In Lebanon, the descendants of ancient peoples live, who are in need of good news. For many years, we have been working among Syrians, Lebanese, and Palestinians. Children’s camps are highly effective for introducing the Gospel! In September 2023, brothers and sisters from the Salvation Church in Washington State donated their time and resources to visit Lebanon.
Children’s camps were held in the cities of Tyre, Bekaa Valley, and Tripoli. Each morning, the service with the children began with prayer and Bible lessons, biblical scenes, and other activities. The presence of the brothers, ministers, and those responsible for the children’s program, who came along with the youth, was a great blessing for all. The children became so close to and fond of their caregivers that they cried when saying goodbye, not only the girls but also the boys.
We thank the Lord that our friends have been a blessing, and the sown word of God in the hearts of the children will bear fruit in due time. Currently, preparations are underway for upcoming evangelism events in Lebanon involving our music group. Evangelism will take place from November 5th to November 12th, 2023, in the south of Tyre, in Sidon, in the capital of Lebanon – Beirut, in the Bekaa Valley, and in the north of Lebanon in the city of Tripoli.
Dear brothers and sisters, the Lord has opened doors for proclaiming the good news in this country! We need your support and prayers. Pray that the Lord touches hearts in the upcoming evangelism events, and people receive Jesus Christ! We believe in the Scriptures, that the fervent prayer of a righteous person has great power!
We continue to develop ministries for children facing difficult circumstances and see a tremendous need and blessing. We want to convey a huge thank you for your prayers and financial assistance! This month has been particularly busy as more than 30 children were admitted to oncology and hospice care.
I have also started a small group with parents. While the children have their one-hour sessions, I gather the parents in the kitchen, and we talk about their fears and concerns. They listen to the Gospel in a special way.
There is a special need for Rita and her family! She is 8 years old, and they are preparing her for a bone marrow transplant, which requires a lot of strength and finances. Currently, the child is on hormonal treatment, and at this moment, the children are particularly downcast.
In the hospice, we visit Dasha, who is 12 years old. When she was very young, she received a vaccination with an incorrect dosage, which caused her paralysis. She requires round-the-clock care and is confined to her bed, unable to do anything independently. Dasha’s mom is very tired and in despair. She is raising Dasha alone and needs a lot of strength, finances, and emotional support to keep going and not give up.
We decided to help this family and support both the mother and Dasha. Dasha’s mom has started listening to the Gospel and praying, which is very encouraging for us.
We have also gathered 250 children from three orphanages into our school and welcomed 20 graduates in the city, participating in their placement in dormitories near educational institutions. Thank you for your involvement in serving underprivileged children!
In Kazakhstan, I bore witness in one church about the ministry in Vietnam, calling for prayer and partnership in God’s work. As the meeting ended, Sasha – a friend’s wife – approached me and said, “Your testimony deeply touched my heart, and now what should I do?” The Lord gave me words, and I told her, “Remember the parable of the prodigal son. He wasted all his inheritance, found himself in need, and remembered that even the Father’s hired servants had an abundance. But he didn’t just think about it; he got up and went to the Father. You need to do the same, go and fulfill the Father’s will.”
We prayed, and two days later, Sasha and Grigory wrote to me: “We need to meet.” I went to their home, and Sasha shared this story. They had saved money to buy a car, enlisted all their acquaintances to find a good vehicle. This Sunday, while I was preaching, her brother called and said he had found a good car; they just needed to make the payment, and the car would be theirs. At this point, God once again told Sasha, “Are you going to exchange Me for this piece of metal?” Grigory didn’t know that the car had already been found. Sasha asked her husband what to do, and apparently, he had the same thoughts and concerns. Without coordinating their responses, he told her, “We need to go to Vietnam.” Their testimony greatly inspired me.
Today, they are preparing for a mission in Vietnam, with our support. Starting in October, we will continue our work in Vietnam. Dear ones, please support us in prayer. Together, we can accomplish much!
My name is Natalia, and my husband, our daughter, and I came from Volchansk, Zaporizhzhia Oblast. We left our occupied home into the unknown of western Ukraine, a place we had never been before. Here, we have to start life anew. It’s scary, everything is uncertain, what will happen next? By a twist of fate, we ended up at a shelter associated with the Lviv Church of the Disciples of Jesus Christ.
At first, it was difficult to adapt to this new life, a new city, and the fact that we no longer had our own home. We learned that the church was launching a program called “Soul Healing.” It piqued our interest, and my husband and I decided to participate. There were lectures about God, who He is, what the church is, and why there is evil in the world if God is good. This information answered questions that had been deep within me for a long time, but I had never had the time or inclination to delve into them. Thus, I learned about God. And I also got to know God because I decided to believe in Him and follow Him. In the program, we had meetings with a counselor in the “trust room,” which helped me work through my fears, anxieties, problems, understand myself, figure out what to do, and plan for the future.
We also went on excursions around this beautiful city, attended workshops, meetings, musical evenings, and home groups. It was a packed three months that brought color back to my life and showed me the right path. I went through preparation for baptism, and my husband and I fulfilled this commandment. My life changed, and I no longer fear for my future as I did before; I know that God takes care of me.
Thank you to everyone who supports and prays for our ministry in Ukraine!
Children who come to foster families often carry a heavy baggage of distrust, pain, and disappointment. And when you see happiness on the face of an adopted child, you rejoice twice. Parents of such children need a lot of love, strength, and wisdom. That’s why supporting foster families is so important! When parents have support, it’s easier for them to love. When parents can get answers to their questions, parenting becomes wiser and more balanced. When parents have time to rest and socialize with other parents in the same situation, it’s a time to recharge.
That’s why one of the directions of the Children’s Ark is to support foster families. We hold regular Saturday meetings for parents and children so that everyone can spend this time productively, joyfully, and soulfully. Every Saturday, we meet with teenagers from foster families and run a club. This summer, there was a wonderful opportunity to interact with the kids on hikes. During this warm season, we equipped the boiler room, reconstructed the water supply system, repaired the summer shower, and renovated some rooms in the house. In September, we completed the cleanup and garden rearrangement.
We would be delighted if you become a part of the Children’s Ark ministry!
At this time, a youth congress is taking place at Promise Land, where young people from all our daughter churches have gathered! Please pray that the Holy Spirit works among the youth and awakens them to new life. Also, please pray for peace among the three villages surrounding “Promise Land”: Mamarai, Tompetaka, and Kamanda. These are long-standing enemies, and there is an ongoing war between them that periodically flares up. Each of these villages has our church, and for the past few years, there has been peace between them.
However, recently, just before the congress, a confrontation escalated into tribal warfare again, and the situation is exacerbated by the fact that there are Christians from our church in each of these villages who have now become enemies. The residents of the Kamanda village have fled into the jungle. Pray for peace and for the bloodshed to stop.
Also, please pray for our team of teachers, these dedicated individuals who work with the children in the “Promise Land” kindergarten.
Thank you, everyone, for always praying and supporting our ministry!
