Greetings, brothers and sisters! I want to tell you how God works among vulnerable children and how we can participate in this work. Our team visited four children’s homes and spent wonderful time with the children. We cooked food, played sports games, and had interesting discussions with them. Children in the hospice require special attention. Many of them cannot live independently, but when I come, touch them, and speak to them, they react and rejoice!
Ana is four years old, and she has leukemia. She is currently undergoing heavy hormonal therapy, and the child is deeply distressed and upset. She understands everything, and soon she will need to go to St. Petersburg for a bone marrow transplant. While working with children at risk, I have realized that there are times when they need us the most. When a child is lost, in pain, and scared, they cling to you and want to find hope. It’s a good time to tell them about hope and introduce them to Jesus in a childlike way.
Over the past month, more than six mothers approached me and expressed gratitude for the help and support they received in moments of despair.
Thank you for your participation in this ministry. There are many needs, and I can’t even pinpoint the most pressing one. Glory to God – this is our place in His vineyard.
When we brought Ksyusha, she was 4 years old. Her parents refused to believe that they had problems. Blaming and scolding everyone, they couldn’t understand why their child was taken away. In the end, they finally realized their problem and agreed to undergo rehabilitation.
They admitted that it took them almost a year to attend the ‘Children’s Ark’ to realize the need for help. In addition, the grandfather and grandmother began to visit the girl after they learned about the problems in the family. They began to support her and her parents. After completing rehabilitation, Ksyusha was finally taken home, and now they are a happy family!
This story became a motivation for other parents to accept help and follow the advice of our specialists. Dad with Ksyusha often come to us, now as guests and for holidays. And we have a lot of them! Svetlana is the head of the music studio. And she has a great ability to help build relationships between parents and children through creativity. By giving roles, small poems, learning songs together with the family, we see how the parents unfold. In this image, it is easier for them to say something, so they can express themselves, express their thoughts. Most often, parents look closed, but on holidays they open up and can communicate better.
One mother approached me after one of the holidays and said: ‘Thank you very much, we really enjoyed it. We never imagined that we could have so much fun with the children.’ It’s one thing when you have fun in an alcoholic state, but here they have the opportunity to see another life. Thank you all for being with us!
It is a great joy to give oneself to children, to be with them, and to share everything you have! I sincerely thank you for the opportunity to serve them!
Lisa has reached St. Petersburg, and she is being prepared for a bone marrow transplant. Our ministry continues, and we visited three children’s homes, a hospice, and paid special attention to pediatric oncology. There are many children there today, of different ages. Arseny, 8 years old, needs help, as his mother is raising him alone. They live in the district, and there are no funds for existence, as his mother has been lying in the hospital with her child for 5 months.
Currently, Arseny is on hormones and is very depressed, but when I come, we can find a reason for joy. It is very difficult for him, and he has a bone marrow transplant ahead. His mother asks for help and asks to pray for them.
There is good news about Savvily (in the photo), a boy born without knee joints. I wrote about him earlier. He is preparing for baptism in our church. I have known him for 5 years, and we have been working with him all this time, and now there is a result. Two months ago, his mother passed away, and the church is now his family.
I am grateful to God for the opportunity to serve these children, and for you who give us this opportunity, praying for us and helping us materially. We need your help! Service in Omsk
Our team experienced significant blessings during the Christmas holiday! We greeted about 500 children in various places, including orphanages, hospitals, and hospices. Particularly valuable was our venture this year with a puppet theater, allowing children to see a Christmas story performance of this kind for the first time. It was thrilling; the entire medical staff watched along with the children, holding their breath! Then we gave gifts to everyone, which led to many questions and conversations.
God opened another door for us in the hospital’s endocrinology department, where children with diabetes are treated. Every Wednesday, we meet with fifteen teenagers, spend time with them, and invite them to continue to connect and socialize in our loft space and at our venues. The children gladly agree, and already 8 teenagers regularly meet with us. Christmas is always a precious time for people, with hearts open and receptive.
There are also needs and requests. Two girls, Lisa (7 years old) and Dasha (9 years old), need an urgent bone marrow transplant and must fly to St. Petersburg. We need to help them prepare and buy tickets soon. The girls are raised by single mothers who cannot afford the tickets and medication for their children!
We heartily thank you for your open hearts and help. And we ask you to participate and share the blessing!
In anticipation of Christmas, our team, consisting of adults, youth, and teenagers, embarked on a journey to Muslim villages. Over 4 days, we covered 1500 km (about 932 miles), including 750 km (about 466 miles) off-road, and visited 12 settlements. We shared the joyful news of the Birth of Jesus, handed out 600 gifts, and Christmas calendars in the national Tatar language. In total, our team managed to reach around 900 people.
These were children and their parents, administrative staff, and Muslim religious leaders. The team included both experienced ministering brothers and young boys eager to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In all this, the Lord powerfully worked in us and through us.
Special thanks to everyone who responded to God’s call and embarked on this difficult and dangerous missionary journey. Thanks to everyone who served with prayers. Thanks to everyone who donated their finances for the ministry. Thanks to everyone who hosted us overnight and fed us. I praise the Lord for His church; together we are a force in the hands of our God.
I want to share about what we are experiencing together with the parents and children in their difficult fates. This month, two children passed away. Anya was 11 years old, and she did not return from St. Petersburg after a bone marrow transplant. Her body couldn’t cope, and her organs failed. I accompanied this family, and we had a serious conversation with Anya and her mother; we prayed, and I shared hope and explained the Gospel. I hope a choice was made.
The second child died in Omsk in the hospital, and we prayed with him, and I am still communicating with his father, helping them cope with the loss of their son. Overall, our ministry is to be there where there is need and where it is difficult. This month, we were with children in orphanages, hospices, and pediatric oncology; everywhere we served as usual.
But a particular joy for me is that we accepted 22 graduates from orphanages in our city. They enrolled in educational institutions and live in dormitories. The first month is the hardest for them; they still don’t have allowances and their life is not yet organized, so we fed them and helped. We also had a meeting where last year’s graduates and our team of teenagers were present; for three days, we lived and communicated together, and on Sunday, everyone was at the church gathering.
Two children prayed the prayer of repentance, and one girl, Sofa, wants to be baptized; she signed up for mentorship. Finally, I saw with my own eyes the fruits of five years of trips to orphanages, our prayers, gifts, and time spent have borne fruit. Over 30 children during this time have given their lives to God and can live according to the Gospel.
Praise God, thank you for your prayers and help! Sincerely, with prayers for you.
