Our social worker, Natalya Ordin, helps children every day to restore what has been lost: documents, connections with parents — and along with that, hope for change. Natalya is the first person the children meet when they step through the doors of the Ark. She helps establish contact with parents, accompanies the children to court, and negotiates with child welfare authorities.
One day, we received a call from the city administration asking if we could take in a four-year-old girl who was undergoing observation at a hospital. We agreed — there was space in the younger group. But a few days later, it turned out the girl had an older brother. That presented a challenge, as there weren’t enough spots available in the boys’ group.
Still, since we had already promised to take the little girl, we decided we would also accept her brother. On the appointed day, we went to the hospital to pick up the children — and found out there were actually three of them: aged 4, 6, and 9. We had to take them all.
As the hospital staff said: “Where there are two, the third is no trouble.”
“The whole way back, I was anxious — wondering if we had taken the right children, since we didn’t have any documents in hand, just verbal confirmation from child protection services. But we brought them all back and realized: where there are two, the third really isn’t a problem.”
Dear friends, you can be part of this ministry to children by supporting the work of the Children’s Ark. Thank you for your caring and compassionate hearts!
Before the start of the new school year, we had the opportunity to hold a children’s camp together with our guests. The theme of the camp was: “Called to Love.” It was a special time, filled with joy, laughter, and warmth.
The children painted, sculpted with clay, made greeting cards — everyone had the chance to express their talents and feel valued. But through all the activities, the central thread was the theme of LOVE.
Through the story of the prodigal son, we showed that our Heavenly Father is the One who always welcomes us. Through the story of the good Samaritan, we demonstrated the importance of sharing love with others. Other Bible stories helped the children see that love is the foundation of everything.
The atmosphere in the camp was truly special: the children’s laughter and joy filled the air, and their eyes sparkled as they created and played.
Meanwhile, while the children were engaged in their program, the pastor spent time connecting with their parents. This became a valuable time of trust and openness.
For us, it was a wonderful opportunity to meet new families and invite them to home groups. Several women have already joined a group. I believe that during these days, a lot of love was sown — and over time, it will bring abundant fruit in the lives of the children and their families.
In August, Grigory and Alexandra visited our sister Simei, who lives 1,700 kilometers away from us and sows the Word of God among the Hmong and Dao (Zyao) people. We support and pray for them together with you.
Sapa is the city where Simei lives and serves — located 1,500 meters up in the mountains. Travel there is difficult, so most of the journey was done on foot.
They visited several small groups of believers (10–15 people), where they spoke about God’s guidance, the importance of feeding on the Word, and the need to remain watchful in God, because the devil is also at work and devising schemes.
We bought a gas stove and a gas cylinder for Simei because we saw how much time she spent gathering firewood and preparing food. She has three children of her own and has taken in two more children from her deceased brother. Her husband is not a believer and continues to drink and live a reckless life.
Thank you, dear friends, for your ongoing prayers and support for the ministry to the peoples of Vietnam.
We also gave Simei’s biological sister — her name is Nai — a solar-powered audio Bible. She lives high up in the mountains where there is no electricity or internet access.
We’re praying for the Lord to raise up a permanent team of evangelists in that region. It’s costly for us to travel there, so we’re only able to visit these tribes and peoples 2–3 times a year.
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.
