LOVE 4 THE CHILDREN

This month, I was surprised by the boy Sasha. We had a topic about the story of Moses, his life. And one of the tasks for the guys was to read the story about Moses, and next time we said that we would check which of them had read it. The next time we came, we had the opportunity to personally chat with some of the guys. And one of them was Sasha. Who, surprisingly for us, began to tell us the story about Moses with great interest. It was clear that he read it, and not just remembered what we had already told to the guys.  At such moments, it is very joyful that the Gospel touches the children, that they hear and even study the Bible on their own.  On one of our trips, we had the opportunity to get together and talk only with the girls. We talked about self-esteem, about what forms self-esteem. And during the conversation, many girls opened up and shared their experiences. I think it was a special time for each of them. And their hearts were being healed of the pain they had been holding inside. At this meeting the girls learned to compliment each other, to thank each other for the good things, to see the beautiful things that God has placed in their hearts. Not so long ago, we started to organize a culinary club for the guys. For them, this is an opportunity to cook something delicious and unusual, and for us, to communicate more with them personally. At the culinary club, we cooked pizza together, and after that we ate and talked. It was very interesting for the guys to cook with us, they were all involved in the cooking process, each of them had their own task, someone grated cheese, someone sliced sausage. And we helped and told them how to cook properly. The most important thing is that we managed to involve them in the cooking process and chat with them on various topics. They asked us various questions, including questions related to the Bible.  One of the difficulties we have encountered is safety. I had to make sure that none of the guys got hurt or burned, because they were all active. But we always remind them about safety so that all classes were uneventful.

I thank God for the opportunity to glorify Him through ministry to orphaned children! I’ve never thought before that I would ever participate in such a project, although I sometimes thought about orphans. And, apparently, for a reason! God had His own plan, which He decided to accomplish, including my life in it. For almost a year now, I have been part of a team that serves orphaned children. Being a part of such a team is not just about being a member of it, it is an opportunity to be a friend who is ready to support, talk, understand and even encourage. Every trip, which I have the privilege to participate in, is a challenge for me. After all, it’s a different thing to just go to the children and make them happy, but it’s quite another thing when you have the opportunity to talk about Christ! Children abandoned by their parents are seemingly doomed to the worst outcome in their lives. This is one of the best opportunities to hear and understand who Christ is. But I repeat, having the privilege of being part of the team that comes to them, I felt the need to become a part of the lives of these children. To be not just a friend, but a friend who will help them get to know God. Christ said for a reason: “Therefore go to all nations and make them My disciples: baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teach them to do all that I have commanded you. And I will be with you all the time, until the end of time.” Having received God’s approval, it would be foolish to remain silent and not share with others! One evening, while chatting with the children, we had a topic : “Jesus is a lifeline.” And in a dialogue with one of the girls, I was pleased with her desire to hear who Christ really is. Literally, her words sounded like this: “I’m finally going to find out who Jesus is!” I do not know if she received a full-fledged answer, but her desire to find out who Jesus is made me happy and brought a smile to my face. I remember my childhood moments when I was in her place, and it’s an incredibly cool feeling when you want to get to know Christ even more! And also try to understand this issue, there is nothing better and could not be! Watching these children, I understand more and more what we need to say and show them. To show not so much ourselves, but Christ through our own lives, so that they really come to realize the importance of God in their lives.

This month, we talked with the guys about sin and how it affects both earthly life and where a person will spend his eternity. But it was in the lesson “Jesus is a lifeline” that we told the children that there is a way out and it is in repentance, reconciliation with God and acceptance of Christ as their Savior. At the last meeting, the guys had a creative lesson. I tried to use this time to not only participate in the creative process of some of the guys, but also to communicate personally with the guys. They especially love such moments because each of them has their own personal story which they want to share and their personal experiences which they ask to pray for. Together with our team, I rejoice and thank God for the open doors to boarding schools and for the opportunity to serve our dear children!

Greetings, brothers and sisters. We thank God for the opportunity to serve the orphans of the Rudensk boarding School. Every Wednesday in February, we were with the guys and spent a unique time with them. These trips always bring joy and really energize us. We see how God opens children, and they become able to change their lives. Change begins with the attitude towards other children, and more and more often we see that this is not fake in front of us, but natural. Even the teachers see the changes in the children. This month we talked about the importance of prayer. Some of the new guys wondered why we should pray, because God knows our needs anyway. And we said that it is important for God that we build a relationship with Him. When we pray, especially when we feel bad, we always feel better after we pray and have peace in our hearts. The guys began to practice and then shared how God answered their prayers. It’s nice to see the joyful children shouting, It worked, God answered.

Another time, when we arrived, we held the theme “Don’t worry about tomorrow.” And we talked about how God takes care of us and how He takes care of the little birds. God knows what we need and His response is always on time. We said that there is no need to worry about clothes, because God has already planned everything in advance. One child stood up and said, “I need a sweatshirt”, the other said, “and I need pants!” The guys were surprised that we had just brought everything they needed without any agreement. Our ministry just handed over the things for the guys that we brought. And this was a practical example of God’s care for the children. In the end, we said that worry doesn’t help, but trusting God helps us. Therefore, we encouraged the children to trust God and pray, because God hears us. And also read the Bible, because there are many examples of how other people trusted God and this strengthens faith.

The next topic was “Faith without a doubt makes God happy.” We talked a lot about faith, what it is based on. The guys said that my faith is based on the promises of adults, another said my faith is based on my own strength, someone said about the ability to adapt that both now and later it will help me. But we talked about how strong faith is based on trust in God. After all, when we fully trust God, He is able to change circumstances in spite of difficulties. We were talking about Bartimaeus the Blind that evening. We talked about what he had heard about Jesus and believed, and when Jesus passed by, he did not miss the opportunity, he turned to Jesus. Faith is calling out to Jesus even though others are in your way. We noticed that both then and now people sometimes prevent us from believing in God by trying to drown us out.

But if we break through the crowd of unbelief and criticism, we will get what we pray for and ask God for. God likes it when we trust Him. One boy said that sometimes it’s so hard to trust God because you want to see, not just believe. Another thanked God that even though he couldn’t see God, he could see how God was responding. Our next trip was relay races. We decided to just spend some informal time with the guys, playing with them and having fun. It was obvious that they really liked it. We also bought diapers and detergents for school this month. Brothers and sisters, let us pray with you that God will transform the children and educators, so that the changed lives will bring glory to God.

Our January trips to the Rudensk school began with a Christmas theater production, which our friends, the actors of the Christian theater, were happy to show. The children were captivated by the plot and the bright decorations, and after the performance they were filled with joyful emotions from what they saw. The children, who recently became orphans and came to live in a boarding school, told us that for the first time they learned about the true meaning of Christmas and now they want to learn more about God and will attend our Bible lessons on Wednesdays. That evening, the children’s eyes shone with joy and hope, hope for a loving and faithful God, about Whom they watched the production. The celebration ended with the distribution of gifts, each of the 140 children received a package or box containing everything necessary for hygiene, warm hats and gloves, school supplies, educational toys and, of course, sweets.

They jumped with happiness and gratitude to God that they were taken care of and now they have everything they dreamed of! Sasha said that now he would have his own purse and he would carry a Bible in it and read anywhere in his free time. Ksyusha was delighted with the big doll that looked so much like her. My team and I were glad to be able to see the emotions of each child and returned home overwhelmed with joy from serving orphaned children. For our next trips, we prepared biblical themes about Zacchaeus and Jesus, who loves children, and explained their meaning, showing that everyone is important to God and even a bad person can turn to Him. We said that the Lord never rejects us and wants to heal them from rejection by their parents and close relatives. At the end of each meeting, we pray with the children in groups and they share what bother them or how God answers prayers. 

I also want to introduce you to Sasha, who comes to us all the time and loves to read the Bible very much. I’m Sasha and I’m 15 years old. I don’t have any siblings, and I’ve been living at a boarding school since the first grade. I was taken away because my parents didn’t take care of me, as I was told, they drank a lot and led an immoral lifestyle. What do you like to do, do you have any hidden gifts or talents? I really like singing and I often perform in front of the school and in front of the guests. I love to sing! Sasha, tell me, how do you overcome your failures in life? I endure, but when I’m really worried about my defeat, I talk to the caregivers and ask for help to figure it out, because it’s hard to solve my difficulties alone. When you have free time, what do you like to do? I love reading, and reading the Bible brings me special joy. I like to read the New Testament because it says how Jesus Christ forgave our sins. It makes me very happy.

 What is your goal in life and what do you want to achieve? I really want to study well, and therefore I try to spend a lot of time preparing for lessons. I also want to become a singer and they tell me that I have a good voice. I try to perform at all school concerts and it helps to get closer to my dream. If I suddenly fail to become a singer, then I would like to become a massage therapist. I think I have strong hands). What are you worried about? I’m worried that I don’t have many friends with whom I can talk openly. Lately, I’ve started asking God for friends. Looking to the future, I think it will be difficult for me without friends, but when God answers, it will be easier! I trust Him. What important decisions have you made in your life? One of the important decisions was to quit smoking, another decision was to forgive my abusers and the guys who often offended me as a child. What are you appreciated for in class?I think it’s for my openness to help others, especially those who can’t do anything at all. You said you read the Bible a lot. What principles of the Bible work in your life? I’ve become more obedient, more compassionate, and I’m trying to control my anger. What would you like other people to know about you? That I am kind, polite and that I am the one who can help in a difficult moment. What is your strongest quality? I think I’m faithful! What surprises you about God? That He is All-powerful, kind and merciful. If you could turn to God, what would you ask Him for? I would ask God to be my protector, so that He would keep me safe in difficult times. I would also ask for good health.

Wednesday is a special day because we visit children at the Rudensk boarding school. We noticed that with each meeting the number of children who come to us increases, and their eyes shine with God’s love and joy from communion with the Heavenly Father. Our team of volunteers has increased and we try to listen to each child, give wise advice, pray and just be friends and mentors – to be a family! I would like to share Nazar’s story with you, with his permission. Hi, my name is Nazar and I am 15 years old. I don’t have any brothers or sisters, only my dad, and my mom died recently. What do you like to do in your free time? – I go to the gym with the guys, and after training we play ping-pong. What would you like to learn? – Learn to ride a bike. What is your favorite lesson at school? – I like literature, drawing, and I also like to read. What do you dream about? – I want to go to Minsk, and I also dream of going to the Church to see how it looks from the inside. How do you feel about your failures and victories? – I get upset because of the failures, I was drawing recently and the drawing didn’t quite work out, then I was upset, but the teacher came up to me and suggested how to fix it, and I succeeded. I was very happy, and my inner self-confidence increased, and before that, my first thoughts were that I was a loser. What important decisions have you made recently? – I have decided to be more hardworking and responsible. I try to be open and help other children and teachers. But before I tried my best to avoid work. Why do your friends love and appreciate you? – For my help, which I provide to children who do not study well. What would you like people to know about you? – That I am kind, friendly and love God. What brings you joy? – My friend Sveta and other friends. They amuse me and can always listen to me. And when the team arrives, because you are always cheerful and have such a warm and joyful time with us. What surprises you about God? – His ability to rescue even when people can’t help, God always helps. He is able to help people in different places of the planet.

If you could see God now, what would you ask Him? –So that he would give me the ability not to sin, because I am offended and I can offend in return, so that in difficult moments He would strengthen my faith and help me through difficulties. How does the arrival of the team affect you? – When you come, I receive older sisters and brothers with whom I can be safe and with whom it’s always interesting to be. I learn a lot of new things, and my faith in God grows. I believe that you are not accidental in my life, and I hope that when I get out of boarding school, I will be able to continue my friendship with you, and maybe go with you to other children’s boarding schools. This month we talked about Jesus, about His life on earth and about His love for people, manifested in miracles of healing, resurrection, multiplication of food and many others. The children became very animated and asked us to pray that Jesus would show his love and miracles in their lives as well. We inspired them to read the Bible, because the word of God strengthens our faith and helps us to trust God in all circumstances. The final theme of the month was the story of the Savior’s Birth, and we were able to teach the children about the true meaning of Christmas and God’s Majestic plan for the salvation of all people and the forgiveness of our sins. Immediately after the topic, we prayed in groups and the children talked about what was bothering them or what bad habits they couldn’t get rid of, and then asked God to change them and make them look like Jesus Christ!