// BLOG

Birthday gift for Jesus

December 16, 2011

Kids always await a Birthday party and orphans are not an exclusion. What are they thinking being in an orphanage when their birthday is approaching? Maybe they think this way: «Does anyone really care about my birthday at all and will rejoice with me in this day?»

We have had an opportunity to celebrate four boys and two girls birthdays in orphanage. It was joyful day with games, jokes and the sweet table with a delicious cake. We always want them to know how special they are for God and His kids. And of cause they receive presents! Our daughter was giving them it.

During the Christmas season as we celebrate Jesus birthday all of us wish to do a special gift for Christ.

We are thankful for your prayers and support of our work among orphans. You already gave a special gift for Jesus. As He said: «I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for Me» (Mt. 25:40).

In Jesus Christ, Yan and Nadya.

Prayer request for Timur HERE

If God leads you to Support HEART FOR ORPHANS read HERE

Montenegro: Church, Prayer, and Shoe Boxes

December 15, 2011

From our friend and co-worker Vladimir Cizmanski:

Dear fellow soldiers in the Kingdom,

After a truly long time, I am getting in touch through this letter in which I want to share with you about the last few months.

Firstly I would like to thank all of you who carry us in your prayers and who support us financially.

We have been learning over the last few months what it means to be faithful and to serve despite disappointments and watching the status quo. We would like to see growth in individuals in church but, unfortunately, we are witnesses to the fact that some people who were encouragements to us in the fellowship are now in a crisis zone where they have grown cold towards the fellowship and even allowed themselves to commit serious transgressions of God’s principles. We are praying for them that they would return to the embrace of God’s love and again taste God’s forgiveness and the refreshment of His presence as well as fellowship with their brothers and sisters. This is nothing new, as the Apostle Paul’s letters to various churches show and for whom he often shed tears.

We are praying for workers who would devote themselves to the teenage work. We are encouraged by the interest from this section of the population about when we will start these meetings. We realize that before an individual comes forward who could lead this ministry, we need to start the meetings ourselves with the resources we have available.

We are thankful to God that He has enabled us to have help from a married couple, Želimir (Magi) and Klara, from Trebinje, Bosnia and Herzegovina. They decided to attend a second year of training at the HUB Bible School. The syllabus is based on students attending three weeks of lessons and then they are in a church which they have chosen as the place for their practical work. In this way, they will be a great support in several areas of the ministry of the church in Podgorica.

Prayer Conference in Macedonia

We are very glad that an initiative has started to organize an unusual conference, the point of which is PRAYER. We all love to hear inspirational sermons – which are of course necessary – but we rarely and only briefly dedicate time to prayer. Some of our brothers in Croatia came up with the idea of organizing this sort of conference in Macedonia, as the starting point from which the Gospel began to spread 2000 years ago first through the Balkans, and then to the rest of Europe. It was a time of blessing and refreshing our vision as well as renewing our fellowship with brothers and sisters from Croatia, Serbia, Macedonia, Bulgaria, Greece and Albania. The next conference of this type should be happening in Montenegro in February.

12th November – All-Montenegrin conference

In line with our agreed good tradition among Evangelical churches in Montenegro, a joint meeting was held on November 12 in Niksic where about 120 people gathered together. It was a joy to get together and see people who we do not meet so often, but it is also sad that year after year the number of people attending is staying the same. That means that, despite the small growth in terms of new people, there are a similar number who have stopped coming.

The speaker was Miško Horvatek from Croatia who spoke about the influence of the Reformation in the Middle Ages, and the effects of which we need today in the 21st century.

Imminent distribution of shoeboxes and the Christmas program.

One more season of distributing Christmas shoe boxes is upon us. This means lots of work, organization, contacting and driving throughout Montenegro. Your prayers will be of great help to us so that we would carry out this task in the best way.

We are praying for new contacts, safety on the roads, for a good time and for unity in our work so that above all God’s glory may be made visible. This year we plan to distribute 20,000 shoe boxes from Samaritans’ Purse.

We wish you Merry Christmas and blessed New 2012, Year

Many greetings in His love,

Vladimir and Marijana

Please Pray for Timur

December 14, 2011

Please Pray for Timur Rzaev, 14 years old. He has been in an orphanage for 10 years.

He doesn’t remember his parents and they never visit him. Timur knows that they are from the Muslim country Azerbaijan.

He has serious health problems. This boy had more than five operations. Some doctors think that he will not live long.

We’ve known him several years. During this time, we’ve continued to develop a friendship with Timur.

God opens his heart for the Gospel. He loves to learn about the Bible and God. Not long ago we celebrated the birthday of Timur and one of his special gifts was a Bible. He said he will read it.

We hope that this boy will make a serios step in his life – to come to know Christ as his Savior.

Please remember him in your prayers. We believe that God can do miracles!

Read about Russian Orphans HERE

If God leads you to Support HEART FOR ORPHANS read HERE

About Danik

December 6, 2011

News from Alinia Pizhova, foster parent in St. Petersburg.

Hello dear friends!

I would like to tell you more about us. This note I will devote to Danik (Daniel). Danik is 15 and studies at the 8th grade. He is doing very good at school especially he has a good talent to study languages. He dreams after he graduates school to study languages at Saint- Petersburg State University to become a linguist\ translator.

This summer he was trying to enroll to special linguistic school that is connected to the SPB University, but unfortunately he failed and the reason was that he hadn’t studied French. At this school they study French from the 7th grade besides English language. Danya didn’t study French before so he was not able to enter this special school. This year he wants to take a course on French to be able to pass the exams to this school next year.This week he has an opportunity to start a course on French. This is in addition to English language that he studies at school.

As you already know that it has been a struggle for us to pay the monthly rent and the courses are not cheap either, but I will do my best in order for Danik to be able to sudy! I will do my best to find some money and pay the courses. The first payment has to be done for two months and then we will pay for one each. The first semester of this school year is almost over and we cannot pospone it. Please pray for Danya to be able to study.

I also would like to ask to pray for good friends for him. He wants to have friends, the group of friends from the orphanage doesn’t suit him and he doesn’t have much desire to be connected with them.When he was in the orphanage he usually didn’t go out much. He is a teenager and he is trying everything and testing everything, and his past was not easy and the background as well. He really needs your prayer support and we thank you for remembering us in your prayers!

Alina

If you’d like to support Danik and the family, visit our Support page and choose MIR: Foster Family, or send a check to Stoneworks with that on the memo line.

Small Things Can Make Us Happier

November 24, 2011

Tanya Zaikina, MIR staff member, writes from St. Petersburg:

x 6e3a75f61 225x300 Small Things Can Make Us Happier

Storage at the Boldyrev's flat

This is a story to show how one person can bless so many. And you can, too.

Recently I have become a part of one event. As we handled this project, there were so many blessings about it and it was a joy to be useful:

A young man, who prefers to remain anonymous, made a donation of different household and sewing items. He got the stuff as an inheritance and decided to bless people who have needs. Among other things there was a knitting machine, a lot of wool, cloth, summer and winter clothing, shoes and other things which might be useful in any home.

Through Yan and Nadya Boldyrev (who have served in orphanages for many years) he donated it all to orphanages and rehabilitation centers.

Here are some of the organizations that received donated items: