Through your gifts, Jesus opens the hearts of orphans—and the Orphans Reborn team
Mikhail S.
SGA-Supported Orphans Reborn Team in Russia
This past year, we held 11 outreaches in the Krasnoyarsk region. After our visits, I often thought seriously about how I could help at least one of those kids by compensating for the lack of parental attention. I decided to ask God to show me someone to whom I could become a true friend. I began to notice how one boy named Igor often looked at me. I watched him and saw how often he is hurt by other children. Igor is a very vulnerable boy—his eyes are kind and open.
Children in this orphanage have never asked to be taken to someone’s home or on school breaks as happens in other orphanages. It is a special facility for very troubled children, and the legalities involved are difficult. But the day before the winter break, Igor came up to me after our class, all silent until I asked him if he would like to spend the Christmas holidays with our team, traveling and helping us with our performances.
Igor enthusiastically replied, “Of course, I would!” I remember driving home, wondering how I would be able to do it, since I didn’t even have the required paperwork. My wife Natalia supported me in this endeavor, but the orphanage would not allow me to take Igor without papers, and I didn’t have time to go through the training.
A discarded boy experiences Christ’s love
There is one family on our team who had recently taken a girl from another orphanage that we visit. I thought of asking them to formalize the arrangement for Igor, on the condition that he would stay with our family. That family prayed and was concerned, but nevertheless agreed. I met with the orphanage director and told her everything as it was. And miraculously, she agreed! We and the whole team rejoiced at God’s answer! We had Igor with us on a trip, and it took him a long time to adapt, but eventually he joined our team just fine.
At the beginning of school time, we were required to bring Igor back to the orphanage. A week later, we arrived back at the orphanage for our outreach. Igor ran out to meet us with the other kids, who surrounded us on all sides, trying to get closer to us. During our presentation, I could feel Igor’s eyes on me. When I looked at him, I saw him crying. He looked at me because he believed in me and wanted to be a part of the family. When Igor saw in my eyes what was important for him to see, he said, “Misha, take me away from here for good!” Igor probably knew what I was going to say, but he did it anyway. He wanted to do everything possible, everything in his power, to escape from this terrible place where no one cares about anyone. All I could tell him was that it was impossible now, but with God all things are possible.
The Lord works in multiple hearts to start something new . . .
My team and I visit this orphanage every week, and after we took Igor for the winter break, the other kids started asking us to take them for a visit. At first I thought, “What am I going to do now?!” But then we realized that it was better to become a family to at least one of these boys than a half-family for many. Now my wife and I and two other sisters from our team are going through training and collecting paperwork for taking the orphaned kids on school breaks and weekends. It all seems impossible, but God is changing our hearts. Our children in orphanages are suffering so badly, so how could we think that serving them and sharing their sorrows will be easy for us? If God set us on this path, He will help us through, giving us strength to endure everything. Glory be to Him! It is a great joy for us when children in the orphanages can receive a little warmth and God’s true love!