One of the ministries of the “Avoda” Foundation is the School of Life Skills, which helps both children from tribal communities and children from refugee families living in Thailand who are not allowed to attend Thai schools.
A young woman writes: “My name is Gigi Win, I’m 26 years old. I was born in Thailand into a Burmese family that fled the war. As a child, I had a dream — to learn to read and write in Thai. But Thai schools did not accept Burmese children. Because of this, I felt excluded… Why couldn’t I go to school?
Everything changed when I was 8 years old and I came to the Avoda Foundation, where both Thai and Burmese children were welcomed. Here, I not only learned the Thai language, but also came to know about God’s love — a love that doesn’t differentiate based on race, language, or religion.
At 14, I made the decision to follow Jesus. He was the only one who saw my worth — even on the days when no one else did.
Today, I serve at Avoda: I teach children and share God’s love just as I once received it. I thank God for revealing the truth to me — that I am deeply loved.
Now, my greatest desire is to reflect on His love and share it with other children.”
The Papuans are an incredibly family-oriented people. Here, almost everything is done together — bride price negotiations, funerals, shopping, traveling… Several generations live under one roof, work side by side. If someone gets sick, it becomes the concern of the entire clan, not just the closest relatives.
And no matter how individualistic we “white people” might be, there is so much we can learn from these seemingly simple people. True ministry is impossible to carry alone. You need a team — people with the same vision, the same goals, the same fire in their hearts. People who will carry the ministry forward and grow it beyond anything you could have imagined.
We are so grateful to the Lord for giving us such a team — dedicated ministers who labor with us to spread the Kingdom of God. One mountain at a time, even into places where our feet have not yet stepped.
In just the past two months, the Lord has blessed the opening of two more Promise Land churches in remote villages. Families of ministers have already moved there for long-term living and ministry.
With love and faith, Ministry in ONG – Eugene and Ira Konstantiniki
Saveliy was born with a disability and a very rare diagnosis — he has no kneecaps. When we first met, he couldn’t speak due to having undergone 19 surgeries. The pain had tightened his facial muscles. He couldn’t move without a wheelchair. His mother died from drug abuse, leaving him completely alone.
For the past six years, we’ve been walking alongside him. Today, he speaks well, studies foreign languages, walks with a cane, plans to start a family, has been baptized, and actively participates in ministry. Just a week ago, he left for St. Petersburg to pursue his studies. He wants to earn a living so that he can help others like him get back on their feet and introduce them to Jesus.
Right now, we’re also praying especially for five-month-old Anya, who is in hospice care. She is the fifth child in her family, and all of the children have been abandoned by their parents. Anya has already survived three heart surgeries and is currently in critical condition. She is fed through a special machine with nutritional formulas. Despite clear developmental delays, she responds well when I visit and reaches out to be held. We’re providing her with food and care.
I’m so thankful that you are always near — praying, supporting, and helping us. Every month, I receive dozens of calls and letters from children and their relatives expressing deep gratitude. It’s hard to describe what that means.
This couple got married in 2016 and spent years unable to have children. During that time, Ira decided to volunteer at The Children’s Ark. It was there that she met Kira — a little girl who would forever stay in her heart. By then, Kira’s biological parents had lost their parental rights, and she was about to be transferred to a state institution.
One day, Ira asked her husband, “Could you love someone else’s child?” His answer was simple: “Yes.”
To support the development of relationships between children and adoptive parents — and to inspire more young families to consider adoption — we host family gatherings, individual consultations, group workshops, seminars, holiday celebrations, and cozy evenings of connection. Every donation you give helps strengthen a family and change a child’s future.
After that conversation, Ira and her husband enrolled in a foster parent training course. When they submitted their paperwork, they finally heard the long-awaited words from the child welfare office: “Congratulations — you’re now Mom and Dad!” Kira went home with them, and their new life together began.
But the story didn’t end there.
A year later, due to difficult family circumstances, Kira’s younger sister, Lusya, was brought to the shelter. When the family was informed by social services, Kira began asking, “Can we take my sister too?” And six months later, Lusya joined their family as well.
One of the highlights of the month was a women’s breakfast, where two new participants joined us. We talked about how God is at work in our lives and why it is so important to turn specifically to Jesus. In today’s world, it’s becoming popular to seek help from “the universe,” from within oneself, or from a psychologist. But we discussed how all these paths are ultimately deceptive. Only Jesus Christ is the true Healer of souls. Only in Him do we find real peace and rest.
Many women shared personal testimonies of how God had spoken into their lives in supernatural ways. These were touching moments that showed just how close the Lord is to each of us.
Our Saturday children’s gatherings also continue. This month, we introduced a new format: after the lesson, we now read a short Bible passage together with the parents and discuss what God is saying to us through His Word. Another mother and child joined us recently, and I rejoice at how the Lord is gently leading and expanding this ministry.
We also had many personal meetings this month — times when we simply prayed for one another, giving our worries and burdens to the Lord. In such moments, it becomes so clear that “the Lord is near to all who call on Him.”
Thank you so much for your prayerful and financial support!
A year ago, the Lord led us to go a little further beyond our usual fields. That’s when He brought the Nguyen family into our lives — a mother and her six children. Nguyen is a 35-year-old orphan who grew up in a children’s home.
When we began sowing the Word of God in this area, she welcomed us with joy. We started visiting regularly, playing with the children, showing Christian films, and holding Bible lessons. At Christmas, we prepared gifts for the family.
Nguyen’s husband works odd jobs — here and there, wherever he can — earning about $9 a day. Every day he drinks around two liters of beer. Recently, their eldest daughter gave birth. The family lives in extreme poverty, eating just one bowl of rice a day.
We’ve been regularly helping them for about a year, but recently realized that even this is not enough for their needs.
Just a few days ago, a translator friend visited, and we went to see the family again. We shared the Gospel with them and called them to turn to Jesus Christ. Praise God — Nguyen and Salome made the decision and prayed to receive Him!
They are part of the Raglai people group — a community that is very difficult to reach with the Gospel. That’s why we kindly ask you, dear friends, to support us in prayer for this people. There are fewer than 100,000 of them left on earth.
Beloved, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your dedication, consistency, and faithfulness in the work of spreading the Gospel to the ends of the earth.
