A young female volunteer said to me: “I’ve been visiting these children for eight years, and I still can’t get used to it. Every time I just want to take them home with me.” It’s hard to get used to children’s tears and pain.
In the near future, Oleg will undergo surgery.
In the pediatric hematology department, children often have to endure painful procedures—punctures, injections, catheter insertions—and it is very difficult for them to go through this. So we came up with a way to help through a “Bravery Box.” This is a box filled with good toys, from which a child can choose a gift after a procedure to find some comfort. This month, we were able to purchase enough toys to last for the near future.
I especially ask for prayers for Oleg. He is a boy who completed treatment six months ago, but he has suffered a relapse and the disease has returned. He urgently needs a bone marrow transplant. We sent him to a clinic in Moscow—I saw him off at the airport, and my friend met him there and took him to the hospital. A donor has already been found.
There are many words of gratitude from parents and from the children themselves. It is hard to overestimate the help you provide. I deeply value everything you do. Glory to God that we are serving together—alone we would not have been able to reach these families for Christ! Thank you for helping us stay on the front lines!
I sincerely thank you for already 9 years of helping to develop and carry out ministry to seriously ill children. This month we visited orphanages, a hospice, and spent time with children in the oncology department. A sister joined our team who endlessly thanked God and us for the opportunity to serve children.
I see how God is working with everyone—both with us and with the kids. New children have appeared; they are still being examined to determine an exact diagnosis so that treatment can be prescribed. I would especially like to thank you for your prayers: little Liza is recovering, her condition is stable, and the issue of a donor is now being resolved. If the bone marrow transplant goes well, the child may return to a normal life. Not long ago, doctors were fighting for her life, and we were praying and helping in every way we could.
A few days ago, the mother of a boy who was in the department two years ago called me and said that they remember us and keep all the gifts we gave them, including the children’s Bible, which they keep and read.
Glory to God that we were able to be useful somewhere, and somewhere even the only hope, when strength was gone and only faith and hope remained!
Thank you, dear ones. Together we are impacting people’s lives and can do even more for Christ!
I sincerely thank you for already 9 years of helping to develop and carry out ministry to seriously ill children. This month we visited orphanages, a hospice, and spent time with children in the oncology department. A sister joined our team who endlessly thanked God and us for the opportunity to serve children.
I see how God is working with everyone—both with us and with the kids. New children have appeared; they are still being examined to determine an exact diagnosis so that treatment can be prescribed. I would especially like to thank you for your prayers: little Liza is recovering, her condition is stable, and the issue of a donor is now being resolved. If the bone marrow transplant goes well, the child may return to a normal life. Not long ago, doctors were fighting for her life, and we were praying and helping in every way we could.
A few days ago, the mother of a boy who was in the department two years ago called me and said that they remember us and keep all the gifts we gave them, including the children’s Bible, which they keep and read.
Glory to God that we were able to be useful somewhere, and somewhere even the only hope, when strength was gone and only faith and hope remained!
Thank you, dear ones. Together we are impacting people’s lives and can do even more for Christ!
This month we visited three orphanages and held two meetings with orphanage graduates. This is a very valuable time: while in the orphanages we focus on building relationships of trust, working with graduates is very different. With them, we need to walk through many moments of their lives and influence them by our example.
We visit about 20 children twice a week — we play with them, sing songs, give gifts, and do crafts. We also work closely with their mothers. Two children have recently been admitted to us — a boy, Dima, and a girl, Liza. Their medical tests are very poor, and they are undergoing urgent examinations. They are in great need of our help.
One of the graduates paid money for a room without taking any documents and almost ended up on the street. We intervened in time and resolved the situation, preventing scammers from deceiving him. Another graduate opened a small business and almost took out a large loan without thinking about how he would repay it. Many of the graduates attend services and are happy to build friendships with us.
Thank you for your joint labor, for the glory of the Lord!
In the children’s hospice, 18 children with very serious conditions are undergoing treatment. They needed medicine, hygiene supplies, and special nutrition, and we were able to bless them with these in the oncology ward.
At the Artyn orphanage, several children graduated — children I remember as toddlers. All these years, we’ve invested in them and cared for them, and now they’re stepping into adult life.
One especially meaningful moment at the graduation was seeing Sergey Kun play the synthesizer and guitar. This boy once had no future — there were plans to send him to a psychiatric institution. He couldn’t control himself and was considered dangerous.
We spent a lot of time with him and eventually found a way to his heart — through music. First, we bought him a synthesizer, then a guitar, and he became passionate about it. Now he’s learning hymns from a songbook and singing. For me, this is a real miracle.
This week, a girl named Anya was admitted to the oncology ward with a relapse. Her condition suddenly worsened, and test results were very poor. She now urgently needs a bone marrow transplant. Preparations have begun, but they need help buying tickets and some essential items.
Anya’s mother is raising her alone, and also has another child with a disability. She’s completely worn out.
Please pray for this family. Thank you, dear friends, for your support. We’ve received many responses from parents and children — they are deeply grateful to all of us.
In the oncology department, we hold a group for parents — with tea, Bible reading, and open conversations. Twice a week, we visit the children, spend time with them, play games, bring gifts, and build friendships. The atmosphere is very warm and positive, and that’s the most important thing for the children.
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!
