Five SGA Orphans Reborn team members share encouraging ministry reports from Krasnoyarsk, Russia and surrounding villages.

Through Orphans Reborn ministry, children living at orphanages are hearing about God’s love for them — some for the very first time. These precious girls and boys are desperate to belong to a family and want to know they have value and worth. As our team members share the Gospel with them, their eyes are opened and their hearts softened as they learn about a Heavenly Father who will never leave them or forsake them. 

As you read through these recent reports from SGA team members, be encouraged to know God is doing great things in young lives in orphanages in and around Krasnoyarsk, the third-largest city in Siberia, Russia. He has given us these wonderful opportunities, and the fruit of your faithful financial support and prayers is evidenced in their testimonies. We thank God for people like you, who have Christ’s compassion, and participate with us in the work of helping save lives and giving orphans a hope and a future.…
 

From Anastasia O. — 

Our group “Colour in” at the orphanage in the town of Nazarovo celebrated its birthday. A year ago, we started to gather only girls for our lessons. This was an amazing time when the girls are prepared to listen and speak on different spiritual themes and share their worries and joys. The main idea of our meetings in “Colour in” group was to tell them how the Lord can bring vivid colours into their lives. Most of the girls do not have positive examples in their mothers. They were not loved and were not taught how to love. Many of them even do not have any dreams of their future. They do not know who they want to become in this life and what they want to learn.  

With the help of our lessons and “5D” training, the girls learn about themselves and learn about God as Creator and loving Father. We speak about the importance of development of themselves in different spheres of life: Physical, Emotional, Intellectual, Social and Spiritual. They make new goals and dreams for themselves. Together we pray for their dreams. I try to make each one of our meetings somewhat practical. I not only share with them the spiritual truths, but I teach them what they can do with their own hands (the girls really love different hand crafts).  

In addition to our weekly meetings we keep contact with the girls through social networks. They tell me about their success in sports and crafts. They send me pictures of their school events or events they have in their orphanage. As well as that, the social networks help me to be online and to answer their questions which they have during the week. After the lessons, I give practical assignments to the girls which they have to complete during the week. We also have a chat in a social network, where they can write their questions and we discuss the completion of their assignments.  

Thank you very much for your prayers and participation in the work of God — the ministry to orphans. It is always great to see the answers to prayers and to realize that we are not alone in the ministry. And when we go for a lesson to an orphanage, we are not alone with those children — but we have a large group of supporters. 

 
From Elena K. — 

Thanks be to God for our meetings with children, for the opportunity to take God’s love and truth to those children! 

The lesson was from 1 Samuel, about external and internal thoughts and actions. I want that children would understand that all the people (and they are included) are sinners, and God sees thoughts and actions of every person.  

The theme of our lesson was “Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” As an example of external and internal, we took some nuts and separated shell from the nuts. All of them enjoyed tasty nuts, and nobody wanted to eat the shell. So the group came to a conclusion: the internal is more important than external.  

Vasya admitted that his heart was full of sins and that he was disobedient to the Lord. And after that other children started to admit that they also could be evil and disobedient. So, the children came to conclusion that everyone needs Jesus to purify their hearts and change it. And when we started to talk about prayer, Alexandra, who is Vasya’s sister, shared with us that she prayed … but had no answer. She wanted to be taken back home, and she was tired of waiting. 

I ask you to please pray for Alexandra. Pray that she would not be disappointed with prayer. Pray also for our meetings with children that their hearts would be open for the Word of God.  

 
From Kristina R. — 

I am grateful to God for our joined ministry with you and that we have weekly meetings with the children. They have a real love for our meetings. They wait for us outside, and none of the children allows a thought to go for a walk instead of a lesson.  

This month we had a wonderful opportunity to talk with older girls about their appearance. We discussed their relationship with boys and what the Bible tells about it. Sin affects our understanding and self-esteem, and harmful mistakes can come out of that. They have many injured souls, as much harm was done to their health.  

I was very glad that God blessed us, and we had very honest fellowship. We could see how serious they were about the truth which I shared with them. I pray hard that the Lord would take away all lies from their minds. I also invite you to pray that the Lord would change their hearts and would draw them to Himself. They are really in need of His unconditional love. 

This includes Angelina, who is 17. She listens very attentively and I have no doubts that she agrees with what I say. But she does not admit that she is attracted by things which are wrong in the sight of God. She is a good girl and very open to friendship. But it is not easy on her. Please pray regularly for her. 

 
From Natalia Z. — 

I really like to see that the discipline during the lessons has become very good. We manage everything, motions, games, and conversations about serious things.  

Egor does not want to attend the lessons — but he surely comes either before or after the lessons in order to have a chat with me. To my surprise, this latest time he even agreed to a picture being taken of him. 

Due to the school holidays in our last lesson we had some children who do not regularly attend our lessons (they study in school in the afternoons). Some of them attended my lessons last year. And I am glad that they remember some things even now.  

Among them is Kostya, who was really surprised when he learned that Jesus was raised! And this time, when in our lesson a new boy asked explanation about Easter, Kostya firmly replied: “This is a celebration of resurrection of Jesus Christ!” 

Thanks be to God for your participation in this ministry and for your prayers. 

I thank God for opportunity to minister! I am glad that we have been able to develop good and trustful relationship with the children. Together with them we can discuss what right or wrong some of them done, why that action is good and the other is bad, and what God thinks about all of that. We talk with them about repentance, the acceptance of the Lord, and the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. 

We also play games with them and try to organize interesting crafts in order that the kids will want to come, and that together with them we can share both joys and sorrows. 

Alinokhon, a girl who regularly attends our meetings, was invited to the wedding of our sister Nina who is the leader of the baking club. Alinokhon was very glad because she never saw a Christian wedding and a church blessing in her life. With some impatience, she was waiting for that moment.

She even prepared with her own hands a small present for the groom and bride. Together with her we went to the church in order to attend the ceremony and wedding feast. To make the event somewhat special Alinokhon painted hearts on her face She watched everything that was happening, asked questions, and at the end she said that she really enjoyed it all! 

Alinokhonnow goes to church every Sunday, and she loves to meet and fellowship with the youth,but she and her family are in a difficult life situation. Alinokhonunderstands that God cares for her, and she already asked about an opportunity to go to a summer Christian camp. I pray that the Lord would bring this girl to repentance, as well as all the other girls! 

In a meeting of our women’s group this spring, I invited a pastor from a church in Divnogorsk. Pavel writes songs and sing to them, and he shared his testimony of how God found him. Pavel had many problems in his life — he was addicted to alcohol and his family was falling apart, but the Lord set him free and helped him to restore the relationship with his wife. Presently, together with his wife, they serve God. All of our women listened to the words of Pavel very carefully, because each one of them has their personal life tragedy that they are going through. Afterwards they asked Pavel to answer their questions and had a time of fellowship.

As the result of that meeting two women went to the church service which they enjoyed! And they decided to attend the church every Sunday! Praise God! I hope that the Lord would help them to gain a Christian family, and He would touch their hearts! The names of those women are Larisa and Larisa — they are friends.

Thank you very much for your prayers. I ask you to continue to pray for our women and children, pray that the Lord would direct them on His path, open their hearts for Himself!Thank you also, dear friends, for your financial support and for your support of me in the ministry. May the Lord bless you and your churches, and your families, that He would be glorified in our lives!