On Saturday we had made arrangements to travel to Sosnovo, a small town about an hour north of St. Petersburg, where our teams have worked at an Orphanage and church Day Center for at-risk kids in the past. Traffic was congested as it took nearly three hours for us to arrive. The van that took us was usually used as a Marchucka (a small metro bus) and the driver had spent the last month driving his family over 7000km on vacation to the Black Sea.
When we arrived at the Orphanage the kids recognized us as we approached. They called out Da Da John (Uncle John) as they have called me before. Our visit was unannounced and the director was to arrive shortly. She was not happy that we had come without calling first, but I had lost her phone number. However, she quickly saw an opportunity as two guys who could help her move some heavy furniture. So, we moved three shelves from one room to another in amongst the renovation of several rooms. She was very pleased afterwards and our protocol misstep was forgiven!
We gathered the school-aged kids in a small recreation room to hand out backpacks. The kids had already seen us carry in the three big boxes and were anxious to know what was inside. I had them sit on the floor around me so I could talk to them. There were about five new kids, but the other ones remembered us talking about God in April along with some of the crafts that we had
done together. I told them the ones sitting quietly would get to select their choice of backpack. As they selected they seemed happy to try out the zippers and parade around with the backpack on their back. One boy even collected all the tags on the backpacks for his personal collection!
In the hall I had a short discussion with the director. I had heard rumored through some other friends that the Orphanage would be closing soon and I wanted to hear from the director what was really happening. She told us that the Orphanage was not closing and instead will be adding a group after the first of the year. The building is undergoing extensive renovation in anticipation of this growth. They have also begun a foster parent program. Currently there are 21 school-age kids, 9 pre-school and toddlers, and 10 children in foster care.
I had the brief opportunity to see one child who will be adopted soon. Karill was in the youngest group and we spent a few minutes with them today. They had just woken up from their afternoon nap and he was still asleep when we arrived. We gave these kids backpacks even though they are not in school; the director said they could use them for trips to the hospital when the kids had to go for a few days. Karill was a little groggy from just waking up, but he soon perked up and was willing to have his picture taken.
After our short time at the Orphanage, we returned back to the apartment we had been invited to stay the night. Valentina had prepared us a big lunch and tea. It was good to be there and being just a five minute walk from the Orphanage. Later that evening, her son Alex came to visit us. I hadn’t seen Alex in over a year and half since we first worked at the Day Center in Sosnovo. Alex had just become a Christian and was anxious to be around other believers and help out.
Alex, who is now 21, lives in the area and had previously, had a job in cabinetry. Knowing he had woodworking skills, I wanted to get his advice on an idea for the Day Center I had come up with a few months ago. My idea was to find some project that the older male youth in the area would find interesting and would encourage them to become active in the Day
Center and the church. As I explained my idea of making wood pens and what tools could be used he seemed interested and said it would be something that would be of interest to other guys in Sosnovo. He volunteered his time for a couple of hours twice a week to be involved in this project. He was anxious to get started!
Alex had to leave after a two hour visit, but later his older brother Stass came by for a visit. Stass, 25, is a first year medical student looking toward a career in pediatrics. He had many questions on religion and the different denominations and knowing which one is the “correct” belief. We discussed many issues and probably could have stayed up all night. We agreed to meet next weekend to discuss more of his questions. Please be in prayer as I share more about the foundations of faith!
When we arrived at the Orphanage the kids recognized us as we approached. They called out Da Da John (Uncle John) as they have called me before. Our visit was unannounced and the director was to arrive shortly. She was not happy that we had come without calling first, but I had lost her phone number. However, she quickly saw an opportunity as two guys who could help her move some heavy furniture. So, we moved three shelves from one room to another in amongst the renovation of several rooms. She was very pleased afterwards and our protocol misstep was forgiven!
We gathered the school-aged kids in a small recreation room to hand out backpacks. The kids had already seen us carry in the three big boxes and were anxious to know what was inside. I had them sit on the floor around me so I could talk to them. There were about five new kids, but the other ones remembered us talking about God in April along with some of the crafts that we had
done together. I told them the ones sitting quietly would get to select their choice of backpack. As they selected they seemed happy to try out the zippers and parade around with the backpack on their back. One boy even collected all the tags on the backpacks for his personal collection!In the hall I had a short discussion with the director. I had heard rumored through some other friends that the Orphanage would be closing soon and I wanted to hear from the director what was really happening. She told us that the Orphanage was not closing and instead will be adding a group after the first of the year. The building is undergoing extensive renovation in anticipation of this growth. They have also begun a foster parent program. Currently there are 21 school-age kids, 9 pre-school and toddlers, and 10 children in foster care.
I had the brief opportunity to see one child who will be adopted soon. Karill was in the youngest group and we spent a few minutes with them today. They had just woken up from their afternoon nap and he was still asleep when we arrived. We gave these kids backpacks even though they are not in school; the director said they could use them for trips to the hospital when the kids had to go for a few days. Karill was a little groggy from just waking up, but he soon perked up and was willing to have his picture taken.After our short time at the Orphanage, we returned back to the apartment we had been invited to stay the night. Valentina had prepared us a big lunch and tea. It was good to be there and being just a five minute walk from the Orphanage. Later that evening, her son Alex came to visit us. I hadn’t seen Alex in over a year and half since we first worked at the Day Center in Sosnovo. Alex had just become a Christian and was anxious to be around other believers and help out.
Alex, who is now 21, lives in the area and had previously, had a job in cabinetry. Knowing he had woodworking skills, I wanted to get his advice on an idea for the Day Center I had come up with a few months ago. My idea was to find some project that the older male youth in the area would find interesting and would encourage them to become active in the Day
Center and the church. As I explained my idea of making wood pens and what tools could be used he seemed interested and said it would be something that would be of interest to other guys in Sosnovo. He volunteered his time for a couple of hours twice a week to be involved in this project. He was anxious to get started!Alex had to leave after a two hour visit, but later his older brother Stass came by for a visit. Stass, 25, is a first year medical student looking toward a career in pediatrics. He had many questions on religion and the different denominations and knowing which one is the “correct” belief. We discussed many issues and probably could have stayed up all night. We agreed to meet next weekend to discuss more of his questions. Please be in prayer as I share more about the foundations of faith!
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