Snowy Beginnings
January 25, 2011
This may not look like much, but we hope this is where we will build a center for disabled children in Jõhvi, Estonia. The mayor has offered us this lot of land and will present his proposal to the city council next month. The municipal government is very supportive and many people in the community are ready to help.
Right now, the vacant lot is a jumble of earth and snow, but it is in a very good location very near the city center on good roads.
I am meeting with government officials, the architect, ministry leaders and various advisers. Today Andres Toome (the architect) and I visited a center for NGOs and received advice about the best legal structure to use. We also talked through preliminary plans for the building. Over the next two weeks, we’ll prepare a charter and file to found the organization. Artur Pold is taking a leading role in getting the ball rolling.
It’s great to see things taking shape, and we hope to start building this summer. Please pray that we’ll walk in God’s time and ‘lean not on our own understanding’.
Holy Days in Belarus — New Year’s
January 25, 2011
From Olga Goncharenko, the second of three reports:
From December 30 to January 7 we had a team of five people from Tennessee. They really enjoyed the snow and joined us for our programs.
December 31st
This day was full of events. We started at the shelter, where we had a Christmas fair for 10 orphans with gifts and singing, playing the piano and making crosses. We shared the story of Christmas and listen to the poems that the kids had learnt.
We also provided food for the new year party for them and laminated floor into the bedroom of 3-6 year old girls. The room looks great now.
After the shelter we headed to Stankovo orphanage to celebrate the New year. The kids took it very seriously and spent a long time dressing up and preparing for the party, that was actually a concert as well.
We provided food for the whole orphanage and every child got a gift. The party ended up with fireworks.
THEN we headed to another celebration at Minsk Family Home that lasted until 5 a.m. (it’s a tradition to stay up all night). The girls did a great job on cooking; it was delicious.
January 2
As it was Sunday, we headed to church, but it was not the usual church service. This Sunday we gathered in a foster home in a village near Minsk, where together with other believers and three local foster families we had food and fellowship.
There were about 40 people with kids, who actually led praise and worship time.
Everyone got gifts and there was lots of food, including the pork, from the pigs that we donated to them in the past.
The day ended with a special night out for MFH girls. Together with the team they went bowling and out for dinner.
click on thumbnails to view full-size images
Jill Tyson in Belarus – It is Good, Good, Good
January 20, 2011
Jill Tyson, Stoneworks Board member, recently returned from a trip to Belarus, leading a small team. Here are some of her thoughts about Spring of Revival and Minsk Family Home –
"our girls" together with Minsk Family Home girls in Minsk city center - having fun on New Year's Eve 2011
Doing crafts at foster home in Treskovstichina
New Year 2011 in Belarus was incredible, and even though our schedule was jam-packed, we were able to accomplish much and felt overall that all goals for mission and ministry were met. The work there is GOOD. Olga’s family and staff are GOOD. God is GOOD and we should support for the programs there with much hearty effort.
Minsk Family Home (MFH) naturally evolved from the ministry that Spring of Revival (SOR) has to Belarusian orphans. Over time the children grew, and the staff of SOR saw a need to provide a safe home where young women who were too old to stay in the orphanage could live and study. Most importantly, they saw a need for a place where young women could continue to grow in grace and knowledge of Christ.
Shelter at Stankovo - organizing donations before visiting children
Originally, we were projecting a monthly budget of $1,350. Praise God! Even in these hard economic times, each month the operating costs of the home has been around $1,000! Not only is the home operating on a smaller budget than anticipated, the home is truly making an eternal impact on many people.
One of the components of the program is for the girls to serve in the orphanages, visiting and encouraging young children in Christ. Olga says that she didn’t expect the girls to be so enthusiastic, but that every month the girls ask to go several times, and they are always coming up with unique ideas for ministry, new games, recipes, etc…!
Baby hospital at Borovlyani
The girls are also always open to having younger orphans come into their home and spend the weekend. Currently the home has one counselor, Alesya and four girls: Kate, Masha, Alona and Alla. My daughter and I spent New Year’s Eve 2011 with the girls. We also took them bowling and out to eat one night. I can give first account witness that the girls are growing in God and seeking His will for their lives.
New Year's Feast at MFH
In closing I’d like to give a personal opinion. Through the Presbyterian Church and various Chernobyl related missions, I’ve been active in ministry to Belarusian children and families since 1998, and have been to Belarus many times. I can’t see a more worthwhile mission than to encourage the next generation of believers to grow strong in Christ in Belarus. Minsk Family Home seeks this mission and lives it out in its very existence. Our base of support gives wings to the ministry.
New Year's Eve celebration at Stankovo orphanage
Holy Days in Belarus — Christmas Ministry 1
January 19, 2011
From Olga Goncharenko, the first of three reports –
Our season was very busy and very joyful at the same time. We use this wonderful time to do as much as we can, so that many children will know the true meaning of Christmas and get special gifts.
It took a lot of preparations, but we saw lots of smiles and made many lives happier. The pictures say more than the words, so here are the places we went to and the things we did.
December 15th: Christmas fair at Stankovo orphanage for 75 kids.
It’s our annual fair and this time the orphans got to spend their coupons on hats and scarves, soap and school supplies, toys and lots of sweets.
December 25th
Christmas day started very early for us as we headed to bring 25 orphans from Stankovo for a special morning children’s program at church. It was a great theater performance about a blind girl who found Jesus, put on the stage by the people of our church. We occupied several rows and the kids really enjoyed it.
An orphan Vika, shared with that she was crying while watching the program.
After the church we all headed to McDonald’s and the kids had a wonderful time there too. The day was long, but very joyful.
Click on a thumbnail to view the full-sized picture
Engagment Announcement!
January 18, 2011
Andrey and I announced our engagement at church on Sunday. We had tried to keep it a secret since the proposal in December. 
It was really fun telling everyone all at once!
Andrey was preaching and I was upstairs at Sunday School, so he had to come get me when it was time. When we entered the room, everyone broke out in loud applause! I didn’t expect that.
Before saying a prayer over us, the pastor exhorted the congregation to do two things: 1) To pray for us as we prepare for marriage and 2) For married couples to invite us to have fellowship and be our mentors. It looks like we are going to do a lot of visiting in the next few months!
It’s one thing when people say you make a “cute” couple or are “perfect” for each other, but when they really KNOW you and have been praying for you, it means a lot to hear them confirm that this relationship is of the Lord. We are very blessed!
Holy Days in Belarus — Christmas Ministry 2
January 16, 2011
Another update from Olga Goncharenko:
January 6
We took all the Stankovo orphans, those who remained in the orphanage for the Christmas break, out to the theater for the program “The Road to Bethlehem”. It was a national theater, but the program was really Christian, sharing the message of Christmas.
We had to have 2 vans and 2 cars to transport the kids. After the theater, we had a snack at McDonald’s. In order to get food for 37 people, I had to stay in line and wait for our order for about an hour. Yes, and it’s called fast food, but it’s not always fast here.
And the last thing we did on Christmas Eve (January 7th is Orthodox Christmas here) was a hospital visit.
Twenty two abandoned babies got diapers (although most of them we couldn’t see because of the chicken pox they had), but there were some orphans and the family kids, who happen to be sick and stay in the hospital.
They smiled as the heard a Christian concert, actually made by the orphans from the foster families and we gave them toys as Christmas gifts. It was also very special for them to be held in arms and sit on the laps of our group. They didn’t want to let us go.
We also sent gifts for the orphans in Zhitkovichi foster family.
All in all we are very pleased with all we did and we thank you all for making it all possible. May God bless you abundantly in 2011.
