This is everyone except Kelli McCalla who will join the team tomorrow.

The construction work continues at Sunbeam. Here you can see the pictures. Sadly, I think by 1 June we will not be ready to open.

Elena and Ursula work every day in the office; we plan our future work, prepare documents, etc. Ursula is working with Sirli in the city administration. Together with Elena they are writing grant proposals to get operating funds from different sources.

Also, we are organizing an Open House on 1 June. We are inviting people, making a little program, will have a concert, and if some children come we are ready to do activities with them, crafts, games…

Sunbeam is entering the final part of the first phase of renovation, preparing to open the doors. Hopefully we’ll be up and running in June or early July. We are in need of financial support for operating expenses. If you’d like to support this project (or any other Stoneworks program) please visit our Support page.

We had a men’s group meeting in Nickel. there were 11 men from Nickel and Zapolarny. The men were from different churches, 2 guys were from the world. unfortunately, nobody took pictures during the meeting.  The topic was “The heart wound” (from Robert Lewis’ the Quest for Authentic Manhood).

Masha was there also, and she led a meeting for the women. it was the 1st women’s meeting in Nickel, but it was interesting and fruitful, and they decided to continue meeting. So whenever I go to Nickel for a men’s group, Masha will go there with me for a women’s group.

The next day we went to Olenegorsk (300 kilometers [200 miles] from there), where Masha had a 9-hour long class for the women in the church. There were about 20 women, and 10 of them were from the world. Some of them have been attending Masha’s classes for a few times, and some new ones decided to. Good thing is that the women from the church can build relationships with the women from the world, and lead them to Christ.

Before and after that we had 2 smaller retreats. There were just 3 of us in the 1st one, me and 2 guys from the church in Murmansk. Both guys attended almost all our big retreats and small groups. This time it was something like a team-building event.

Just a couple of days ago I got back home from another small 3 day retreat. We were 6 this time, 3 guys from Nickel (one non-Christian), 1 from Murmansk (the one who accepted Christ at our winter retreat in Rickolatva), 1 from Olenegorsk (ex-drug addicted), and me. Both times we walked far (skied actually), got completely exhausted physically, especially the 1st time, when it snowed hard all 2 days.

But it helped us get real, and that is the main goal of those trips – help men get real. When you are so tired that you think you are ready to fall right here and never get up, it’s hard to keep on wearing all the variety of your masks. In these situations a person shows who he really is. That’s what I love most, and the most important thing for me – I want to get real myself, I want to lose all my masks, whatever they are.

The unbeliever guy who was with us at the 2nd trip, accepted Christ there, on the 2nd day. He had been at church meetings before, but he always felt as if something was fake, or false in people there, and he didn’t want to go there again. One this trip it was easy for him to get rid of that phobia, because no one was fake around him. He prayed his first prayer with me, and made a decision to be a disciple of Christ – he will attend church in Nickel, will go to a Bible school, will attend our men’s meetings.

I’m now in Montenegro, awaiting the arrival of a mission team. The busy part of the summer will quick be upon us.

Here are a few pictures of the day:

Masha, Katya, Yan, Olga, Sergei (Kristina was with the kids, I took the picture)

Ksusha (one of Sergei and Kristina's daughters) by the summer kitchen

Sergei and Kristina

of course, we cooked shashleek

and you gotta have kvas!

Masha Oshkina

two years ago a mission team cut down a BIG tree; we finally got it cut up and moved; now we need to split it for firewood

Dear fellow workers in Christ,

Above all, we are grateful for your love and involvement in ministry to orphans in various ways. We would like to share with you our latest news.

We continue to sow the seed of God’s Word among the orphans and graduates in the hope that one day they will be able to choose faith of Christ the Savior.

Birthdays are special day. In those days we feel special, because we see care and attention from our family and friends. God allowed to come into this world, each of us. And in His eyes we are a treasure. His love for us has been revealed through His Son at Calvary. This is a priceless Gift.

Several orphans had a birthday. We congratulate them and of course they got our love, attention and gifts. But our great desire and prayer to see these children born again in God’s love.

We have visited two sisters, Ksusha and Katya, with their children Igor and Eva.

The girls were grateful to receive toys and clothing for them and their children.

Yan went with Ksusha to several government offices presenting Ksusha’s need for her own place to live, but they were turned down everywere.

Now Ksusha is working in a store and Katya babysits with both children.

Renovations in the apartment of Yuri and Marina have ended and their life has become more settled.

Not so long ago, we moved them a new kitchen, which was donated by one christian lady. I (Yan) and Yuri dismantled all the cabinets and transported them by our car to their home. They are very grateful since it’s much easier for Marina to cook and keep all kitchenware in order. Also we collected and brought for them kitchen supplies, clothes and toys for Dima. It’s such a pleasure to see God’s people blessing those who is really in need.

They invite us for a visit often and we see them being proud of their home and taking a very good care of it. When we come for a visit we cook together and spend time learning from God’s word. Thank you for your prayers for this family, the Lord has been showing His love and mercy to them through His children!

Once again we are thankful for any help in the ministry Heart for Orphans.

May God’s joy and strength be with you!

Prayer requests:

Please pray for all the kids;

That God would give us strength and renewal in the ministry to orphans;

For health of our family, because the devil is attacking in this area;

This summer we participate in joint projects (camp for orphans and children from at-risk families) with the believers from United States.

Click on the picture to see large view

I arrived at the orphanage not long after Easter and walked into a “conversation” between a counselor and one of her charges.

The boy wanted a cord or chain for a cross pendant he had come across. He felt this would solidify his Christian status.

The counselor, a Muslim (ethnically) had apparently had it with Christianity. Or with Orthodox Christianity. Or with Christian holidays…something had ticked her off. And here she began to rant…about the cross.

It (the cross) didn’t mean anything; Christianity didn’t mean anything. 90% of “Christians” just went to church to light a candle and say a prayer, then go on with their hypocritical lives.

I could feel the weight of the cross necklace I had put on that morning. I don’t wear one regularly; it just feels right sometimes. But I felt awkward to be wearing it at that moment.

If I had heard the comment from a random person on the street, maybe it wouldn’t have bothered me. But this counselor is someone I’ve been trying to witness to. We’re friends. I wanted to ask her, “How could you still think that about all Christians?” Not that I’ve been a saint, but are we all so two-faced? Are our lifestyles so obviously hypocritical.

What about my wedding? I wanted to ask. She had been a guest. The Christ-centered sermon, the church fellowship, the purity of our relationship…didn’t it mean anything?

And the American families she had visited a few summers ago…they were Evangelical, Bible-believing Christians. Didn’t they challenge her opinion a little bit? Or did she chalk it up to a cultural difference?

She needs to know Evangelical Christians HERE. Even as I write it, it sounds like a diagnosis, as if I could heal someone. No, only God can do that. But I wonder, if I need my social circles to overlap just a little bit more.

Here are two videos of the status today.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

What a great tool this will be in serving the children and their families. We are all very thankful.

Now we need to find one for Spring of Revival!

Visit our Ministry Map to see these places.

Meeting with the 5th Brigade in Polyarny

Men's Meeting in Zapolyarny

Masha Teaching in Olenogorsk

Yura Teaching in Monchegorsk

Masha Teaching in Polyoni Zori

Meeting in Polyarni

Men's Meeting in Zapolyarny

Men's Meeting in Nikel