Making an Effort
January 29, 2010
from On Life in St.Petersburg by Liz Hulley, missionary in Russia –
A couple of kids whom I know in one of the orphanages are both expecting to be adopted soon, after having spent some time with American families.There is a light in their eyes now, or maybe a sense of confidence, that they will soon belong to someone.
It’s bittersweet, because as teenagers, they are making a huge life decision, and they will be missed here.
They come up to me now chattering in English, eager to hone communication skills.
The other day, I was helping Lena write a letter to her potential family. She wanted to write about the rough plane ride home.
I was dictating the words. “Difficult. D-i-f-f-i-c-u-l-t.”
I didn’t look at her paper until she was done.
She had written, “Diff I see you lt.” 
Minsk Family Home — in depth
January 28, 2010
Here is an in-depth report on the Minsk Family Home as it is functioning today. We are very thankful to be able to help these young ladies.
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There are five girls involved, in addition to Alesya the counselor.
Katya S. – Studies in vocational school for the shoe-making trade. She is a new believer and attends the ABC (basic) Bible training at church. After some rough times with personal issues at the beginning, she is now fitting in well. She and Alona are good friends.
Alona G. – Was studying insurance, but has dropped out and is looking for a job. She will apply to school again in the summer. Alona’s birth mother has cancer, and Alona often visits her as well as her brother and sister on weekends. As you might guess, this takes her away from church and Family Home activities, leaving her as the least “plugged in” of the girls – although she is good friends with Katya. Imagine the stress Alona must be under. Please pray for Alona, and that the other girls will know how to minister to her.
Alla S. – Studies chemistry at the Belorussian State University. She has finished a Bible training course at New Life Christian Church (NLC) and has become a member there.
Tanya S. – Is taking evening courses to be a sales clerk. She plans to take qualifying tests during the summer so she can apply for the teaching program at Belarussian State Pedagogical University. She attends pastor Tamara’s church in the village.
Masha I. – Studies marketing at a college in Sennista village, near Minsk. She is at the MFH on weekends. She loves the Lord and has completed part of the Bible training course at NLC.
So you can see there are four girls full time. One leaves, but another joins, on weekends.
Aleysa is doing very well. Olga says the girls respect her as a leader and listen to her counsel. Alesya keeps Olga informed about how things are going, and Olga gives input as needed. Read more
Visit to Kosovo
January 26, 2010
From Christina Melton, our missionary in Montenegro –
Last week, Violeta and I visited a friend of Violeta’s in Priština, Kosovo, as I had to cross the Montenegrin border to renew my visa. We spent 2 days with Fitore (Vio’s friend, with Vio in the picture), who is native to Kosovo and works for Campus Crusade at the university campus there.
Kosovo is 90% Muslim, and I think everyone is somewhat familiar with it’s history in the last 15-20 years. The country has perhaps around 500 protestant believers, more than twice the number in Montenegro (though our population is much smaller).
We visited a pastor there who is interested in the situation in Montenegro, and he spent some time speaking with Violeta. It was a privilege for me to listen in, and I hope that this will be a connection that we maintain.
One interesting sight in Priština was the Bill Clinton Boulevard, which contained an American flag and a statue of the former president. There were many statues of Kosovo’s heroes in various places in the city, but it was strange to see an American president statue in such a prominent place.
The statue got me thinking about the kind of impact we make in people’s lives. Our theme verse at Stoneworks International speaks of living stones being built in to a spiritual house. I believe that we are also being built as a monument.
Acts 10:1-4 “At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment. He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly. One day at about three in the afternoon he had a vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God, who came to him and said, ‘Cornelius!’
Cornelius stared at him in fear. ‘What is it, Lord?’ he asked.
The angel answered, ‘Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God.’ “
The work being done here in Montenegro is surely going to stand as a monument. We are not perfect here, but our prayer is that we would be a marker, that when people see us, they remember Him.
I Knew I was Russian . . .
January 26, 2010
From John Bull –
When I was in the 6th grade I received 8 spankings (maximum allowed by the state of Arkansas) at school for selling fireworks at school.
This year, Melissa’s second grade teacher gave the kids a gift for the Christmas holidays.
It was . . . FIREWORKS!
You can buy them and shoot them virtually anywhere in the city.
I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. No spankings here.
Click here to read more.
Montenegro — Tragedy and Hope
January 26, 2010
From Pastor Vladimir Cizmanski –
During this Christmas season Montenegro also received two trucks of Samaritan’s Purse packages which were given out to four groups of distributors (in Bar, Nikšić and Podgorica).
A
s usual in December leading up to New Year we have been trying to distribute the packages through schools while they are still open (primary schools are on holiday for the whole of January). This time we went into smaller schools which so far had not received packages.
We were helped in this process by a team of four people who came from Texas for a week, as well as Robert Vargo from Pennsylvania who has been coming regularly for several years. Along with them we also visited several centres for children with special needs.
The second part of the distribution happened in the premises of our church. Although there were fewer children than last year, about 800, we had good feedback from parents who indicated on a questionnaire an interest in the weekly children’s clubs that we offer. We pray that that interest would not just be short-lived.
In the last few years, after each package distribution, there have been more and more children coming to the weekly clubs, and we hope that there will similar fruit this winter too. This enables our list of contacts to grow and we pray that parents would become more seriously interested in the Gospel.
Some have already invited us to visit them in their homes, which indicates to us that the Holy Spirit is already at work in their hearts. Read more
God’s Love in Shelters, Orphanages and Hospitals
January 21, 2010
Here’s the most recent from Olga Goncharenko in Belarus –
Christmas season is very important for our ministry as it’s a great time to touch so many lives of children that we know, tell them that we love them and Jesus loves them as well as to meet new children that need our help.
Stankovo
Christmas started for us December, 14th when we went to have a Christmas fair at Stankovo. 65 children waited on us, as we came in with many toys, sweets, school supplies, and other things we prepared for them.
That day the concert room looked like a store with different department, where children can buy things using their orphanage motivation coupons. They come in by groups.
There 5 groups and only two groups have girls (all together there are 10). Each group has made Christmas cards and we too brought them cards from the students of Holden Christian academy.
The fair is a fun event; it’s always a question if we brought enough things or if we sell out before some kids have a chance to get things.
It surprises me that soap and shampoo are the first things to go, as well as food and drinks. (Click HERE to see more pictures from the fair.)
Slytsk
Next step was Slutsk orphanage with 105 children (again less girls, only 40 and more boys, 65).
It was a hard trip, as far as driving. The weather was about 0 F and our diesel fuel froze all the time. We had to stop, the trip one way took almost 4 hours verses 1,5 in the normal weather. But it was worth it.
We invited a Christian musician, who really did a great job in putting a concert, he played 4 saxophones of different sizes, shared his testimony of how he became a believer, told a story of silent night, let children play his saxophones and the concerted finished with all of us singing together a great Christian song. Everyone was impressed.
Our team has packed 105 gifts for all the kids as well as we brought cakes for every group of orphans.
Besides that we gave a special time for 22 Slytsk orphans, by paying for them to go to circus during their winter break. They loved it. Read more
Stretching the academic muscles
January 21, 2010
from On Life in St.Petersburg by Liz Hulley:
I started my classes again this week. It’s sort of an inter-term because the new semester doesn’t really start until February. Since I paid for classes in January, I figured I’d better go.
Can you tell I was reluctant? I dragged my feet so much on the first day, but I actually had an enjoyable time.
I arrived at 9:30 and found out that I didn’t actually have class for nearly two hours. I hadn’t been able to find out the schedule ahead of time. However, I had known this was a possibility. I headed to a café next door to have a second breakfast and finalize my question list for the FMS.
When I entered the classroom, there was a stack of books on the table, but no sign of anyone. Finally an elderly woman poked her head in. I recognized her from the back of one of my textbooks. She said hello and then disappeared for a few more minutes. Eventually she returned, bringing with her a priest from Argentina who has been in a few of my classes. He was supposed to have an individual class, but everything was moved around.
There we sat-a Catholic, a Protestant, and a Russian, presumably Orthodox. Read more
No Small Things
January 18, 2010
Here is the most recent from Christina Melton –
Before I left the USA and after I arrived here, I asked several people who have lived overseas what the milestones are in foreigner’s life. All of them said that 3 months was the first, and this week I hit the 3 month mark (January 21).
The biggest change I can feel is that I am excited about learning the language now. To be honest, I have been pretty stressed out about it, but for some reason things have shifted in this last week.
Violeta has been forcing me to speak Serbian more, and I am so thankful for that. I can call a taxi now and tell the driver where to go, order a meal, and even joke with people occasionally.
Of course, 3 months means that I have to cross the border so I can renew my tourist visa, start working on my papers, have a more solid plan for this semester.
Also, the reality of cold weather and no car has set in.
But I can honestly say that I am still incredible thankful to be here.
This last month has been about vision for teenage ministry. It is easy to just “fly by the seat of one’s pants” when working with teenagers, but without vision, we can easily begin to turn one way or another and not arrive where we originally hoped.
My prayer and goal now is to have a solid vision statement on which we can stand when making decisions about activities, etc.
So, just a quick bit about our teenagers. Where did they come from, if only one has parents who are believers (he is not even from Montenegro)?
A missionary from Serbia arrived around 9 years ago (I think 9) and began children’s programs here. Though she began with only 2 children, she and others were faithful were those 2, and the number grew.
Because of her ministry, we now have teenagers who, for the last few years, have been coming to church and learning about Jesus.
“Who has despised the day of small things?” (Zech 4:10)
“Whoever can be trusted with little can be trusted with much…” (Luke 16:10)
Please continue to pray that we here in PG will be faithful with the few we have, so that no matter how many are to come, we will have the humility and discipline to be faithful with the many.
Right now, our teenage group consists of around 10 teenagers, mostly girls. Pray for wisdom, that we would know how to minister to these faithfully, and that they would come to truly know God.
Belarus — Christmas Fair
January 16, 2010
As always, Spring of Revival held a Christmas Fair at Stankovo. The orphans there earn credits (special coupons) for participation in SOR programs and then are able to use these credits to purchase items at the fair. In some of the pictures you can see kids holding their white credits, the size of paper currency.
SOR brought a lot of sweets, drinks, cookies, chips as well as toys, school supplies, soap and shampoo etc. The orphans enjoyed the fair as they got to spend their own “money”:
Montenegro — Deepening Relationships
January 15, 2010
Christina Melton lives in Podgorica, Montenegro and is serving the church there in youth and worship ministry. Here is her most recent report:
January in Montenegro is a bit of a slow holiday month, especially for students. This means that I have had the opportunity to spend extra time with the two college girls in the church, Violeta and Helena, who are both excellent musicians/worship leaders and who are so much fun to be around!
I am enjoying the fellowship, even though they force me to speak Serbian sometimes.
Because the teenagers are not in school, about five of them helped with the Christmas Samaritan’s Purse shoe box program. I enjoyed getting to spend the extra time with them every day for six days while we distributed tons of shoe boxes.
We have suspended our regular Friday night teenage meetings because of the holidays, but we are doing some fun random events with the teens, including a photo scavenger hunt and going to the movie theater to see A Christmas Carol.
Next week, teenagers from Albania are coming to hang out with our teens, so we are in the midst of planning for that event.
My goal for this month is to really seek God concerning the direction of teenage ministry here. It is important to have a vision statement and to evaluate what can and cannot be expected between now and the end of the semester.
I pray that we will be very intentional in all that we do, and I appreciate any prayers, especially as we try to discern the direction of teenage ministry in the next few months.
read Christina’s blog here.
