Heartache
June 30, 2011
From Liz Hulley Sukhovskaya –
“We have sad news in the orphanage.” I felt like my heart stopped when Galina told me that today during our weekly tutoring session.
I immediately started thinking of the “older” ladies who worked at the orphanage. I hoped nothing had happened to one of them.
“It’s Liosha,” said Galina. “His parents are not coming to get him. The adoption is not going to happen. Liosha cried when he found out, and he went to camp yesterday.”
My heart was breaking for Liosha at this news. Out of all the wounded kids, his pain and loneliness gets to me the most. Galina said that when he came to the orphanage he used to just sit under a desk, afraid to come out.
He was afraid of me too, for a while. But nowadays I can get a playful smile.
Getting adopted seemed like the best thing that could happen to Liosha. He is so fragile emotionally, though he is a kind, smart boy. I just can’t picture his future after graduating from the orphanage.
A new life in California, on a farm, in a family…that sounded like the perfect answer to prayer. I want to believe that he still has a chance to find a family, but I am despairing.
You see, Liosha is 16. I’m pretty sure this is the cut-off age for adoption.
And I also wonder if he will be able to trust again, after this disappointment. My heart hurts for him right now.
News from Montenegro
June 29, 2011
Here’s an update from Vladimir Cizmanski, pastor of the Brethren Assembly in Podgorica —
Stolen Minibus
Some of you know that a few months ago someone broke into our house while we were travelling in Serbia. Only a few small things were taken, but these included the key to the minibus parked outside. The thief drove off the minibus during the day and drove about 500 km.
We were in two minds about what would happen because we had heard how some vehicles get disassembled and transported to neighboring countries. We reported the theft to the police, and for several days we didn’t have any information. We prayed that the Lord would restore it to us because it was so significant in several of the ministries that we are involved in. We had received it as a gift from God and it wasn’t clear to us why the Lord had allowed this theft.
While the investigation was under way something very positive happened: two of our neighbors with whom we have good relationships had not talked to each other for years – they had quarreled about land ownership – basically both of them wanted to help us in this situation.
While the police were supposed to arrive and make an inventory of the stole items they were ‘forced’ to start a conversation and in this way one of them invited the other for coffee. This was a sign of reconciliation! Several days later one of them approached me with a joyful and smiling face and said: I have made peace with my neighbor!
Another thing was that really had good opportunities to talk to various inspectors who came to our house about God because they all asked me what I did as a job. Maybe this is an answer to why this all happened – a renewal of friendship and witnessing to people who we would otherwise not be able to reach.
The Lord caused our minibus to be found and returned with only slight damage, praise the Lord.
Book Fair
We decided to take the step to be on public show and to make contact with people through this event. There were many interesting comments and reactions which encourage us that the heavens above Montenegro are opening more and more. We believe that the Lord is preparing the opening of many hearts which will in the near future follow Jesus Christ are their Lord.
This was also a good exercise for us to be sharing the Good News as a team and fellowship.
Lazar and Izabela
We rejoice that one more Christian marriage has been made in Montenegro. Lazar, who has been in our fellowship since 2006, decided to marry Izabela (22) from Kikinda, Serbia, who gave her life to Christ when she was 15. They need our prayers to find good jobs and live independent of help from other people.
Milivoje
We rejoice at Milivoje’s decision to follow Christ as his Lord and Savior. This man, who has gone through many unpleasant things in his life but always with a positive attitude and spirit, now has one more true dimension to his life.
He has socialized for a long time with Nedeljko (a member of the fellowship) who told him the gospel. However, besides the faith that he had in Jesus as his Savior he was emotionally rooted in the Orthodox religion into which he had been born.
One day the book “Orthodoxy Enlightened by the Gospel” came into his hands. He quickly read it and then everything clicked into place. He became aware of the background of the religion and traditions which are practiced and decided that he would no longer take part in them. Now he is a free man who loves the Lord, who comes to our meetings regularly and who wants to be baptized soon. We believe that his life experience will be a great encouragement to the fellowship.
Thank you for your prayers and support.
In Christ’s love
Vladimir and Marijana
Ride For Russia
June 21, 2011
From MIR Executive Director Masha Oshkina:
I will always remember this June as a motorbike riding adventure. On the 1st June 2011 an intrepid band of bikers, and trikers, embarked on a 2000 mile trip to Moscow, Saint Petersburg and back to raise funds for the Genesis project. I had a privellege of joining them on the ride to Estonia and Latvia. (See videos if the Ride for Russia here).
The band arrived to the Palace Square on June, 9
I couldn’t miss my chance to look at all the bikes.
The British Consulate of Saint Petersburg showed their support and hosted an outdoor lunch for the bikers. Alex gave a speech as well. Read more
Great News from MIR!
June 2, 2011
This note is from Russian foster parent Alina and is a follow up to this entry. She has finally received guardianship of Nastya and Danya after several years of struggle to make it happen.
Dear Friends!
O, happy day! I am the legal guardian of Nastya and Danya and we are living together in our new apartment.
I am so thankful to all who were praying for me and helping me while I was collecting papers. I should admit this was quite a difficult period of my life, but in spite of all the hardships the Lord was with me by many miracles He has performed.
Danya has finally decided he would like to get trained as an interpreter. He is really gifted in foreign languages. He speaks English fluently. My friend tutors him and he comments on him being one of the brightest students she has ever had. The main thing is he enjoys it a lot. He’d like to learn French, German and Italian. He’d like to enter a prestige university with Italian as a major. He is now passing entrance exams to enroll into a very good secondary school. His last exam is going to be in August. Please pray he passes the exams. Along with the language studies Danya would like to either do dance classes or sports.
Nastya is not doing so well at school but in spite of that she is very talented and creative. She’d like to continue her piano classes and I’m going to hire a professional piano teacher. She also does well in drawing and would like to become a cartoon multipticator (like me). This is why I do think she would benefit from going to an art school. She was one of the best students at choreography class she attended in the orphanage. Now she has an opportunity to do more of the type of dance classes that she likes and do it more professionally.
I would love for Danya and Nastya’s dreams to come true, but we need a budget for that. If not for the expensive rent of the apartment, we could have afforded the afterschool classes without any additional support. We spend 25 000 rub monthly on the rent. We have sponsorship support from the American family that was hosting the kids in USA, but this is quite a bit of money and not always they can help us. We ask to continue praying for this situation to see if God leads you to support us. We are blessed beyond what we can imagine.
Letting Go
June 2, 2011
from On Life in St.Petersburg by our own Liz Hulley Sukhovskaya
I got a new phone the other day because my other one was dying, and it took a certain amount of effort to transfer the contacts between the two. But I actually received an unexpected blessing going through those contacts, in the form of memories.
My tendency to accumulate things extends even as far as my address book, and I looked at the list and decided it was time to prune…why was THAT person still in there? Surely I could do a little pruning in this area of life, at least.
But it wasn’t so easy. My first year here was FULL of encounters with various interesting people. I was very prayerful about how I spent my time, and about each relationship. Perhaps it happens for many missionaries or any Christian servants, that they expect miracles at first and look at each day with such hope and anticipation…
No, I know it was hard. I didn’t know Russian as well then, and everything was new and strange. But I sought the Lord, and He was with me.
And I look at the names of people whom I don’t see much anymore, and I think…when did I stop praying for that person? Or seeking the counsel of that other one? The dear interpreters from camp; the former English students; an orphan or two who put me on their cell phones just for fun. What if I wanted to suddenly renew those relationships, and couldn’t call because I erased their numbers? What if they wanted to call me, and I wasn’t prepared to talk to them, not recognizing the number?
Maybe it’s just another time now and there are different individuals I’m meant to serve, with a different focus. But I felt God’s voice whispering to me not to give up. So I erased hardly anyone at all, and decided to leave the doors open to possibility.
