This life is full of hardship and sorrow. Through circumstances such as broken relationships, illnesses, financial struggles, or addictions, each day people are fighting many different kinds of inner battles.

These circumstances often leave people feeling lost, alone, and forgotten. Whether through their own sinful choices or through circumstances that have suddenly come upon them—such as a child being dropped off on the doorstep of an orphanage—this sorrow becomes overwhelming. The abandoned orphan child, as well as the woman struggling with alcohol addiction, are both held hostage to a state of total hopelessness.

But then God does something amazing! He sends His people to do His work! What a privilege it is for the family of God to be the outstretched hand of God to the lost and hurting, through their love and care! What a privilege it is to be the one to offer hope to the hopeless, through sharing the beautiful message of Jesus Christ! And what a privilege it is to visit orphans in their affliction (James 1:27), even going as far to welcome them into your family! What a privilege it is to be a part of God’s rescue plan for the sake of the Gospel!

Please pray for the servants like Sergei in Belarus who minister so faithfully to orphan children through the SGA-supported Orphans Reborn ministry.

From Sergei . . .

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God (2 Cor. 1:3-4).

Peace be with you, brothers and sisters blessed by the Lord in Christ Jesus. Thanks be to God for His great mercy, which He shows through your ministry to orphans. We continue to visit the orphanage and care for children who are in the initial stages of orphanhood and experience terrible emotional plus moral upheaval. We see children’s tears, we see eyes filled with fear for the future, we see children’s hearts saddened by the fact that their parents abandoned them, exchanging them for a dissolute, sinful life.

I’d like to share the story of children who once lived in an orphanage and who now live with our family.

Vasilisa has been with us for two years. When we took her from the orphanage, we weren’t given any good news, saying she would never speak and that her health would only deteriorate over time. Vasilisa has a second-degree disability with cerebral palsy. She couldn’t walk properly; she’d fall over on the slightest surface, and we were certainly a little scared. But my wife and I prayed for Vasilisa’s health, and the Lord was quick to respond. Literally six months later, the doctors who had said Vasilisa would never speak, were amazed at how Vasilisa answered all their questions when we visited them.

Today, Vasilisa is seven years old and is preparing to go to a regular school and study like other children. She has stopped falling and has even learned to run quickly. I don’t know how God does it, but He straightened her joints and her legs became straight. Praise God for miracles in Vasilisa’s life!

Dasha came to our family almost at the same time as Vasilisa. Dasha is in good health. She’s a strong and intelligent girl. But it took us almost two years to earn her acceptance. Dasha didn’t throw violent tantrums, but she would go into the back room and sit in the corner and cry. During these times, she wouldn’t talk to anyone, not even her brother Pasha.

My wife and I raised this need to God, and then came the moment when everything changed; God answered our prayers. Dasha began coming up to my wife and me and simply hugging us. Her childish face replaced sadness with joy, her eyes brightened. For her, hugs are pure happiness. If she were allowed, she would sit there hugging us for hours. Dasha started doing well in school and began sharing with us the news that had happened in her life during the day. God has the power to change anyone if they are shown sincere love by those around them.

May Jesus bless you all, and may your hearts be filled with joy in your ministry to orphans.