It is a great joy to give oneself to children, to be with them, and to share everything you have! I sincerely thank you for the opportunity to serve them!
Lisa has reached St. Petersburg, and she is being prepared for a bone marrow transplant. Our ministry continues, and we visited three children’s homes, a hospice, and paid special attention to pediatric oncology. There are many children there today, of different ages. Arseny, 8 years old, needs help, as his mother is raising him alone. They live in the district, and there are no funds for existence, as his mother has been lying in the hospital with her child for 5 months.
Currently, Arseny is on hormones and is very depressed, but when I come, we can find a reason for joy. It is very difficult for him, and he has a bone marrow transplant ahead. His mother asks for help and asks to pray for them.
There is good news about Savvily (in the photo), a boy born without knee joints. I wrote about him earlier. He is preparing for baptism in our church. I have known him for 5 years, and we have been working with him all this time, and now there is a result. Two months ago, his mother passed away, and the church is now his family.
I am grateful to God for the opportunity to serve these children, and for you who give us this opportunity, praying for us and helping us materially. We need your help! Service in Omsk
Our team experienced significant blessings during the Christmas holiday! We greeted about 500 children in various places, including orphanages, hospitals, and hospices. Particularly valuable was our venture this year with a puppet theater, allowing children to see a Christmas story performance of this kind for the first time. It was thrilling; the entire medical staff watched along with the children, holding their breath! Then we gave gifts to everyone, which led to many questions and conversations.
God opened another door for us in the hospital’s endocrinology department, where children with diabetes are treated. Every Wednesday, we meet with fifteen teenagers, spend time with them, and invite them to continue to connect and socialize in our loft space and at our venues. The children gladly agree, and already 8 teenagers regularly meet with us. Christmas is always a precious time for people, with hearts open and receptive.
There are also needs and requests. Two girls, Lisa (7 years old) and Dasha (9 years old), need an urgent bone marrow transplant and must fly to St. Petersburg. We need to help them prepare and buy tickets soon. The girls are raised by single mothers who cannot afford the tickets and medication for their children!
We heartily thank you for your open hearts and help. And we ask you to participate and share the blessing!
In anticipation of Christmas, our team, consisting of adults, youth, and teenagers, embarked on a journey to Muslim villages. Over 4 days, we covered 1500 km (about 932 miles), including 750 km (about 466 miles) off-road, and visited 12 settlements. We shared the joyful news of the Birth of Jesus, handed out 600 gifts, and Christmas calendars in the national Tatar language. In total, our team managed to reach around 900 people.
These were children and their parents, administrative staff, and Muslim religious leaders. The team included both experienced ministering brothers and young boys eager to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In all this, the Lord powerfully worked in us and through us.
Special thanks to everyone who responded to God’s call and embarked on this difficult and dangerous missionary journey. Thanks to everyone who served with prayers. Thanks to everyone who donated their finances for the ministry. Thanks to everyone who hosted us overnight and fed us. I praise the Lord for His church; together we are a force in the hands of our God.
I want to share about what we are experiencing together with the parents and children in their difficult fates. This month, two children passed away. Anya was 11 years old, and she did not return from St. Petersburg after a bone marrow transplant. Her body couldn’t cope, and her organs failed. I accompanied this family, and we had a serious conversation with Anya and her mother; we prayed, and I shared hope and explained the Gospel. I hope a choice was made.
The second child died in Omsk in the hospital, and we prayed with him, and I am still communicating with his father, helping them cope with the loss of their son. Overall, our ministry is to be there where there is need and where it is difficult. This month, we were with children in orphanages, hospices, and pediatric oncology; everywhere we served as usual.
But a particular joy for me is that we accepted 22 graduates from orphanages in our city. They enrolled in educational institutions and live in dormitories. The first month is the hardest for them; they still don’t have allowances and their life is not yet organized, so we fed them and helped. We also had a meeting where last year’s graduates and our team of teenagers were present; for three days, we lived and communicated together, and on Sunday, everyone was at the church gathering.
Two children prayed the prayer of repentance, and one girl, Sofa, wants to be baptized; she signed up for mentorship. Finally, I saw with my own eyes the fruits of five years of trips to orphanages, our prayers, gifts, and time spent have borne fruit. Over 30 children during this time have given their lives to God and can live according to the Gospel.
Praise God, thank you for your prayers and help! Sincerely, with prayers for you.
We never know how long our children will live. Therefore, we do not waste time in vain: we engage in activities, learn to read and write, solve problems, and much more. It seems that just recently the first bell rang in schools, we were assembling backpacks with the children, wearing lush bows. And now it’s already November, and that means it’s time to prepare for Christmas. And although it’s gray and rainy outside, as the saying goes: ‘Prepare the sledge in the summer.’ Christmas is a holiday of love and mercy. Therefore, we do not remain indifferent, and with great pleasure we open a collection for Christmas gifts. We invite you to this wonderful atmosphere of preparation for the wonderful and bright holiday of Christmas. Gifts will be collected not only for children from the orphanage in the city of Saint Petersburg but also for children from other regions of Russia. Everything in the world starts with something small, everything is born small, and then grows: a small sprout becomes a big tree, a stream flows into a river, words grow into sentences and big novels, great melodies are composed from a few notes. Dear ones, let’s all together gather Christmas gifts for our children!
Greetings to you, brothers and sisters! The ministry of mercy and care for children continues successfully. The number of children in need is increasing. When you see the need, you want to help everyone, comfort everyone, and heal everyone. We understand that we can pray for everyone, but can only help a few.
This month we visited three children’s homes and welcomed 17 graduates to the city. They are now students and have started living independently, and we have managed to build relationships with them. These young people now have a great chance to survive and become good people and Christians. We also visited a hospice 10 times and participated in the lives of many children, especially in the life of Apollon. His condition has improved, and we hope he will recover! A special need is for children in oncology. The department is overcrowded with children who need care, encouragement, and prayer.
Rita and Yaroslav are on hormones, and their condition is severe. They are looking for donors for a bone marrow transplant, and in the meantime, they need expensive medications and special nutrition. We try to participate in their lives prayerfully and financially. Every day, buying medicines and food costs up to 100 dollars. The family cannot afford this and needs help! Therefore, we ask you to pray and participate with us in the lives of these children! The children are very kind and want to live! Today, much depends on us. I want to express my gratitude to you for your participation in the lives and treatment of the children. Glory to Jesus for the honor of serving sick children and accompanying families on their difficult journey!
