// BLOG
Sunbeam — The Beginning
February 2, 2012
Over the past several months, I’ve often said that ‘I may have some good news about Estonia soon’. Well, today I have some good news about our work in Estonia.
For over a year now, Stoneworks has been partnering with several people in the US and Estonia to help establish a day center for children with disabilities. There are over 100 children with disabilities in that area and they have no access to services; they are at home, quite isolated from the world. They need help, and we are called to help them.
An American donor is giving a significant amount to help start the program, and in the process we’ve opened an Estonian charity named Päikesekiiir (Sunbeam) to run the program. But we didn’t have a building. Until yesterday.
The city of Jõhvi has given us use of a great building in the city center. And here it is:
We have it for 30 years at no cost! We have the keys and will start renovation soon.The building is in better shape than it may appear. It has a new roof and new high efficiency windows, it has a new security system and recently had firewalls and fire doors installed.
Pastor Artur Põld, architect Andres Toome and myself are the founding board members of the Estonian charity Sunbeam. Stoneworks represents the US side of the project, and also involved are Finns, Swedes, Norwegians, Germans and Brits.
In addition to housing the center for children with disabilities, the building is large enough to house many more activities. It has a great assembly hall, conference rooms, we’ll build housing for mission teams, and host other events there. It’s in a great location, in the middle of town.
Currently a youth center and kindergarten use a few of the rooms. They will pay rent to help offset operating expenses. There is much more room for expansion. And there is a smaller building on the lot that we hope to turn into a wood-working shop.
There is much to be done to prepare the building for the ministry. Though some parts of the building are in good shape, we need to renovate several rooms, build two wheelchair accessible bathrooms, reconfigure and rebuild the entrance (ramps, roof, doors) and offices, upgrade the heating system, renovate the kitchen, build a fence, and much more. Here are the initial designs for the first floor, where Sunbeam will be housed.
So, now that we have the building, much more is needed: mission teams to do construction, funds for equipment and operations, people to help train volunteers, and on and on.
We hope to open Sunbeam on June 1 — International Childrens’ Day.The next four months will be quite full and quite fun! And I’ll be posting more news as we move along.
You can read more and see more pictures and videos here.
Donations to support the center can be made here.
Soli Deo Gloria — To God alone be the glory. He has put this in our hearts, and He is bringing all the resources needed to help these children. We thank Him for guiding us.
Belarus — Good News and Great Joy
February 1, 2012
Dear friends,
Today, I am thankful to God for having all of you in my life. You help me grow in the Lord and become what I am. I am thankful to you for helping the ministry to continue and grow. On this very cold Belarusian winter day (minus 10 F) your friendship warms up my heart and I want to share our latest news.
Christmas projects
Christmas is a wonderful time of opportunities for us. We can start talking about Jesus to almost anybody and it will be just to the point. In Belarus we are double blessed as we celebrate Christmas twice. Actually once, but the second Christmas day is always an outreach.
This Christmas we were able to bring joy, good news and gifts to many kids. We started with Our Annual Christmas Fair at Stankovo orphanage for 75 kids. All of them got sweets, shampoo, soap, toys, school supplies and clothes. Our team was dressed up in the costumes of Mary, Joseph, Angel, shepherds, wise men and we did a little reproduction of how Jesus was born. Many kids already knew the story, but it’s always great to remind about it.
Later we did similar Fair and the story at another place, in the shelter for 15 kids. Besides, we got ideas of what each child in the shelter wanted for Christmas and we got the gifts. Among the wishes there were watches, toys (cars, planes) and some kids wanted clothes. Vika,6 years old, who was in our summer camp wished for a new dress and another Vika of the same age wanted a coat. It was fun to give it all to them.
On Christmas day we were able to take 20 orphans out to a church celebration and later on to McDonald’s. They always want to go.
At the other orphanage for 60 younger kids with disabilities our main gift was diapers. Many, many diapers and, of course, some sweets that we call “zefir” , which is like marshmallows. The kids were eating it greedily as they usually do not get sweets due to allergies. But Christmas is different! It brings a lot of joy to us, including joy of eating candies. (more…)
News from the Far North of Russia
January 26, 2012
Yura Belonozhkin ministers in the Far North of Russia, doing great work in many areas.
February retreat preparation
I’ve been driving around the Region meeting with pastors, presenting the Forge (as we call it) ministry to the churches and pastors. Although I did it already last summer, most pastors take it as something new. But anyway, I’ve met a lot of support from them. I will even have a chance to preach in one of the churches on Sunday before the retreat. That’s what we discussed at pastor’s meeting mostly.
This time we will have the retreat at a new place, together with new people, so it all is going in some different way. I will have to go to Rickolatva, the place where the retreat will be, on Sat, 4th. The people there, who are helping this time, seem to be not understanding exactly what it is going to be. we need to discuss some issues in person.
Men’s meetings in Monchegorsk and Zapolarny
We had 2 small group meetings this month – in Monchegorsk and Zapolarny. There were 11 men in Monchegorsk and 12 in Zapolarny. Monchegorsk meeting looked more like a core team meeting. There were men who have always attended all the meetings and who share the vision. we discussed the Feb retreat, set out the agenda for it, made the schedule for all 3 days. One of them will lead a class in Feb, he took a topic about the “Father wound”.
vWe also agreed to collect funds, we set out the minimum sum we pay every month – 500 rub (app $17). So that day we collected 2000 rub. we will use those funds to cover somebody’s expences to attend the retreat, if this somebody is not able to pay for himself, or purchase gear – tents, sleeping bags and mats, ski, etc. I want to collect enough to buy a rubber boat by summer. We are planning a rafting trip in July.
The meeting in Zapolarny was different. There were many new people, whom I’d never met before. There were 3 of us from Polarny, and the others were from Zapolarny and smaller towns around. we had an “All alone wound” class, which caused much discussion at the end. Some of the guys are planning to come to the retreat.
Our group in Polarny
Good news – a 14 year old boy accepted Christ 2 weeks ago. It doesn’t happen here very often, so we are really encouraged. Right after he accepted Christ he went to the men’s group to Zapolarny with us. He prayed and worshipped with us. Very encouraging. The family which had marriage problems is getting better. The guy looks like he is getting close to the Lord. Very slowly though, but he is moving anyway. Some outreach events are scheduled for later Feb and March (after the men’s retreat).
We are also working on Alfa project. it is new for us, but we already purchased the books and booklets for teachers and workbooks for attendants.
Some personal news
My father came to visit and stayed with us for 4 days. It was really great time. Really great. My father is a painter, and he brought 30 his paintings with him. Our local museum made a special exhibition of his paintings. The opening was on Jan 21. But it was way more interesting, because that day also was 45th anniversary of the naval academy which he graduated from back in 1975.
Our fleet commandment organized a celebration, where my father was invited, and it all was at the museum among his paintings. reporters from newspapers and local TV channel came to intervew my father. He said a speach before the audience of nearly 80 high rank navy officers. Some of them appeared to be his old classmates who he hadn’t seen for decades. I haven’t seen him that happy for a very long time, maybe never. And I was very proud of him. We organized an excursion for him to the ship where he served as an commander’s assistant. That was a surprise for him. It was a very, a truly blessed time.
Masha was recently in Polarnye Zori (a town 300 km south from here) right now with a master class. She helped the church there develop their women’s ministry. She also worked with the town crisis center, a municipal organization which helps people in crisis situations.
Welcome To Our Newest Board Member
January 20, 2012
We welcome Larry Heller to the Stoneworks Board of Directors. Larry grew up in suburban Chicago to Christian mother, atheist father with a Jewish upbringing. He became a Christian through the ministry of Young Life in 1972.
Larry moved to San Antonio in 1975 to attend Trinity University (BA in music), met his wife-to-be Kim the year after graduation, and married in 1982; they will celebrate 30 years of marriage this July.
Larry and Kim have five terrific children – three of which were adopted from Russia as older-age adoptions. Sergei, 18 (adopted at age 8), Olya, 21 (adopted at age 12) and Zhenya, 20 (adopted at age 13). Their oldest children, Tyson (27) and Max (23), are graduates of Rice and Texas A&M Universities respectively. Tyson will receive his M.D. this May.
Larry’s first mission trip to Russia (summer camp ministry) was in 1999, and he has been coordinator of missions to Russia for the Oak Hills Church since 2000. Larry has served on the boards of Springs Of Revival, MIR and Road of Life, a transitional living program for orphanage graduates in St. Petersburg.
As a result of 13 years of summer camp ministry, Larry dedicates one trip to Russia each year to advance the many strong and deep relationships he has with orphans, children, young adults, interpreters & their families and the Russian families of his own adopted children. Larry is blessed to serve as father, godfather, mentor, supporter, life coach, financial safety net and prayer warrior to several dozen people in St. Petersburg.
New Year Celebration
January 16, 2012
A week before a New Year (for Russians it’s a biggest holiday, unfortunately) we asked Yuri and Marina where they are going to celebrate New Year. They said they had no plans and most likely would stay home. To stay home for them means to spend time in one room with Marina’s mother and her boyfriend who are drug addicts, get drunk and watch TV all night.
We both decided that it’s a great opportunity for them to have totally new experience, to have fun and joy without alcohol. We asked our church leaders if we could use church facilities for a New Year’s party and invited them for this event to our church. Other church members expressed their desire to come and some of them came early to help prepare.
Yan had been working hard on a program, putting together games, music clips and slides.
Twenty people came including our graduates, Yuri and Marina also invited another graduate girl Ksusha.
Yan was leading a party and did a very good job! In the beginning we sat at a festive table and Yan asked every one to say their name and one thing special about themselves. At 20 min till midnight we all came to the sanctuary. Yan showed a video of the fireworks in Sidney and invited everyone to make fireworks of our praises to our Lord who is worthy of all glory, so we entered in the New Year worshiping God!
Then Yan started his program dividing everyone in two teams. Each team had to collect letters, winning in competitions, then to make a word from these letters. If a team lost in the competition, team members could get a letter if they were singing karaoke. The word which had to be found was ‘Christmas’. We wanted everyone to realize that even year 2012 means that 2012 years ago Christ was born and that was such a remarkable event that changed not only a calendar but whole world!
In the end when Yuri and Marina with their son Dima and Ksusha were leaving everyone came to say goodbye saying warm words and inviting them to come to church as good friends! They were pleasantly surprised how cheerful, fun and active Christians can be. Others thanked us for the invitation and said that they had a very good time!
Please pray for Yuri, Marina, their son Dima, for Ksusha and her son Igor’ to draw closer to the One, who loves them very much and want to change and bless their lives.
