Six years ago, we met with a Gypsy family on a children’s holiday. After getting to know them we learned about the needs of this family. Six months later at they had their 6th child, little Regina, and a year after that her brother Vakhtang was born as well. Lela is a mother of eight children she did not have the opportunity to go to school. She gave birth to her first child at 16, but her birth certificate was only issued at 22 years old, and a passport at 28 years old. Lela has no permanent roof over her head, she has no education, no documents, lives in poor housing conditions, without water, electricity, toilets. Circumstances in gypsy the village just didn’t let her lead a normal life.
We, the volunteers of the Children’s Ark, now we are taking care of this family so that the children have a future. Because of the bad living conditions, Regina and Vakhtang were able to temporarily live with our volunteers. Now we’re going to open the “Children’s Ark” next to a Gypsy village in the Kaluga area. The doors of our house are open around the clock. Since September they can start going to the nursery and even school. We want, that children experience God’s love and care and could live a Christian lifestyle and integrate into society. Parents are very grateful for the help and trust us with their children. By supporting such projects, you become part of God’s plan. Please, pray that these children have a future and hope! Thank you for praying and supporting us.
The last time we wrote about the family Gennady and Galina Mozhaytsev, who are serving in Kamchatka. Their church prays for an all-terrain vehicle “Trekol”, so they can drive during the summer through the swamps, and during winter to reach remote villages with the Gospels. In the photographs, you can see how in January 2021, our brothers and sisters made their way to remote villages to evangelize to the Koryaks and Evens. Indigenous peoples are very open to the gospel.
The winter road is a frozen swamp with one lane to drive on. It’s hundreds of miles long without signs and navigation. There are sticks on the side of the road pointing to a direction that is 300 – 600 feet apart – that were put there by the road service. But during a blizzard, when the visibility is 15-30 feet meters the poles are not visible.
To determine where the road leads one person walks ahead with a shovel and looks for the sticks, and the vehicle follows slowly. But walking against the wind during a blizzard at -40 is very hard. The other option is to sit it out at the end of the blizzard while sitting in the car. But fuel runs out after 2-3 days. There is no connection, electricity, and Phones don’t work. The risks are big. Therefore, a reliable all-terrain vehicle can save the lives of our missionaries. If you get off the road, then the car falls into a snowdrift 3 feet deep and problems begin seen in the photo above. In February I was driving along the winter road for 23 hours. Had to dig up the car six times from the snowdrifts and once drove in an ice hole. There are “the dangers of the rivers” including bears and shamans. Our friends have been evangelizing here and do not give up.
This month we organized a charity concert and leaders of orphanages, children’s oncology, and children’s hospice were invited. They expressed gratitude for our input in the nurture and formation of children. The most important thing we were able to give them was the essence of the gospel. Thank you for your participation and support and for the opportunity for five years to develop the ministry of mercy and help dying children. Today we reach 300 children every month.
One family needs special attention. Mashas daughters, Lera and Nastya, are in the orphanage. After meeting the requirements to take custody she will take them back to her family. Lera is a special child, she has leukemia and while being in the orphanage she became really sick. When she was taken away from her mother Masha, who was an alcoholic, she was very upset, but the worst thing is that she was without doctors and treatment. Lera health has deteriorated and I prepared papers and took her to the oncology department, where she was treated.
The last time when I visited the orphanage and Lera saw me, she jumped into my arms and squeezed very tightly, until she ran out of strength. Please pray for this whole situation. I am thankful to God that I can be in this place and do this job, and see how God works, and thank you brothers and sisters for your hearts, prayers, and concern. We are ready to bring God’s love to the hearts of every child!
The life of children in the orphanage is scheduled to the second. They grow up withdrawn and don’t trust anybody. Igor, barely remembers his own parents, because since he is three years old he lived in a correctional orphanage in Krasnoyarsk. Since he stood out from other kids with autism and Down syndrome, he was transferred to the Minusinsk children’s House six months ago. He is 11 years old, but he acts like a little five year old child. He smiles a lot and needs love and special care.
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Yegor is 13 years old. He lived with his biological family,
but his parents abused and beat him and fought between each other a lot. Six
months ago, in front of the boy’s eyes his mother killed his father. She was
sent to prison, and Yegor was sent to an orphanage. Despite what happened, the
boy remains kind and sociable, but very afraid to go to a foster family. He
says that in the orphanage is much better. If his loved ones did this, why wouldn’t
others do that either. His need to re-learn to trust and feel someone’s love
In the near future we want invite children to us in the
“Children’s Ark” and organize events outside. We need a portable audio
equipment. Moreover, to organize children’s leisure, our team needs sport
equipment: game tables (football, bowling, hockey), bicycles and balls. During
winter we need ice skates, since we are planning build a frame for a rink. We
will be grateful for your support our great common ministry. God bless you!
In the north of Kamchatka there is village called Palana and
is in the center of the Koryak district. In the year 2000 the family of Gennady
and Galina Mozhaytsev with their four young children from Belgorod came to this
village. They settled in a cramped two-room apartment. Due to the lack of vitamins
the children fell ill with tuberculosis. The fifth child was born in Kamchatka,
and the family adopted three more orphans. Galina recalls how in one night somebody
knocked on the door, he seemed possessed and had a knife, promised to kill the
whole family, but the Lord saved them. When the children got up started praying
and singing, the possessed left.
The sacrifice that family did was not in vain. In 20 years of
evangelism to the indigenous peoples in Palana a church formed: 18 people were baptized,
now we have 32 born again Christians with 8 young families. Residents of many
villages expect believers to visit them, but in May the ice melts and movement on
winter road ends. Transportation is only possible by helicopters, which is very
expensive. Palana is cut off by swamps for 9.5 months. There is only one opportunity
to preach the gospel all year round if you buy the Trakol all-terrain vehicle: it
is excellent in the swamps and in the snow moves with 8 passengers. It floats and
is equipped with an engine from Volvo. Our brothers in the tundra have been
using Trakol for 20 years. Its the only one on the market in Russia that is fitted
for the north and off-road transportation. We visited the manufacturer. We need
to collect $ 70,000 for this project. We believe that this is God’s work and
ask all of you for help!
We have been participating in life of children who are admitted to a pediatric Oncology, a hospice and four orphanages. The more we are open and help people, the more they are willing share their pain with us. I want to say thank you from every child and from me, for your kindness, prayers, and help! I wrote about Matthew who needs urgent surgery. We sent him to St Peter and we are waiting for news.
We have now there are especially worried for Lera. This is our oncology girl which we have been helping for two years now. Her mother Masha is a teacher at the orphanage home that we visit. After returning from St. Petersburg, I took them home to Artyn. After one week the child protective services took custody of them because of poor living conditions and Masha started drinking. Lera is now in the orphanage home, and we are trying to resolve the issue with the administration and help Masha with her obligations. She fought for two years for Lera but now can’t handle it anymore. When Lera saw me, she sat on my lap and cried, saying that wants to go home to mom. Her condition has worsened due to the stress. She needs to be taken for treatment, and this is 120 miles away from the orphanage. Lera prays and believes that a miracle will happen. Although she’s only 8 years old, she is reasoning like an adult.
Also, Yaroslava is also in a very bad condition, she is 7 years old and we know her for over three years, she has leukemia in a very severe form, it has paralyzed her head and face. Her mother asks us for help. They will need to fly to St. Petersburg for a bone marrow transplant. Every child knows that God helps them through other people. Thank you for that and God bless.
