LOVE 4 THE CHILDREN

Greetings, Dear friends! Thank God for the opportunity to visit the Smilovichi orphanage in the middle of the week. The place now has five children from the same family. They’ve been in there for more than two months. These children once did not know about God, they did not read the Bible and when we meet everything is new for them. First time they’ve met the believers in their life was here, in the orphanage! They have a lot of questions: Why did God allow such a thing in our lives? Matthew asks me. Their mother left them, drinks heavily, and left home. Dad couldn’t cope with the upbringing, and the conditions in the house were threatening for their living. Lisa says: Dima, how can I forgive my mother if she left us and I hate her? We talked a lot about forgiveness, but it’s so hard for her to forgive her parents at the age of 12. Recently two more children were brought in: Arseny and Artem. These two little brothers were already taken to the family, but again returned to the orphanage. It is difficult for them and it is not clear why they were returned there! We were so happy when they were taken into a family, but now they are back. God only knows the real reasons for the return. Diana was also brought herr. Diana is now 16 years old and she has already been to this orphanage 4 times,we have known her since childhood. Now there is a process of deprivation of parental rights of the father, and her mother was already deprived of them. Diana did not have to get used to us for a long time, because she already knows that we are believers and she told us about her pain and experience.

This month, we told stories from the Bible, and then the children answered questions, all lessons are held in a playful way and with visuals and easily understood manuals. This month we discussed the parable “Of the Great Banquet” and said that God invites everyone to his house, but few come to share the joy with God. Many are called, but only a few respond to be reconciled with God. We also discussed another Biblical story about the “Seed”, we said that everything impossible is possible to God. There were examples about mustard seed and if we have even a little bit of faith, then the circumstances will change.

And we also talked about Easter. All the previous topics were a bridge to help approach the importance and significance of the holiday. God calls us all, we need faith because through faith God moves, and we receive the gift of eternal life. When we explained the meaning of Easter, we saw that children have a wrong understanding of this holiday. The children listed that Easter is eggs, bread rolls and a day off. We shared that Easter is the resurrection of Jesus Christ! We discussed where they first started celebrating Easter and under what circumstances. It was said that the Jews were in slavery and you and I were in slavery too; they needed a savior and we need a Savior! The Jews had salvation in the blood of the lamb, and our salvation in the blood of Christ. I am so glad that the guys understood this important truth.Also this month we were able to celebrate Easter. Diana, an entertainer, came to impersonate “joy” as her character. She said that many people pay more attention to the crucifixion of Jesus and this is important, but Christ has risen from the dead! And this is the most important event in the history of the whole world. Joy is given to us through the son of God, Who has given us hope and faith that we will be with a loving God and Father always. Everyone received a gift at the end of the event, and God made the greatest gift for us by sending his son to die for us! Thank you friends for your prayers and for your help with the gifts!

We are glad to inform you that the doors to the boarding schools, and the Smilovichi’s orphanage are open for us, and they now allow more volunteers from the team to visit. We can see how the Lord answers our prayers, and we thank everyone who joins us in prayer for the salvation of orphans in Belarus. In the first week of March, we had a creative time with the children from the orphanage, and they were delighted. Together we made beautiful notebooks for school and personal notes, and most importantly, we taught the children to do useful and beautiful things with their own hands. Each of them was pleased that they were able to learn new skills, and show their talents. We then taught a Bible lesson on forgiveness, based on the New Testament story of the debtor and the king who forgave him. This story is pertinent for each of them, because they refused to forgive due to the harm inflicted on them by their own families. Lisa asked: “How can I forgive my mother, who left us all for her friends? She chose alcohol and did not even apologize!” Each of them had questions about how to forgive them, if they don’t repent of their cruel ways. It was difficult to hear their stories, but we tried to direct their gaze to Jesus Christ, and His infinite power of forgiveness that He gave us on the cross. At the end of the lesson, we saw how the children’s faces brightened, and they said that they felt lighter (in their soul). There was another meeting, and the topic of the meeting was prayer. We gave the guys a question to think about. The question was: “Where do you think God does not hear us?” Some answered that in space, Ira said that in a cave. We were surprised by Diana’s answer, who is only 16 years old. She answered that God does not hear us after death, i.e, at the cemetery. It’s so great that they really think about God, about how He loves them, and that they understand that they need to pray now, and not let a single day pass by without communicating with their Loving Heavenly Father!)

I want to start with great news about the children who were in the Smilovichi orphanage.  Yana, Boris and Nastya were taken to three different families for custody, and Nastya’s adoptive parents are believers (she always asked in prayer that her adoptive parents will know and love God)!  For each of them, finding a family is the answer from the Lord!  Thank God! In February, children abandoned by their Mother have arrived at the orphanage and now they are awaiting for a court and father’s decision. They are going through a difficult period of pain and resentment, misunderstanding and judgment.  When we met, we tried to build good relationship with them and we see that we achieved this thanks to the right communication and games that do not lead to competition and rivalry.  While teaching a Bible lesson about the miracles of Jesus Christ, we asked them what they know about God, whether they had read the Bible and whether they had been to the Church.  We were surprised that they had never attended Church and knew nothing about Jesus Christ.  Then we simplified the lessons and at the simplest level, adding testimonies from our own lives, told Bible stories.  At the end of each story we answered to children’s questions and gave them the opportunity to reflect on what they have learned and what can help them to believe and trust God! Liza, she is 14, said that thanks to our visits she stopped being afraid and calmed down.  Vanya, Matthew and Timofey felt loved and very important and Ira who is 4 years old stopped waking up at night and cry.For us these words and changes in the lives of the children once again prove the power of God’s love and compassion which can heal any pain and restore any destruction!

Dear friends, Merry Christmas of our Savior Jesus Christ!  We wish you to have faith and trust in God, peace in work, love in relationships!  I wish you to have joy and progress where it is needed! As the whole year has flown by, it was special!  Last year, we witnessed how new acquaintances appeared, and then it grew into a friendship.  New unfamiliar children became friends with whom we got to know God, with whom we prayed together, empathized and rejoiced.  They rejoiced when families recovered and children returned to their parents’ homes.  They rejoiced when they prayed and there was a family that simply took the children to their home and called someone a son or a daughter.  The eyes at such moments burn with hope, as well as gratitude and love. I am so glad that God allows you to witness changes!  Thank God! We have talked a lot about Jesus Christ this month.  We talked about the birth of Jesus and what surprises me in the 21st century is that children who live in the villages know a little about God.  When we talked about Jesus this month, Boris, the new boy said he hadn’t heard about Christ.  Just like Yana and 9 years old Nastya heard a little about God.  When we told about the miraculous birth of Jesus Christ, everyone then told what they could bring as a gift to Jesus.  Of course, the gifts of the wise men were different from what the children would like to give.  Yana, 4 years old, would give Jesus a candy.  Boris, 6 years old, would give a carrot (Boris loves carrots very much), and Nastya, 9 years old, would give a gift made by her own hands.  And they asked: “Dima, do you think Jesus will like it?”  Then I told the children that everything we do with a pure heart pleases God. During the next lesson, we talked about the miracles which Jesus has made.  We remembered how Jesus fed 5,000 people, how He healed the daughter of Jairus, how He healed a blind man.  The miracles of Jesus are what made the children very happy!  “Is it true, Dima?  Is it possible?  Wow !!! “.  When we hear about the miracles of Jesus Christ, it creates joy, and it also raises faith in God.  What miracle would you ask Jesus to make?  Yana asks her mother to take her from the orphanage.  Boris asks her mother, who is in the hospital, to recover as soon as possible, and Nastya, so that her mother stops drinking once and for all, would take her out of the orphanage and start believing in God.  Difficult desires, I thought.  But for God, nothing is impossible.  Impossible for man, possible for God!  “Let’s bring our desires to God, how can we do this?  That’s right, through prayer. ”  When we arrived the third time, we were making crafts for Jesus Christ.  Christmas crafts!  While we decorated our craft, the children told me that they never had a Christmas tree or Christmas itself.  When I asked: “Are you celebrating your birthday,” the children answered: “No!”  As it turned out, no one give gifts to the children.  Therefore, this is the first time when one of the elders sat with them and did something.  Nastya asks: “Do you think Jesus is always with us?”  And Boris answers: “Yes, Nastya, He’s Here!”  I am glad that we manage to sow the seeds of faith in a few months!  It’s nice to see hope in children and see how their faith grows!  When we arrived for the fourth time this month, we were celebrating the Nativity of Jesus.  The clown came with us.  Diana the girl Who were playing the clown grew up in such conditions, and she herself understands what it means to be an orphan.  That is why we are so glad that we could celebrate the birth of Jesus with her!  We sang for God, we spoke wishes, we remembered the birth of Jesus.  There was so much love and joy that even the teacher said: “This is the first time we see children laughing and rejoicing like that!”  Boris shouted: “This is the best day!”  We have never seen Boris so happy during his time at the orphanage.  They laughed so contagiously and was so joyful! Such emotions cannot be faked, the teacher said.  And then we gave out gifts.  They burst into tears with joy.  “I have a gift!  Thank you Jesus!  When gratitude is in the heart, it manifests itself on the faces.  Surprise gives way to exclamations and laughter!  “Look what I have in the gift!”  “This is my favorite day,” said the children.  And then they left gifts and ran up to us and they hugged us, thanked us for the gifts.  “We have never been given such gifts!” Friends, this year has come to an end.  Thank you for being with us, praying for children and for us!  Together we can be hands and feet, the voice of God on this earth.  Let’s pray for the seed of faith in childrens’ hearts!  Merry christmas and a happy new year!  Blessings!

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!