Lord, Who Will Come?

Thousands of lonely, forgotten orphan children are waiting to hear of Christ's deep love for them.

… Whom shall I send, and who will go for us (Isaiah 6:8)? …

By Eric Mock

Vice President of Ministry Operations

In February of this year, I was traveling to visit a Ukrainian orphanage located very near the zone of exclusion around the notorious Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. I was traveling with Pastor Yaroslav Machinsky, along with IFCA National Youth Director Travis Huseby and his wife, Sheila. Before arriving at the orphanage, we paused at what was termed a “dead village.” There was a sign posted at the village limits that prohibited entry due to the dangerous radiation still present. We then entered the van and drove a mile further away to a small orphanage where about 20 children still live. My heart was broken. These dear and lovely children, hungry for attention and love, had so little hope. In a distant region, in an area of terrible living conditions, they merely exist. I wanted to stay longer. I wanted to tell them that they mattered. And as we left, I was gripped with the question, “Who will come, oh Lord, who will come?”

The Plight of Russian Orphans

As of 2008, the Russian government reports that the total number of orphans in the country stands at 700,000. Only 113,748 of these children have been placed in families. Families in foreign countries have adopted a total of 4,125 kids, while Russian families have adopted 9,045. There are 100,578 children that have been placed in Russian foster families. I was struck by the reality that the remaining 84% of these children will likely never be restored to their families, or introduced into a loving new family. This is an ongoing tragedy!

Elena Liskina

Elena Liskina is a faithful servant of Christ in Krasnoyarsk. She ministers to orphan children between the ages of 3 and 14 every week, and is supported through Orphans Reborn. One day, she asked a group of 15 children, “What would you ask of God?” They were unanimous — they wanted to be taken back by their mothers or simply to live in a family. Even when their mothers are not very good, the children still love them and hope that their mothers will “take them home.” Sadly, 84 percent of these children will not get the outcome for which they long. But Elena proceeded to tell them about our Heavenly Father, who loves them in Christ Jesus.

Most children in Russian orphanages will never be adopted into a loving family.

Providing Hope for Forgotten Children

The question I had asked while in Ukraine — “Who will come?” — is being answered. It is the Orphans Reborn workers who are sent out by their local churches. These faithful believers have a deep passion to love these children and tell them of their only hope, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It is these orphans who will remain in the church community — children who will become future parents and possibly missionaries or pastors — that the churches we serve seek to reach through Orphans Reborn. And the ministry is bearing rich fruit. Even today, there are orphan children who came to a saving relationship with Jesus Christ while in the orphanage, and who now as young adults minister weekly to fellow orphans. They stand as examples to the younger orphan children, and to all of us as adults (I Timothy 4:12). Rather than dwelling on their personal tragedies in life and being defined as orphans, they are identified as children of God in Christ Jesus. In fact, it is most often the youth who volunteer their time in these churches to be ambassadors of Christ, and to love these dear orphan children. It is youth in ministry to youth. They sing for the orphans, play sports with them, teach them the Bible, and clearly they are family to them. They know better than anyone else what it’s like to be an orphan!

Children eagerly receive God's Word.

As much as I would have liked, I could not have taken all the children home with me. But I realized that I didn’t have to. God has raised up a people ready to reach these dear children every week. And in many cases, it is the youth who are the arms and legs of this ministry. From the midst of the ashes of these young orphan lives, a generation will spring up that is passionate to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ. What a blessing it is to be a part of it!

Dima Nachina writes from Bobruisk, Belarus … “There are some young guys in the Bobruisk church who would like to get involved in the orphanage ministry. They are young, full of energy and ready to go and minister. But it is necessary to help them. We believe that at this time, God is calling youth who will stand up and go, the generation of ‘Caleb and Joshua.’ We know that when you’re young, you have more energy to do greater things than when you are older. These guys want to participate in God’s plan. Let’s spread His love to the children that don’t have it.”

Currently we are reaching only 12,000 orphan children, reminding me that there is still much work to be done! Jesus said … The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest (Luke 10:2). We ask you to join with us in supporting laborers being sent into the orphan harvest —to reach them with the Gospel and with love in the name of Jesus Christ.