Bezhetsk Orphanage Camp July 5-12, 2009

Our return trip to the orphanage in Bezhetsk was a phenomenal work of God. Just two weeks prior, it looked like it would be delayed or cancelled. There were not enough leaders available to pull it all together...but that was looking through man's eyes. God's ways are higher than our ways and His timing is perfect. It was decided to move forward even though there were only a few who had ever had a leadership role in camps before. It was a motley crew for sure! We realized that it was God who called us together and God who wanted to work in and through us. Our main direction was to deny our own fleshly desires and expectations and trust the Holy Spirit to love the kids through us...and love them He did. As you look at the orphans faces, you will see a reflection of the joy in their hearts.

Each day started with a leadership Bible study, prayer, and review of the day's schedule. We then marched to the children's rooms to have some fun rousing them out of bed. The kids, especially the younger ones, loved it! Our days were full of teaching, games, crafts, singing, sports, and lots of fellowship, topped off with an abundance of the love of Christ. The last 3 days we sensed the softening of the older orphans' hearts so we set up a special meeting for both the guys and the girls. This took place after the evening big group meeting. We invited the older guys to join us if they were interested in learning more about the Bible and how to pray, etc. We honestly did not know what to expect. If they came, it would be an open statement of their interest in wanting to know more about Christ. Peer pressure can be very controlling , especially in that environment. They didn't care...they came anyway. Four guys met with me and the other male leaders and talked about faith and how to pray. That same night, the girls had a very special time of fellowship as some of the leaders shared their testimonies and some of the orphan girls shared their life stories.

The next night, after the big group meeting, we asked if the kids wanted to meet again. The answer was a resounding yes! The guys, 7 of them, went until 1am sharing their backgrounds. The stories were heartbreaking. Outwardly, most seemed callous, but we could feel their pain.

The girls met again with Roz, Katya (the camp director), and some of the other leaders. They were able to share with them about God's desire for their lives and the lasting consequences for wrong choices. They shared about how God is the Father to the fatherless and that He has a perfect plan for each of them.

It proved to be a profitable time of fellowship for both groups. Two of the young men repented the next day and trusted their lives to Christ. There were also several of the young ladies whose hearts were softened toward the things of the Lord where they had been rebellious and non-interested at the beginning of the week.

The message that was filtered throughout everything we did was faith~Faith in Christ instead of self or man.

We praise God for His power, the power of His Word, and the power of His love. He is in control and working all things together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose!

The song that is playing during the slideshow is one of the children's favorites. Tom would take them for rides in the van and they would ask to hear this song over and over. It speaks of loving Jesus and being grateful for all He has done.

Praise God from Whom all blessings flow!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

A Special 4th of July Picnic!

Andrei and Tom went outside of Moscow with a group from Golgotha Church to fulfill the birthday wishes of a man living in a home for the handicapped. His wish was simple, but for him, to have that wish granted was a dream come true.

As we arrived at the facility, we found an old dilapidated building with a big group of guys walking around a fenced pen...not a very good first impression...Tatiana went to pick up the birthday man, Sasha, and his best friend, Serozha. Both men, 33 years old, are wheel-chair bound but full of joy. They were excited about riding in the van as we headed for Sasha's big birthday celebration~a picnic near the lake. What a glorious day it was! It was supposed to rain and be a bit chilly, but God stumped the forecasters and blessed us with beautiful weather. We built a fire, went for a stroll in the forest, sang hymns to them, and had a Bible lesson. We shared with them that just like Andrei, they were created by God and perfect in His eyes, as He makes no mistakes! We then got down to real business and enjoyed a great picnic lunch prepared by Tatiana and her sister, Ira. Jenya, Ira's husband and their son, Jenya, made sure we had plenty of wood for the fire and a place to heat up the meat. Both Sasha and Serozha were blessed and grateful, as were we, for the time God gave us together.

Our trip to El'na (Yelna)

Make a Smilebox slideshow