A Personal Update
September 3, 2010
Olga Goncharenko, in Belarus, has this short personal news to share…
We have two exciting events:
Our baby girl Erika was dedicated on August, 8 2010.
And our son Thomas is starting school this September.
~Olga
More Camp News
September 3, 2010
Olga Goncharenko, in Belarus, has a final summer camp update…
As summer is coming to an end, we are finishing up with all the ministries at our camps. We want to share with you about the Vacation Bible School that we did for 40 kids, ages 5 1/2 through 12. Though it was for the first time in the history of our church, the the challenge was taken.
We want to thank the team from Holden Chapel, MA, who came to show us how to do it. It was a four day camp from 9 am till 4 pm, where we had not only Bible lessons, sports, crafts, and English lessons; but we also learned several great worship songs in English with the kids. Besides all that, we also did all the cooking. The kids really liked VBS, even though the team had to work really hard.
Minsk Family home girls had opportunities to grow spiritually through their service in different camps as well. Masha was counselor for other orphans at a Christian camp, Katya helped by cooking, and Alla was a helper at a camp in Belarus and in Poland.
To finish up with the camps, I can add that two groups of 63 kids each that went to a Christian camp in Latvia had a very blessed time there.
A New Baby!
August 27, 2010
Olga Goncharenko in Belarus has some terrific news and pictures to share:
Our third child (a baby girl) was born on July, 28th 2010.
She is adorable.
Her name is Erika.
We thank God for her and ask His blessings on her life.
~Olga
Break Time
August 24, 2010
Olga and I are in Finland for a few days, taking a break after such a full summer. We’re here with our ’sister-in-law-in-law’ Violeta (her brother is married to Olga’s sister). Violeta, pictured above on Pyhäjärvi (Holy Lake), is from Montenegro and has had a great time in the northland where it’s finally cooled down — temps today are in the 60s F.
We do have some sad news. Christina Melton, SII missionary to Montenegro, has resigned due to personal reasons. This came up suddenly. We’ll very much miss having her in Montenegro and wish her only the best.
Our work in Montenegro will go on. We continue to partner with the Brethren Assembly and will send teams to run summer camps. Vladimir Cizmanski, pastor of the Brethren Assembly, and his wife Marijana will be visiting the US this fall. They’ll spend most of their time in Athens, GA visiting the church and getting much-needed rest and relaxation.
New opportunities continue to arise in Estonia. Plans are afoot to help establish a ministry to disabled children in Jõhvi, and we’ve already had discussions about two mission teams next year. We’d like to open a guest house in Estonia for Christian workers, so people who serve in Russia and the former CIS will have a place to relax and re-charge their batteries. Estonian property prices are low, and it would be great to buy a place to be used for ministry.
More importantly, we are very thankful for the love that the Lord has for us. He is very good. And we are very thankful to be able to serve Him in the work He has given us.
You know it’s hot when…
August 12, 2010
from On Life in St.Petersburg by Liz Hulley
One thing Americans and Russians have in common is that they both like to complain about the weather, hot or cold. I have a friend from the extreme north of Russia, and she’s always cold. However, when I was in Congo, I didn’t hear any of the locals complain about the heat. But then again, I didn’t understand most of what was said. 
I would say it’s characteristic of all humans to worry about physical comfort, but I haven’t polled everyone yet…
As you know, it’s been a warm summer in Russia. While we often wish for “real summer” in St. Petersburg, we forget that hot weather is only fun if you can hang out on a beach and jump in the lake, not if you are required to go to work, do remont (home renovations), cook anything that requires heat, get a good night’s sleep, ride the public transportation, go outside at all, wear anything long-sleeved…
It’s been interesting observing how the extreme weather uniquely affects life in northern Russia. If in Massachusetts the warmer temperatures prompted us to get our first air conditioner (instead of the usual assortment of fans), St. Petersburgers are buying their first fans, ever.
This humorous list has been circulating the Russian web. If you’ve been here at all in the summer, you may appreciate it.
-when choosing a restaurant, you don’t consider the menu, you consider the air-conditioning (McDonald’s!)
-you could care less* about the hot water being turned off (this happens for 3 weeks every summer)
-you think that showering twice a day is too little
-you now like to go out only after 11 pm (that’s when the sun finally goes down)
-you think 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit) is chilly
-you think that the best food is okroshka (chilled soup) with ice cubes, and the thought of a barbecue makes you gag
-you tried buying a fan in 10 different stores and failed (see: snow shovel shortage, Winter 2009-10; rubber boot shortage, Spring 2010)
-you’ve thought for the first time about buying an air conditioner for your home
-you sleep on the floor with a wet bedsheet and that is just fine with you
-your windows are covered by foil or other reflective material, and you don’t care that it’s dark in the room
-you’ve practically forgotten how to boil soup and fry meat or potatoes
-you’ve forgotten how to iron and what an iron even looks like
-the three most frequented websites on your browser are weather sites, and you look at them at least 3 times a day (okay, 10 in my case)
-you longingly look at travel guides for Norway and Finland…
-the words “come here, let me give you a hug,” can create a scandal (agreed…a handshake is almost TOO much contact at this point)
-you eagerly jump out of bed in the morning, “to work, to work!” because in the office there is air conditioning (or “to the grocery store!”)
-you take off for Egypt, because it’s cooler there
*meaning, you couldn’t care less. I was going to fix the grammar, but then it wouldn’t be conversational. I came across a lot of forums calling Americans stupid for saying “I could care less” when it means the opposite. So I decided to use it anyway, just to exercise my patriotism.
Blessed in Belarus
August 7, 2010
We’re excited to share a wonderful report and slideshow from Olga Goncharenko in Belarus…
Dear friends,
We are glad to share some personal news as well as camp news with you!
The month of July was very fruitful. We had a team from MA, ran two camps, and our third child (a baby girl) was born on July, 28th. She is adorable. We are still working on the name. We thank God for her and ask His blessings on her life.
Camp for orphans from Sluytsk and foster families. (The story continues below the slide show)
From the very beginning this camp was God’s real miracle. First of all, we got a team of 12 wonderful people from Holden Chapel, MA. The team was led by Pastor Tom. It’s the only team we had in two years. Secondly, as we started looking for camps in the spring, it was not easy to find one that would accept us and the team. But our God is so good that we found a camp on Braslav Lakes. We have never been to that area, so we didn’t really know what to expect. It turned out to be a wonderful place; the lakes were great, but the most important thing was that we had complete freedom to do whatever we wanted and to run our own program. One of our translators, Lena Lisovich, said that have not had such freedom since 2001, when we ran our very first camp.
And thirdly, the group of teenagers was also a great blessing. From the very beginning we were planning to have orphans from Sluytsk. But at the end of May it became obvious that the orphanage would be closed, but no one knew when and until very last week we didn’t know if Sluytsk orphans are allowed to go. In the end, everything worked out very well.
The camp was for 7 days and we had 30 teenagers. The program was prepared by the team from MA and it was great. The team was very well prepared and organized. We learned a lot from them. The teenagers were divided into 4 groups. Every day was full of many events: soccer stations, craft time, small group Bible studies, big group activities, swimming time, etc.
The whole program was based on the message of Salvation. The key verse was Romans 10:9 and everyone learned it. It was really great to see older boys participate in all the activities. At the end everyone was given an opportunity to accept Christ as their personal Savior. It was precious to see those who made the commitment.
As the camp came to an end there were many tears, but everyone knew that it was a great time blessed by God and no one will be the same after it.
Back In Russia
August 7, 2010
Here’s a brief update from Elizabeth Hulley in Russia:
I am enjoying being back in St. Petersburg, despite the very warm temperatures! I immediately moved into a new flat upon arrival, and have been amazed by the outpouring of support, from carrying heavy things to picking out new wallpaper.
As someone living in another country, there are so many ways that I’m needy, and God never fails to send help. It is humbling.
I have a 3-month visa with MIR and I hope to be in better contact with fellow workers this year as my studies kept me busy last year. I should receive my temporary residency permit in the next month or two.
I’m not sure what my weekly routine will look like in the next few months, but I look forward to seeing where God will lead, and I hope to share about it in the next newsletter!
Your sister in Christ,
Elizabeth
Belarus Camp Time
July 18, 2010
Here’s a fun update from Olga Goncharenko, Director of Spring of Revival, in Belarus…
Dear friends,
We are glad that we are in the summer season now. It’s a great time to reach out kids through camps.
Here is the update about the camp Zhemchuzhinka (“pearl”):
The camp started on the 28th of May and was over on the 14th of June. There were 180 children at camp, who came from all over Belarus. The camp had a very good Christian program. Every day there were Bible classes and every Sunday it was a church service where children also participate.
The food at camp was also really good. Children had 5 meals a day. During the camp the children also had good medical care. The campers got their teeth filled in and also they had an ultrasound of their thyroids, which is very important for Belarusians because of Chernobyl radiation.
In the beginning of July all the children of the camp were taken to an indoor water park. They had a blast there! Most of them have never been to a water park, so they really enjoyed it. Also the children had an opportunity to go to an amusement park where they went on merry-go-rounds. That was a good time for them.
During the camp the children earned special camp money and at the end. There was a fair for them were they purchased a lot of gifts and useful things for themselves. At the end of the camp there was a good-bye party for the kids and a big camp fire.
All the kids were really blessed to spend 18 days in a Christian atmosphere and to learn about God and how to pray. It will be an unforgettable experience, especially for orphans.
We also wanted to introduce to you a few kids, who were there with us so you can pray for them:
“The Nukhtikovs”
Two weeks before the camp started three sisters were brought to Stankovo orphanage: Christina 13 years old, Dasha 10 years old , Nastya 7 years old.
Prior to that time, they spent 6 months in a shelter near Minsk, where one of SOR volunteers worked as a counselor; as soon as their parents lost their rights, the girls were brought to Stankovo orphanage.
When we asked them what they liked the most, they answered all the games and Bible classes.
“Mozyr girls”
Another three girls, who came to camp from a town Mozyr were: Yana,13 years old, Yuliya and Nastya 14 years old. These girls stayed with host families in USA in the summer time on a recuperation program several times.
Since the program has been shut down , they were given an opportunity to go to camp instead. In the beginning they did not like the camp because it had a Christian program. By the end they were changed and did not want to go home. They spent a wonderful time there and made many new friends with other children.
Please continue to pray for all the kids who came to camp Zhemchuzhinka, so God will continue to work in their hearts. Also, please be praying for us as we are now in the middle of VBS for 40 kids ages 5-12. A team from Holden Chapel, MA, is here to minister to the kids. You will hear about it in our next newsletter.
Blessings…In Christ,
Olga
Recent Elama Pictures
July 15, 2010
Here’s a pictorial update from Mike about Elama
Below are recent pictures of our camp, and tree-filled video. We have about 30 children from the far north, from a town named Novodvinsk. As you can see, they are making use of the new buildings, and we continue to add more facilities. Now we need a good well, since the water supply is not reliable.
Here is a short video of The Great Tree of Elama meeting is literal downfall:
Random Summer Teams
July 13, 2010
Here’s an update from Christina in Montenegro
Hey all!
Summer in Montenegro is time for tons of random teams from various countries to come do short-term work.
While this makes for a bizarre summer schedule, it also provides some good ministry opportunities that we would not otherwise have.
The most recent team that I had a chance to work with a bit was a rather large team from an organization called Convoy of Hope. They do a lot of disaster relief, but have recently been interested in the refugee situation in the Balkans.
The team worked primarily with the Pentecostal church in Podgorica, but for their big event in Podgorica they needed a little more help. Violeta and I showed up on that Saturday to help with whatever was needed.
The team put on a small carnival-type event, with clowns and face painting, plus some pretty cool carnival games.
I helped in the “manicure room” (which is usually the pastor’s office at the Pentecostal church), where the moms and older sisters could go while the kids played games.
It was a great opportunity to practice my Serbian, and I also met a lot of new teenagers that way. We even had some teenage boys come in periodically to check out what was going on.
I have been trying to focus on strengthening relationships with the teenagers we already have so far this year, but working the manicure room was a good chance to talk to more teenagers and get a better idea of what they think and care about, and how to begin relationships with them.
