As we grow older, we begin to think about retirement. Most often those thoughts are about being able to spend more time with family and travel to places we have always wanted to visit. For many though, growing older means hardship and loneliness. In the weariness of our physical body getting weaker, we long for the care and support from those we love. Not just to fix a roof or carry in wood, but to have visitors who will surround us with kindness and compassion. A touch, a spoken word, and a bag of groceries is often overwhelmingly welcome to many who spend most of their days alone.

Thankfully, there are people like Pastor Alexander who minister through SGA-supported Compassion Ministry, who are ready to build relationships with the elderly and to share with them about the hope they can have in Christ Jesus. Please continue to pray for the people who are behind these closed doors, and that their hearts will be open to the Gospel.

Greetings, brothers and sisters

One of the areas of our social ministry in [our village] was helping low-income and disadvantaged families with food packages twice a year, namely, on Christmas and Easter. Starting this year, the Lord is leading us to expand the range of people whom we could support with food. Now we are trying to reach out to older people who find themselves in difficult life situations. In January 2024, we received from the social security office a list of seniors, especially those in need of aid. The low standard of living of these poor people struck us greatly. The older people whom we were able to help were glad that not only social service workers visited them, but we did too, providing them with much needed groceries. However, they were embarrassed about the deplorable state of their homes. For many of them, food assistance came in handy, as they live below the poverty line. In this report I would like to share about the situation of some of the elderly people we visited.

Valentina

Valentina has a daughter who lives in the same village, but she does not particularly care to support her mother. When I saw the house where the old woman lives, I was horrified, because the building is simply “torn down.” The four-room, one-story building is in disrepair; the roof has collapsed on most of the building. My first impressions were that no one could possibly live there. But it turned out that Valentina still lives in the house in one of the rooms—the only place where the roof does not leak yet. It was obvious that the pensioner drinks from time to time, and when asked why she did not move in with her daughter, she would change the subject. Pray for Valentina’s repentance and wisdom, and that we would find ways and resources to improve her living conditions.

Mikhail

Mikhail lives in a one-room apartment, in one of the five-story panel building here in the village. This man lost his arm and one leg, and uses very simple prosthetics. He has extended family, but they visit him very seldom. Because of this, a social worker was assigned to help him. Our first meeting did not go very well. When I visited him in January, he was not particularly happy that I was a believer and that the help was from the church. He said that he has his own God, and he doesn’t need ours. But after talking with him during the past months and coming to him with help for the second time, he became calm, and maybe even with a little interested in listening to the story about Jesus Christ. He was thankful we appeared on the porch of his house and brought him food for his table. Please pray for this elderly man, and for the Lord to give us wisdom on how to build relationships with him, and for his repentance.

Alevtina and Vladimir

Vladimir has been bedridden for seven years now; the man is paralyzed, and his wife is carefully looking after him. It’s hard for them to stay in the house because the entire household has been laid on Alevtina’s shoulders. She needs to light the stove, find firewood, and maintain cleanliness and order. We had previously (last year) invited them to the Easter service, and Alevtina came with her cousin. That same day, we gave them grocery gifts. Please, pray for the salvation of these two ladies, and for wisdom, so that we can further strengthen our relationship with them. Vladimir repented last summer when a mobile clinic came to him in June. When we visited them this time, we prayed together and talked about how his spiritual life was going. Our sister in Christ, Vera (formerly a nurse) regularly visits him on Sundays, and they read from God’s Word, sing hymns and pray.

Thank you for your support and prayers,

Alexander