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Hi! My name is Ilya. I want to share how in October together with our team, I visited the Belinichi orphanage. This is a special place, with special children. When I prayed at home, I decided to talk with the guys about the reason why I came to God and reconciled with Him. Everyone has his own way to God. The topic we were discussing at that moment was: “Bitterness of resentment.”
After all, there was a moment in my life when our daughter died. My wife and I were overwhelmed with many emotions that were oversaturated with pain, emptiness and frustration. It is when you are looking for answers in your head and you don’t find them and bitterness comes. I shared with the guys how God helped us overcome the crisis and overcome bitterness. I also shared that it is important when you go through difficult times to share it with someone. In the church, you can find friends who, in difficult moments of life, pray for you and help you not to break down. Therefore, it is important to find friends in the right place. The church is a place where we can meet with God, as well as with the right friends.
I understand that many of these children live with grievances and do not know how to forgive. At the end of the conversation, we prayed and forgave ourselves, our abusers, as well as God. Thank God that there is such an opportunity to be an example for guys who are just learning to walk the path of life.
When we arrived another time, I was at a meeting with the younger children. Together with them we watched a Christian cartoon about Noah, who became the hero of our evening. The children were happy not only to watch the cartoon, but also to be able to discuss the topic: “Obedience.” The guys themselves told us how difficult it is to obey. But we told them that it is possible! Then we prayed with the children that they would be obedient to God, as well as to the educators. It’s not always easy for them, but let’s believe that gradually the guys will succeed!
Also this month we had a meeting with the graduates of the Belinichi boarding school. It was important 
for us to make sure that the guys were 
doing well… We arrived and the guys were waiting for us. They really wanted to tell how their adult life met them. “It’s not that simple! Sometimes it is difficult and weird, painful and offensive,” the guys said. “But it’s so nice to have you with us now! We feel safe!” We invited the guys to the local church, because it is important that the guys know and attend a church that accepts them and can lend a shoulder when it is difficult. “The church is a family,” we said. We had an acquaintance with the youth of the church. The guys told about themselves, about their lives. Then there were games, communication, prayers. We also brought food packages to the guys so that they would have food and everything they needed for a month. I am glad that the guys, after we arrived and introduced them to the church, began to attend it actively. Thank God! Dear friends, I want to thank you for your participation in the life of ministry to the orphans and your prayers! May God bless you!
year. This month had started with one great event! Several children from the same family, who had been in the orphanage for a long time, were finally able to return home. The decision on their case had been postponed for a long time, and the children became sadder and sadder.
The elder boy, whose name is Maxim, was particularly sad, because he understood more than his younger brothers what was going on in their family’s life. Seeing the changing mood of the kids, our team offered to pray together that these children would be taken home as soon as possible. Arriving a week later, we learned that they were no longer in the shelter! It turned out that God answered the prayers of the kids and they were sent home to their family. Unfortunately, we could not say goodbye to them, but we know for sure that it 
was an answer to our mutual prayers and it was a testimony both for this family and for those kids who stayed in the orphanage, because the kids themselves told us about how God answered, and how Max and his brothers went home!
For the elder teenager Arseny and for the girl Ksyusha, who is about 8 years old. Interestingly, despite the age difference, the children perfectly perceived the Bible lessons that we conducted. Perhaps this is not surprising, because we talked about resentment, betrayal, pride, as well as envy. All these negative feelings and emotions are familiar to people from early childhood, it’s just that someone encountered them more in their life, and someone less, and everyone had their own circumstances. Each topic was given a separate lesson. We talked a lot 
about the destructive power and the consequences of envy, resentment and betrayal, but we also tried to show the guys that all these problems can be solved and that there is a way out in God and His word, because He came into the world so that people would have life and have it in abundance. That is why it is important for every person to cope with their negative emotions, so that they would neither destroy themselves, nor other people. At the very last meeting of this month, four more children came to the orphanage. We are just beginning to get acquainted with them. I hope we can become friends, mentors or older brothers and sisters for them, to support and direct them to Someone who loves them with a special love.
October turned out to be very warm and colorful this year.
even more enjoyable. Every time I come to the boarding school, it’s nice to understand that the guys are looking forward to us, tell us all their news, hug and just don’t take a step away.
we were playing games. We tried to maximize the involvement of these children who did not fully understand the rules of the game. One of them is Maxim.
and not quite fast! How happy he was that he could run, that he was together with everyone and not on the sidelines! For us, this moment may mean nothing at all, but for Maxim, these actions are a manifestation of love for him! He may not hear or understand the words addressed to him, but love and acceptance do not need loud phrases. Love is an action. And Maxim felt it. This month the topics of the talks were: “Bitterness of resentment”, “Envy”, “Betrayal”. We tried to fully disclose each topic and make it as accessible to understanding as possible. At the last meeting there were sports relay races, where all the children participated with pleasure. We pray for every child so that understanding of the Word of God becomes real for them, and Love to be in every action!
have time to say goodbye to the graduates, so at the end of August we organized a meeting for them. There we tried to pay as much attention as possible to personal communication with
the kids. Each of them experiences serious fear of something new, like adult and independent future! Our main task was to tell the graduates once again about God’s love for each of them, as well as to pray for them and simply support them in such an exciting period of their lives. The graduates left school. At the moment, we continue our weekly trips to children who are still studying at the orphanage. We divide the children into two groups. Throughout September in the group of older 
children we talked about fears, talked about deception and its consequences and talked about laziness. By the reaction of children to a particular topic of conversation, you can quickly notice what each of them is struggling with! We are glad that 
the guys learn to share their problems and experiences and we try to give them practical keys to solving certain problems. After all, God, in His word, offers freedom, healing, forgiveness and salvation to everyone who opens their heart to Him. This year there were a lot of new children in the group of younger kids whom we are still getting to know. 
That is why we decided to move with the younger children through biblical stories, starting with the creation of the world. It’s interesting that those guys who tried to disrupt classes during the summer camp, today have become our active helpers. Many children are unable to talk or express their emotions due to mental and physical health problems. That’s why we
came up with Bible lessons that we also accompany with gestures. For example, children are happy to show how God created light, so they open their tightly closed eyes or they blow, creating the effect of air that drives clouds in the sky created by God During this month children learned how God created our world, they met the very first people and learned how sin entered the world. Some have already heard these stories and for others it was something completely new and still completely incomprehensible, but that’s why we come to the guys to talk about God, about the truth of what the Bible says, and also just to love them and to be big brothers and sisters for them.
in Smilovichi in September. After the summer break we were very happy to meet the children again, as were they. There we met a new boy, Arseniy, who had previously been in a juvenile refarmatory for a while. Also, unfortunately, the little boy Valentin was in the hospital at that time, but a few weeks later he returned to the shelter and we were all glad to be together again. During our first meeting, the children told us how they spent the summer, if 
they went to any camps and what they did there. We also played and talked a lot, we asked each other interesting questions, depending on what color candy you pulled out. We told each other about our fears, for example, little 
Yaroslav said that he was afraid of spiders and snakes, many children said the same thing, and Arseniy said that he is not afraid of anything. To the question: A place which you would like to visit, the children answered that they would like to return home to their mom. Thank God, a couple of days after our first meeting, the three youngest were able to return home. For the second time Dima prepared a lesson on the topic of our fears. He told the children that if we are afraid of something, we must turn to God and ask Him for help and that He will definitely hear us and help. The children listened very carefully and were involved in the conversation. On our next visit, we talked about the topic of deception, but before we 
started, we asked the children a question about the topic of the last lesson and we were glad that they remembered very well what we talked about and 
they told us how to deal with our fears – trust everything to God and pray. The topic of deception is very relevant, children shared their examples and discussed why they cheat and lie, as well as how they can avoid it. Nastya told us what the Bible tells us about deception, that the Devil is the father of lies and that we must try to tell the truth in order to prevent the devil from winning. On the last Tuesday of September, the topic of our conversation was 
Laziness. Our lesson took place in the form of communication. The children told us what they want to become when they grow up, what qualities they should have and in what areas they should not be lazy in order to have their dream profession. The oldest boy, Maxim, said that he wants to become a driver, for this he must study well and pass his driving tests. Ksyusha wants to become a dance teacher, for this she must not be lazy and dance, move a lot. Anya also told the children, using the example of the ant and the bee from the book of Proverbs, that we should work without dissatisfaction, help each other and be friendly and think about the future, help others, etc., just like these little hardworking creatures. We will continue to pray for these kids and their families. God bless you!
LOVE 4 THE CHILDREN 