphanage, because many believe that Christmas is simply the birthday of Santa Claus or just the New Year celebration.

When they heard the truth, their eyes were filled with hope and faith that only Jesus can help, that only Jesus can fill their lives with love and meaning. When we asked the children, “What gift do you think Jesus would like to receive?” they excitedly answered: friendship with us, more joy, and some said health. One teenager, Sasha, said, “Our attention and deep faith.” We are grateful that the children and teenagers came to this understanding on their own. Dear brothers and sisters, we thank God for the opportunity to serve Him and to be a light where it is so deeply needed. Please pray that in the new year even more children’s lives will be transformed, and that each one may experience God’s love. Thank you for your prayers and support. May God bless you!

A trip to an orphanage is not just a visit but a meeting that changes hearts. It reminds us that true strength is not found in loud words, but in simple gestures: a smile, an attentive look, a shared game.
When we go to visit the children, they greet us with shining eyes and a special desire to communicate.
And it is a wonderful feeling to know there is a place where you are needed and awaited, where you can be useful to someone.

During the games, songs, and conversations about God you understand especially clearly: children need not only care and gifts, but also spiritual support, words that bring hope and strengthen the heart. During our recent trip I had a unique opportunity to talk with a boy named Sasha. He is very different from the other children, according to him, he comes to us not for games, but for conversation and learning about God. While other children enjoy singing and playing, that’s not what draws Sasha. What he truly loves are the Bible stories and the conversations.

Over the past two weeks the children and I have gone through a journey full of discoveries and meaningful conversations. We talked about friendship, about how it is a precious gift that requires care, honesty, and time. We learned to see in each other not just roommates or classmates, but those who can become true support.And perhaps most importantly – we saw that God does not leave us when things get difficult. He is near when we are angry. He helps us forgive. He teaches us to love.

The moment of departure is always the hardest, when you walk out of the building and see the children waving at you or sometimes even knocking on the window. It touches the heart deeply and at the same time fills you with joy in anticipation of the next meeting. Hope remains in their eyes and in our hearts – gratitude for being able to share a piece of warmth with them. For me, each trip is a reminder: true value is not found in things, but in being present, in words of support and in shared moments of joy.

October was full of events and positive emotions. We hosted sports competitions where children showed character and teamwork. This time, two teams tied as they were equally strong, with Nadya and Nastya supporting and helping participants. At the end, all children received sweet awards, as per tradition. We always encourage those eager to help, making sure everyone feels important.

During other meetings, we discussed the issues that everyone faces at different periods of their lives. We were discussing storms in our lives and the tools that God has given people to navigate such periods. We talked about prayer, the Bible, and church during the previous month. And when we were talking about life hardships, we mentioned how these tools help us. The next meeting was devoted to the topic ’Our thoughts’. Vlad was telling the children how our thoughts affect our behavior and our lives in general. He used the biblical examples to show them how evil thoughts can lead to dangerous and serious doing. For example, the thoughts of the Pharisees affected them in the way that they started to search for the opportunity to kill Jesus Christ, and as a result, they crucified Him on the cross. Moreover, Vlad was giving practical advice on how to stop negative thoughts on time and also taught to turn to Jesus Christ for help, who is mighty to cast His light upon our thoughts, hearts, and any sphere of a person’s life.

Then, we talked with the children about sin, which is presented as something nice and attractive. In her Bible lesson, Nastya was using different candies as a visual illustration. The candies in beautiful wraps were not delicious at all, and, on the other hand, the candies in simple, not bright wraps were delicious. That is how sin works in our lives. At first sight, everything looks appealing, bright, and pretty, but the consequences are always bitter and sorrowful. Also, I would like to note that the children from Rudensk make an effort in reading the Bible, and when we have Bible lessons, some of them try to find the extracts from the Bible that we use during our meetings right away.

Moreover, they learnt to boldly share not only their prayer needs but also the things they struggle with. For example, Sasha was asking us to pray with him to stop using swear words, and Polina is now asking to pray not only for the healing of her leg but also that God could change her character and help her not to fight with her friends and not to be rude and disobedient with the teachers. In all these moments, I see how God takes care of these children, wants to transform their characters, and give them both physical healing and healing of their spiritual wounds, and change their destiny. That’s why we still need the prayers of people who are not indifferent to the future of the young orphans! Thank you, dear friends, for being with us!

Greetings, brothers and sisters,
I thank God for the opportunity and privilege to be a bridge of communication and to share news from the ministry.

The new school year has begun, and we were eagerly waiting to meet the kids again. Memories of the past camp in Rudensk and all the blessings still stir our hearts with joy. When we arrived, the children were already waiting for us outside. Joyful shouts and the calling of volunteers’ names filled the air, sometimes even drowning out the excited conversations of those who had run up to us first.

We noticed how much the kids had grown over just a couple of months — not only physically, but also in awareness. And yet, they remained just as wonderful. They were eager to share everything that had happened to them. It became clear to us that we are not just volunteers — we are friends, we are family. The camp we held brought us very close, and now the children are more open and affectionate — this includes the teenagers as well. There were also new faces — children who had just arrived. Recently taken from their families, they were now in a new and unfamiliar environment, full of fear and uncertainty. But our volunteers already knew how to approach them, to be an encouragement and a blessing. “Are you believers?”
This was one of the first direct questions we were asked. “Everyone talks about you.”
Yes, we are believers. God found us, and now we are here to share His most important message: He loves you.
We began the month with the topic “God exists.” For many of the new children, this was a kind of revelation. We shared our testimonies — how God came into our lives and what changed in us and in how we see the world. The children also shared their thoughts and how they often had a wrong image of God, thinking He was harsh or cruel.

During another visit, we spoke about prayer — what it is, why people pray, and why it matters. Some of the kids asked how to pray properly and what they could say to God. It was a beautiful time — after the meeting, several children eagerly said, “Let me pray!” Glory to God that there is desire and understanding! Their prayers were simple, but so sincere:
“God, restore my family. God, bless my health. Help me with school.”

On another trip, we talked about the importance of God’s Word — the Bible. Why can we trust this book? It was amazing to hear the kids who had been coming for a long time say things like: “It’s not just stories — it helps us understand God’s character.” “It’s the most important love letter from God.” One teenager said, “When I read the Bible, I find peace and calm.”
This was a unique lesson because it was the kids themselves who testified to the power of the Word of God in a reader’s life. At the end of the month, we spoke about the church as a place to meet with God. Many said, “I’ve never been to church… but I would really love to go because I want to see others who are interested in faith like me.” We explained that church is a community of people who seek God and serve others together — it is an expression of God’s love and care through people.

Church is the family you’ve been dreaming of.
This touched many of the older children, especially those who feel unwanted or unadopted. Many said, “If church is a family — then I want to be there.”Dear brothers and sisters,
Thank you for your prayers and support.
We ask you to continue praying for open doors into the orphanage and for the children’s understanding of the Gospel. We are grateful that, together with you — despite the distance — we can serve and spread the Gospel. May God bless you!

Hello everyone!  First of all, I want to thank each and every one of you who supports such an important ministry — the ministry to orphaned children. Thank you for your prayers, actions, and resources!  Your support is precious.  I pray that the Lord  blesses you in all your needs! 

I’m delighted to share with you some news about our team’s May visits to the Rudensk orphanage.  I want to say that it’s a great blessing that the doors of the orphanage are open and that we have the opportunity to visit the kids every week and build up relationships with them.  This month we had lessons about Joseph. Together with the kids we were inspired by his story and learned from his life experiences. We talked about how important it is to walk with God —that each of us may face difficulties, betrayal, and hardships, but in all of it, we must seek God and stay close to Him. He can comfort us, strengthen us, and He will never abandon us. Our team is grateful to God that the children remember these stories! We pray for their transformation, and we really want each child’s life to change for the better. 

At one of the meetings, the difficult topic of forgiveness was raised. We read in the Bible how Joseph, despite betrayal, suffering, and everything he went through, chose to forgive his brothers. We discussed with the kids why forgiveness is so important.  Ilya, a guy from our team, shared personal stories from his own life when he struggled to forgive but overcame it with God’s help .  I believe adding personal testimonies to lessons  brings everything to life in a new way.  Afterward, we invited the children to pray together, asking God to help them forgive those who had hurt them.  It was a touching moment.  Unfortunately, not everyone wanted to pray, but 5-7 kids did, and that’s already a victory! Glory to God!

We also have kids with health problems who attend our meetings. They are very open and sociable. When we hug them and ask how they’re doing, their faces just light up. What’s amazing is that some of them remember  material and even try to answer questions afterward. They’re really awesome.  One of these kids is a boy named Nikita. He tries not to miss our meetings — always joyful, active, and smiling. Nikita is constantly smiling – we could all learn from him! We also worship God in songs every time we meet. We play uplifting Christian children’s songs, and everyone sings together. It’s so wonderful to see the room filled with praises to our Lord! I encourage each of you to keep praying for the children and our team.  Grace and peace to all of you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ!