Your Gifts Bless Foster Children at Christmas

Yuri R.
SGA-Supported Missionary Pastor in Belarus

Greetings, dear brothers and sisters. We held an SGA-supported Immanuel’s Child outreach for 50 children from foster families during the Christmas season. This time we held it on December 29. We invited orphan children from foster families in our village. All the children received wonderful gifts including candies, chocolates, and fruits as well as children’s Bibles for home reading. At this event, children and adults heard the Gospel through the story of Christmas. 

Almost all of the children were from non-believing families and had not previously attended Sunday school. Nevertheless, they were eager to participate in our activity. After my short message at the beginning of the event, we presented a puppet show about Christmas, telling the whole Christmas story through it. Then we played games with the children to consolidate what we had seen and heard. Finally, I shared about Christ, God’s love and salvation, after which I encouraged everyone to turn to God in repentance.

The atmosphere was very positive and it was evident that the children and adults enjoyed hearing the Good News. Prayers and reflections filled this Christmas Eve service. May God grant that this joy and light may settle in the hearts of each one who heard! Five new children enrolled in Sunday school. Ten children prayed the prayer of repentance, and two adults also prayed.

At the end of the service, all the children received IC Stars and gifts. I told them about the people across the ocean who are praying for them, and have donated funds to create this celebration.

Everyone was delighted and thanked us with warmth and joy for this ministry, promising to attend church in the future. Valentina is one of the parents, and she said: 

Today it was the first time I was in this church, and I confess that I felt some wariness. I imagined that the insistence on religion and Christ would be too intrusive, boring, and incomprehensible for children. However, all my fears were relieved. Everything happened so easily and engagingly that I myself listened with my mouth open, and the children also watched and listened attentively! No one had to be persuaded to listen, reassured, or reprimanded. I feel like I got closer to God today than I have ever been before. Thank you so much for this evening and for the gifts we received tonight. I enjoyed my stay with you, and I am sure I will come here many more times with my children.

Thirteen-year-old Vlad also expressed his joy: 

Thank you so much for this exciting play today! Learning about Christmas was so interesting and it was so fun. The puppets were absolutely amazing, especially the funny moments! My brother and I just laughed to tears. And thank you so much for the gifts and the children’s Bible! Now I want to come here more and more often. It was great!

Thank you, our dear friends, for the opportunity to organize this outreach and the gifts provided. Thanks to your prayerful support, this celebration was made possible, the Gospel word was heard, and God was glorified! May God bless you!