LOVE 4 THE CHILDREN

Hello dear friends! We live during hard times, but life goes on! This month we visited Belynic boarding school. I am glad that in difficult times like these we have the opportunity to serve God in places that need Him the most! This month we started a series of talks: “Your time has come.” This topic has prompted many children and adolescents to build a closer relationship with God. Orphans often look at their lives like this: “Well, as soon as that perfect moment comes, then I will make a decision.” Children often dream about the future, forgetting that they live in the present. That’s why, we think that by skipping the “today”, they are deprived of their “tomorrow”. How do we identify it? The fact that many want a good job, but are too lazy to do their homework, someone dreams of health, but continues to run out into the street dressed in summer clothes on the cold days, and then gets sick for a long time, since the immunity is already not in a good condition. Children come up to us and tell us that they do not sleep well at night and ask us to pray for them. When I ask the guys if they are praying themselves, someone says yes, and someone answers that they forget about it. The purpose of the talks held in boarding schools is to push children to a solution. Decisions are made every day. It is sometimes difficult for children to make up their minds because of low self-esteem and childhood trauma. But thanks to our seminars, children gradually overcome their insecurities, as well as their fears. I’m glad to see how kids change! The teachers come up to us and tell that the kids are becoming more confident. Thank God for these results! When we were in the boarding schools, children told us that they prayed that our team would be allowed to come to them. Now they can see how God answers their prayers! We meet weekly with the children at the boarding school and pray that covid-19 will be done for as soon as possible. Despite the masks and the distance, the children say that they miss the times when they could freely come closer and hug us, because they really lack hugs.  Also teachers are facing some challenges and win battles! After conversing with us, they often ask: “How do you not lose your optimism during this time?” I said that we’ve found encouraging words in the Bible and realized that everything will be fine for those who believe in God! Sometimes you can hear: “ Judging by what we see, Dmitry, we understand that you are full of faith in good.” And I say, “I just don’t watch the news.” Fear infiltrates small cities through uncertainty about the future and virus data. But we know that God warned about such hardships long time ago. Through speaking with us, teachers can see how the Bible does not lose its relevance. For our team, October is a month of opportunities, and we are so excited about it! We are glad that we can serve both big causes and the small ones! This new school year has brought us over 15 new children who are not familiar with the gospel at all. Let’s pray that our Heavenly Father will open the hearts of children, and that the word, like a seed, will be sown and grow in children’s hearts! We thank everyone who is praying for Ministry to orphans in Belarus! These children, during the pandemic, were left alone to face problems in their lives and they need the hope that only God can give!

Greetings, dear brothers and sisters!

We thank you for praying and supporting our orphan’s ministry despite these difficult times! During this challenging season we see how difficult it is for orphans! The orphanage in Belynichi passed through covid-19. Many groups of children were sick. But we thank God for supernatural healing and restoration of the children! The orphans were quarantined and during that time they felt extremely lonely. What happened to you when you were in quarantine? – we asked kids. They answered that the sick children were treated, and the rest of the children were forced to be in isolation. The children shared that they often recalled our visits to their orphanage. We remembered songs and games that you learned with us, – they told us. They remembered how they felt during this period, and who was cheating in games. Someone made fun of others and began to shout: “The believers have arrived!” – and many children ran out of school to see us, but alas, there was no one and the one who shouted simply said that he was joking. The children even prayed that the counselors (that is, we) would come soon to their orphanage. At such moments, according to the children, it was important to feel that someone needed you. The children said: “We always know that you need us.”This year the director of the orphanage in Belynichi died. For many children it was a shock, and a tragedy because they loved Alexander Mikhailovich strongly. Many children called him dad. For our part we shared about God and believe that God worked in his heart. We are very glad that we can make trips to the boarding school again! Yes, we have to use personal protective equipment, but still we appreciate God’s answer. When we arrived, the children ran out with a cry of joy, and everyone wanted to hug us. “We are so glad to see you and we missed you so much, because you love us!” Love is manifested by action and it is so nice to hug the children again and see how they have grown up! Everyone has a whole bunch of stories, and everyone tried to attract our attention to share a story with us. We have prepared a program where we were able to share that God gives His peace and in this new academic year we will experience God’s love and care! Not only the children were happy to see us, but also their teachers, who also wanted to tell us not only about the children, but also about their families, and about their victories. After that start trips are made weekly, Thank God! Also we were able to visit the graduates of that orphanage, and I am so glad that God blessed us with a great time together. At the meeting we had 8 graduates who recently graduated from the orphanage in Belynichi. Everyone shared their experiences. “When I was released from the orphanage, says Karina, I cried every day and wanted to return back there.” Alesya echoes her: “There was more comfort for us at the orphanage, no one hurt or bullied us. It’s hard when you are an orphan and then you are at a school where all other children are from the families – they have a dad and a mom. Teens from families pay attention to you, and then some shows compassion, and some starts to scoff. When you came to the boarding school and share with us, we didn’t believe that it could be difficult after graduation from the orphanage. But the reality turned out to be even more difficult than you said. We do not know how to cook food, they have cooked for us all the years, and now we are on our own.” The graduates have come to a turning point and at that moment God sent us so that we could support them! We bought potatoes for the graduates so that they could cook their own food. We also introduced the graduates to the youth from the local church, so that them knew to whom they can turn to at the time a need. We prayed, talked about God and invited the graduates to the church. I am glad that in such moments of life the graduates are looking for God. Friends, let’s pray for the ministry so that we can continue to visit the children in the orphanages, as well as for the graduates of the orphanage, so that they will be open to God and go to church! Please pray for our team that God will keep us in His hand! Thank God for the opportunity to bring light and be salt for this earth!