LOVE 4 THE CHILDREN

Hello!  Thanks God, we can visit orphans from Smilovichi.  We are glad that in spite of the global situation, God is opening people’s hearts. We have visited the orphanage four times this month.  Thank God for this opportunity! This month we were able to know more about Nastya and Yana.  Nastya attended church on holidays when she was at home.  Ones she asked us “Do you love God too?”  We said that we love Him very much!  She said that her mother does not believe in God and when she was presented with a children’s Bible, she burned it.  Nastya says she was very upset that she was left without a Bible.  When we heard about this, we brought the girls children’s Bibles.  The next Tuesday Nastya was able to tell the Bible stories that she have read.  Now she prays for her mother to stop drinking, and every time before going to bed she asks God for protection.  “I think that God is very strong and He likes it when I smile,” Nastya tells us.  I like Nastya for her sincerity and the fact that at the age of 9 she is looking for God.  It’s so cool!  Also in the orphanage there is Yana, she is 4 years old.  We know that she came from a very poor family and it is clear that there was no one to deal with Yana.  This is manifested in many ways.  She often tries to steal something, and when we say: “take it, this is for you,” Yana’s template collapses.  “It turns out you don’t need to steal it all for me;  pencils, coloring books,  candies ”!  We love to hug Yana and it is clear that she is not used to do it.  She wants a hug, but because of the past, she keeps Katya and me at a distance.  Also, when we brought things, we thought whether they would fit or not, because Yana is very small, but when they began to measure, everything suited her.  She was happy!  Yana did not have a hat and gloves.  Everything she came wearing was things that were either much larger or smaller.  A teacher came up to us and said that we were the answer to Yana’s needs.  I’m so glad God took care of the girls through our ministry!  Also one evening, we left Minsk, but due to traffic jams, we arrived at the orphanage 20 minutes later than usual.  The teachers were told that the girls were very worried and asked where are we. Yana said, “Maybe the snow queen kidnapped them?”  And Nastya says that she asked God to spend this evening with us. We have talked about Joseph this month. We have talked about betrayal, talked about God’s care, about forgiveness and how difficult it is to forgive.  But I’m so glad that God gives the strength to forgive!  Nastya said that she forgives mom and wants dad to come back, and mom to stop drinking.  She said she would pray for it.  Yana said that she wanted to join the family and wants to be loved and not scolded or beaten anymore.  We also had one creative activity this month.  Creativity helps girls to relax, switch from anxious thoughts, and do what they like.  And during creativity we remembered Joseph and then thanked God for His closeness and help. Brothers and sisters, thank you for your prayers for ministering to orphans!  Let’s pray that God will keep children safe from disease!  Let’s pray that the gospel will spread and change the hearts of children and caregivers!

In October, we haven’t come to the Smilovichi orphanage due to the fact that Alina was taken into a new foster family, and there were no other children in the orphanage. We can see how the Lord answers to the prayers of children for new parents and good families!) Last Tuesday we have come to Nastya, she is 9 years old and she was taken away from her Mother for the first time. From Nastya’s words, we know that her mother drinks alcohol and her roommate beat her mother and children. Nastya was often bruised, she has been living with fear and hid from her mother’s friend. She said that she constantly prayed to God and He protected her and sent kind people (believing neighbors) who, with the permission of her mother, took her to Sunday school. Recently, Nastya asked the Lord for a calm life, without violence and beatings. She is very glad that she in the shelter now, she says: I feel safe and not nervous. We supported Nastya and talked about God’s love and about people who refuse to live with Him on the example of those who lived in the time of Noah. Our goal was to show the mercy and care of the Heavenly Father and how He miraculously preserved the lives of Noah’s family and the entire generation of people.

Since September, the doors of the Smilovichi shelter have been opened again for our team after quarantine. For six months we could not visit the children, but we could help them and take care of everyone. During this time, we bought a greenhouse for the orphanage and all summer the children had fresh vegetables from their garden. We also also provided them with hand antiseptics and hygiene products. Now there is only one girl by the name Alina left in the orphanage, and all the other children were returned to their families by a court decision. Thank God! Their parents decided to quit their bad habits, find a job, and restore their relationship with their children.

Alina’s situation is more complicated, her own mother is in prison and will not be released soon. Over the past few years, Alina has been in two foster families and in each family she hadn’t good relationship with her foster parents, and a new pain and disappointment came. When we talked to her about God and His love, Alina said that she began to pray every day and seek communion with God. In fact, before meeting us she had never been to Church and never prayed. She says that none of the Bible lessons we taught were in vain and that her relationships with other people and especially God has been changed. Also she feels better about herself.

Greetings, brothers and sisters, thank God for the opportunity to serve God with you!  This month we had 5 trips to Smilovichi shelter.  I am glad that God opens the hearts of children to be open to words and to change their lives.  We had one meeting dedicated to the faith of Abraham, and then talked about Joseph.  We combined these two topics in order to show the children that despite the difficulties and trials in life, God has everything under control.  The history of children is the history of failure of upbringing and the choice of the wrong way for parents.  Children tend to put all the blame on themselves, but we want to help the children overcome the crisis in which they are.  Stories help children see their situation through the example of other people described in the Bib

le.  Joseph’s betrayals – this event stopped for a long time after him, many people have also experienced this.  We talked about our feelings, talked about who we are asking for help and how we transfer this event.  We realized that this place is the most painful in which the children are so in need of forgiveness and healing.  Sometimes we are not allowed to talk about it!  But only after talking abput it the child gets the opportunity for full awareness and, accordingly, healing.  We also talked about forgiveness and for many children it’s hard to forgive their relatives, as  misunderstanding of their relatives leads to a dead end.  Why it is hard to forgive?  Children think that if they do not forgive, it will be worse for parents or relatives!  But this is not so; we see how the children are tormented by these situations.  God gives wisdom to have such situations to show children what will happen or will not happen when we forgive.  Our team sees how much work should be done to restore the soul.  God wants the children be free, but they do not understand because of anger and resentment!  Concluding the story of Joseph, we said that it was God who played the main role in the forgiveness and reconciliation of Joseph and the brothers.  And we showed the children that having intimacy with God, we can overcome any difficulties. I am glad that God works in the Smilovichi shelter, we see that change is overtaking children.  The great thing that we see is  when a person forgives his offenders, God reassures the children.  And now the children are becoming calmer and their behavior is getting better as  their memory. Thank you for praying for us and supporting us!  Thank God.

Hello dear friends! I would to tell you about the meetings we had this month. Every time we come to the children, they greet us with joy and a warm hugs.  We are like elder brothers and sisters for them. This year our trip began with a meeting with a believing clown.  He came to the children with the whole show, and the children received cool, unforgettable impressions  as well as gifts.  When the children opened their gifts, one girl got a pink mirror, and she was very happy with it, other children while opening their gifts were telling to each other what they’ve got.  They were very happy.  For happiness, children need love, attention, care and gifts.  But before giving them gifts, we told them about the greatest gift that the Lord Jesus gave us.  We were talking about the history of Christmas, and it was so nice that the children know about the birth of Jesus. In subsequent trips, we began to go through stories about Abraham.  We were talking that it is very important to trust God, because if He promised something, then He will fulfill it in right time.  And it is important for us tu trust Him, because He is not mistaken.  We looked at what Abraham had to face, what difficulties, but all the same, Abraham was faithful to God. We also went through the history of Hagar and Ishmael.  Talked about the fact that if there is something you can do well, but the other can’t, then you shouldn’t laugh at this person, because everything will return to you as a boomerang.  We told how Hagar got pregnant from Abraham, and how she began laugh at Sarah, for which she received some bad experience in her life. It is very joyful to understand and see how children remember stories, and  retell them.  It is very important to remember and apply this in your life. Dear friends, thank you very much for your prayers, and for your help!  Thank God for each of you.