Montenegro and the USA
November 30, 2010
Vladimir Cizmanski, pastor of the Brethren Assembly in Montenegro, writes:
I can’t describe my impression that time is going so fast. My weeks feel like days. Whenever I speak with someone about the time they have same sense. Are our globe and watches turning faster? Technology is supposed to help us to do things in less time, but it looks it is not going that direction . . . .
To begin, I must say that our last teenage summer camp was so well organized that teenagers said they want to stay another week. They enjoyed it very much.
The Stoneworks team from Athens, Georgia was great, and there were about 20 teenage campers. All together there were 32 people.
This ministry is growing. We have to look for a new location since the old property can accommodate only around 25 people.
When September started, my wife and began preparations to go to Athens, Georgia where we visited with the church that sent the summer team.
It was an exciting time for us to spend 3 weeks with people that we got know in Montenegro through the camp ministry. Also it was very good to meet new people who we knew were great supporters of those who ministered in the camp.
We had only heard of St. James United Methodist Church but now we had opportunity to get a real feeling of the life at this church.
The warmth and acceptance that we experienced there was really refreshing. Marijana and I felt like we were in our own family.
We were also very happy to meet Mary Jean Preece, the Stoneworks Administrator. She, her husband and her parents took us to Stone Mountain.
This relaxing and refreshing time that was great gift for us. It was orchestrated by our Father to get us there at the perfect time of our lives. We needed it just at that time.
Now that we are back home, we face different challenges at the church. We need clear vision where we go and how to get there. I really want to develop the leadership at the church and I would appreciate very much your prayers regarding that. I started intensively to meet with two brothers to encourage them to get involved to take care of the flock as much as God is entrusting them.
Unfortunately, one other man said that he will not continue to come to church because he has struggles in life and it started to be very difficult for him to follow Jesus. Now he is back in his old style of worldly living and refusing any discussion about God. The only good thing in all of this is that he does want to stay in touch with us. Please pray for Momcilo because he also has (by the doctor’s diagnoses) psychological problems, but I believe there is also demonic power in his life.
Now face great task: distribution of shoe boxes at Christmastime! We will distribute about 20,000 shoe boxes this holiday. This is always a big project for us, as we distribute shoe boxes to people in need. We need your prayer for the good health, strength, good methods of sharing the Gospel, discipline, good weather, volunteers. . . .
We are planning to improve our Christmas program with puppets. This is is something completely new for us, and we have to practice a lot. We see good reactions from parents when they see our effort to do good things for them – they really appreciate that, but more importantly we have to realize that our God deserves for us to give Him our best for His glory. Read more
A Holiday During the Holidays
November 25, 2010
From MIR, in St. Petersburg —
Last week, Russia celebrated “Unity Day,” which coincided with school vacation week.
During this time, our dear friend David Hulley came for a visit. As per tradition, he wanted to spend some time with kids from the “Fairy” group from orphanage #32.
Out of a few different options, the kids decided that most of all they would like to go bowling.
The time flew by; the younger children quickly learned the game and a friendly competition was soon underway.
While waiting for their turn, the kids chatted with David and looked at the photographs that he had brought from home.“A Holiday During the Holidays!”
David’s daughter, Liz Hulley, who serves children in various orphanages, also attended the event. Although David knows a few words in Russian, his communication was aided by Olga Cantrell, our expert interpreter. Katya Plusnina was also on hand, helping out.
After bowling, the group went to McDonald’s as usual to eat lunch together. The younger children were especially glad to sample a burger and fries, and of course to receive the prize that came with their Happy Meals.
And so continues a long tradition of friendship between Americans and Russians…
Wounded
November 12, 2010
from Liz Hulley at On Life in St.Petersburg –
When my dad and I took some kids from the orphanage out last week, the counselors whispered to us about the backgrounds of some of the kids. Well, they didn’t really whisper; it seems more accepted to talk about kids’ behavior right in front of them. But a few of these facts were more personal and they meant it for our ears only.
The kids said “Thank you very much” after the meal. Most tried, with prompting, to say it in English. And then the counselor explained what great progress that was for many of them. I hadn’t really thought about it since I see them regularly, but it really is a challenge for them to look an adult in the eye and say “Thank you.” And of course, trying it in a foreign language showed special courage.
One of the boys the counselor pointed out was new (I actually hadn’t met him yet), and she said that he (at 11 y.o.) witnessed the murder of his mother by his stepfather, perhaps over the summer. I saw how he held himself: not rudely like some of the other kids with “behavioral” problems, but like a bird, hovering at the edge of conversation with a wan smile.
Today I saw him at the orphanage and he again offered a weak smile, so I tried to reach out. “Pasha, right?” so he would know I remembered him. He nodded, but shrank back and quickly darted away. I wonder what is on his mind after all the trauma; what kinds of fears he lives with.
Dave Hulley in Russia
November 7, 2010
This is from Liz Hulley –
My dad has been here for the past week and we have been visiting with friends. Maybe he will send me some of his photos.
In the meantime, here are some taken when we went to lunch with some girls who grew up in the orphanage together. They’re on their own now but still love to do things in groups, especially when friends from abroad come to visit. We always have a fun time with them.
Autumn in Belarus — Sweatshirts and Hot Dogs
November 6, 2010
News from Spring of Revival (with many pictures at the end of the post)
– by Olga Goncharenko
Greetings dear friends,
In the last month or so we had a few visitors from the USA. The visits were short, but encouraging.
We spent some time at the orphanage with our foreign friends. The “International Friendship Club” at Stankovo is always open to have foreigners and they keep asking us to bring them more foreigners, but since there are not so many that we know of who come to Belarus, we take every chance for a visit.
Usually the time there is the time of fellowship, sharing a cup of tea with cookies and sharing about our lives and what is important in our lives.
But this time, it was also a time to give out very nice sweatshirt, that one of our partners “Holden Christian Academy” sent over for the orphans. Boys and girls look so great in them. And it was a double blessing for the kids, as the sweatshirts kept them warm through the fall, as there was no heat at the orphanage.
Another great thing that happened was a “hot dog dinner” that the orphans prepared together with the young people from our church , who volunteer to help in the ministry.
It was a cooking class, as well as a program on what professions are available for the orphans and how to choose the one they need.
The first week of November is a fall break. We did a special Fair at the shelter. All the kids got some candies, school supplies, toys, but the younger ones eat all the sweets at once, since they don’t usually get any sweets.
It’s always a special time for me to visit them. It was also a time when the kids at the shelter met my little baby girl. It was also special. And the kids also got new hats and scarves to keep them warm.
We also had a plan of taking Stankovo kids out to McDonald’s during the break, but we couldn’t because of the orphanage being on a quarantine due to chicken pox. The kids were not allowed to leave the orphanage.
The orphanage is not the only place with the chicken pox this fall, I guess, as two of my kids just had it too. Praise God, we are over it now.
Thank you for all you help, finances, prayers. We appreciate it. God bless you,
Olga Goncharenko
Meet Slava — Our Newest Baby!
November 6, 2010
Good news from Spring of Revival –
Please meet little Slava, a new addition to our ministry family.
The SOR accountant Masha had a baby boy on October 14th. After staying in the hospital for about 10 days, since there were complications with the baby, she is now back home and all is well.
Thank you for your prayers.
