Tina’s Group at Orphanage #24

The teachers reading this will understand what I am about to say. You know that one class at school that you hope you don’t get because it is the difficult class? Well, that was my group this week. My girls were wonderful but my boys were disrespectful to not only me, but my God. They were disinterested and mocked me and my translator, Vusala. God gave me the perfect translator. She was the most experienced and was such an encourager. She told me they were testing me. I was very disheartened after the first day because all the other classes were loving and accepting. Then I remembered the study in James which I am doing and the passage I memorized just before I left for Russia. James 1 says;

“Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”

These scriptures were what I held on to throughout the week and I saw God at work. He transformed my kids into an accepting and kind group by the end of the week, not as loving as the other groups but a drastic improvement. I grew from four children to all twelve (plus the teacher, Leza) attending and they heard the word of God. Miraculously, they would sit quietly while I gave my testimony, my call to Russia, the resurrection story and during my translator’s testimony, who came from a strong Muslim background. By the last day they allowed me to pray for them. The boys also allowed me to take a picture with them and they gave me a newspaper as a gift which I will cherish always. One boy even gave me a hug.

God gave me a love for them that wasn’t my own and the wisdom needed to know what to say and not to say and how to say it. Our God is an awesome and powerful God and He is so faithful!

– Tina Gore, Eastern Hills Baptist Church

The Pickpocket

Unfortunately, there are people in this city that will take your things. They will look for an opportunity to take something of yours even if it’s zipped in your backpack, in your front pocket, or something left on the table while you are looking away. They are not dangerous criminals. They don’t want a scene or to be noticed. They will deny they even tried. Who can prove it that it was their intention?

It’s more typical that pickpockets work inside the metro system. They look for opportunities to take something by pushing in a crowded subway or getting on and off. Sometimes they work in teams and other times just alone. You can usually spot a pickpocket. They are the ones that are not carrying anything in their hands and try to look unnoticed. Of course, a group of Americans on the subway stands out. We had one follow us the other day.

Our team had just come down the escalator and we lined up beside one of the metro doors to get ready to enter when the subway came and the doors opened. When we stopped and lined up, I noticed a man that was not carrying anything casually move from one metro door to our door and get behind some of us. I did a stare down to let him know I was aware what he was trying to do. I instructed the team to move to one side when we got on the metro. My eyes were on the location of his hands the whole time. He knew I was there, nevertheless he was looking for an opportunity. He stayed with us until our stop and got off with us. He attempted to casually go through the middle of our group, again looking for an opportunity. I told the team to halt and they all stopped. He continued, as he didn’t want to be noticed. Stopping helped. As I stood with my team, I watched as he went down some stairs and out of site. Nothing was taken, but that’s not always the case.

One evening we took the kids from the Child in Danger Shelter for an excursion to go bowling and to eat at McDonalds. I met the group with my kids Tanya and Masha at the bowling alley. We had a great time and the kids really enjoyed the outing. We had to check our jackets, but I took out all my valuables to put on me before checking. After bowling, we got our jackets and went to McDonalds in a food court in that mall. We all sat together and I usually sit in a place when I can watch my back and keep an eye on the team. After eating my meal, I went to another table and sat to talk to some other adults from another ministry that came with us. My satchel was in my lap, but I put my jacket over my chair while I talked. My pocket computer was in my left front pocket and my camera in my right front pocket. At one point, we took at group picture. I continued to sit in my chair while the picture was taken. After a few minutes we began to get ready to leave. As I put on my jacket, I checked for my valuable s in my jacket. My camera was missing. It was not where it was supposed to be. Although I’m not sure, recounting my steps and where I had my camera last, I believe that while the group photo was being taken, the four young people sitting behind me used that as an opportunity for one of them to slip a hand into my jacket and steal my camera.

What was surprising to me is that most of the local people just look at that incident as “normal”. They say, “It happens here”. For them it is life here. Even as careful as I am and knowing what to look for, a moments distraction can lead to a loss of personal belongings.

As missionaries, we are sheep in the mists of wolves. Although I’m personally angry, it does not deter me from doing what God has commanded of me to go and share… and bring others with me. I’ve been told that some short-term missionaries who have something stolen, never come back. God willing, I will come back and I won’t be afraid. I’ll just be more careful where I put my jacket!

Sharing the Gospel

Some Americans who live in St. Petersburg are amazed that we can go into orphanages with a team and do the kind of ministry that we do. Some are a little surprised that we can share the Gospel. Many other individuals can’t and can only do crafts with the kids and not much else.

I explain to these Americans that SAC has spent a great deal of time building relationships with each of the directors of these ministry sites. Some I’ve known for years while others I’ve spent a year building that relationship before I even bring a team. Building relationships is how Jesus did it! Our approach is to follow the relationships as I’m introduced to other directors of orphanages and other ministry sites. Then, once there I explain what we will be doing each time I go and carefully ask permission and submit to their authority when I’m there. I also invite the directors and counselors to participate with us during our small group activities. Through our cultural exchange and charity work, we are able to bring up discussions about the Gospel and answer questions that the kids ask us. We don’t push anything, but let the Holy Spirit work in their lives of those that have their hearts softened by our visits. Directors seem to appreciate our servant approach and gentle spirit.

In my opinion, this is how to share the Gospel. God doesn’t need us. He just needs us to be obedient. He will do the rest and move the hearts of those that are open. It happened that way with one girl at Orphanage #24 during the week were there. One of our volunteers who helped to lead a small group of older teens asked her if she could have a Bible! She expressed a desire to hear more stories, but had only heard the one that we had told that particular day. So, a children’s Bible was purchased along with a regular Bible and delivery will occur soon. We’ve also received permission for this volunteer to call the director, go and take the Bible, and visit in a few weeks after their exams. By being a servant and complying with the director’s needs and schedules, we can reach orphans for Christ.

I'm Sad

We visited Children’s Hospital #15 on Wednesday, October 15th. Several young kids were there and anxious to participate with us as we did crafts together. One girl, age 12 was sitting and doing the craft. I could tell by her face that she was sad. I could only imagine. I know that this hospital is for kids who are off the streets, abandoned, or brought her by the authorities after being found. I was sure that she had a life story that begun and ended in sadness. We could only help by spending time with her to give her a since of hope.

Vica, the SAC Program Manager here in St. Petersburg was with us to help guide our team and help with translation. I saw her sit next to the girl who sat all alone from the rest of the group. Vica talked to her for a while as she worked on the craft we had that day. Vica asked her how she was and she replied, “I’m sad”. It was a good sign that Vica was able to listen to her talk and tell Vica her problems. The two sat there for a long time and shared. I think it was good for the little girl to talk to someone about it. It’s difficult, but the staff there knows about these problems, but don’t always have time to sit and just listen. Vica did this and I’m sure it helped.

Later the next week, Nancy Durrett had taken a group from Child in Danger on an outing to go bowling. I met Nancy at the bowling alley to be with her and the kid’s from this shelter. As we were getting to our lanes to bowl, I saw a girl I immediately recognized. It was the girl from Children’s Hospital #15 that we had seen the week before. She had been transferred to the Child in Danger Shelter. I went to her and told her I remembered her from the hospital. I asked her how she was. She replied, “I’m sad”. I patted her shoulder and nodded that I understood her, although I could never fully know how she was feeling. Nevertheless, she participated and this was her first bowling experience. She seemed somewhat happy to participate with us. At least I know that for a short time, she enjoyed something that took her mind off of feeling sad and not knowing her future. In a few months, she will likely go to an orphanage. When she leaves Child in Danger, I’m sure she will feel sadness. Please pray for this sad young girl and her uncertain future as she looks for the hope through the eyes of Christians that, for a short time, listened and brought the love of Christ into her life.

Detained

Mission trips are often filled with difficulties, but Monday night was a little intimating for one of our members. Nancy Durrett, a long time SAC trip participant and trip leader, has been working with the Road of Life (ROL) Transition Homes for graduate orphans and most recently a couple of orphan dormitories where kids are assigned after leaving an orphanage. On Monday evening, October 14, Nancy had gone to one of these dorms to host a birthday party for kids whose birthdays were in September to November time frame. At the same time, government inspectors and the police came to this dorm investigating some recent problems that had come to their attention. When the inspectors began arriving at the dorm, they began going floor to floor and room to room, asking, "Who lives here? Where is this person?" Several events converged on this night causing this investigation on the same evening that Nancy had planned this social for the kids at one of the dorms. Nancy and several others from the dorm were interviewed by the police and the government inspectors for 45 minutes that Monday. Let me try to explain how several different events converged on this one evening.

One problem caused an investigation when it was discovered that Sasha (not his real name), a deaf boy living at the ROL Transition Home, had no official documents with the government. His papers had been lost or misplaced and he had never been officially designated as an orphan. He was abandoned as a child. The orphanage had not done their proper job. After he left the orphanage he became a resident of this dorm. The dorm had ignored the fact that he had no papers and failed to check. He had been without paperwork for years. ROL had taken him in as one of their residents. Nancy met him at the ROL Transition Home. ROL was doing the right thing by trying to put together the information needed to get the right documents so he can live on his own. Sasha’s deaf translator wrote eight different agencies to get the correct documents. These eight agencies began calling each other, and suddenly they all converged, unexpectedly on the dorm that evening.

A second problem involved one of the residents of this dorm. This past summer, this boy had been revived from a drowning accident after being underwater for 30 minutes. He was legally dead, but though the prayer of his church friends, he was miraculously healed and was not left as a vegetable as the doctors predicted. He regained consciousness and is now recovering, though slowly. In his current condition, this boy needs help. The director of the ROL Transition Home has spoken to this boy’s nurse and found out that he had not been given the medicine that was prescribed. The director had also previously found out that he was being left in his room and was being fed only one meal a day. That Monday, the ROL Director went to get his medicine, buy some water, and went back to the dorm to explain to this boy about the medicine and how to take it. While she is doing this, the inspectors who came to visit Monday evening asked the director, "Who are you and what are you doing here?" The ROL director explained about providing the needs for this boy’s medicine. The inspectors tell her that she has no authority to be there, and she must leave. ROL had no official letter or paperwork established with the dorm allowing visits.

A third problem involved a girl named Tatiana (not her real name). When the inspectors arrived at Tatiana’s room, they are told that the ROL director took her to live at their apartment. The inspectors asked, "Where are her papers transferring her residence?" The answer was that there are no papers and there was no official transfer. Tatiana had two residences which are against government laws. The police called ROL and ask if Tatiana was living there. ROL confirmed this and the police said they were checking into the matter. Having a resident of at the ROL Transition home without having proper transfer paperwork is against the law in Russia.

Further investigation into ROL found that one of their counselors had not been registered in the country for over a year. Russian law requires that a person register in the city after arrival within 3 days. It’s a commonly known law. Although the registration had recently been obtained before this event on Monday, it has further soured the perception of the ROL by the authorities. The counselor who brought Tatiana (willingly) to the ROL Transition Home was not registered at the time of the transfer and had not completed any official transfer paperwork.

The ROL Director complies with the inspectors and comes downstairs to find that Nancy has arrived. Shortly after the ROL Director arrives, a female police officer and the head counselor of the dorm enter the room where the birthday party is planned. After exiting for a short time, the female officer returned and asked Nancy to come with her. The ROL Director and the head counselor went with Nancy and they walked into a room filled with several people. Over the next 45 minutes Nancy is asked, "Who are you? Why are you here? Who gave you authority to be here? What church do you represent? Do you know that people are using your name and abusing children from this dorm in your name when you are not here?" Everyone talking at once (in Russian) with half-truths, lies and finger pointing was filling the room. No one was taking responsibility for their own inaction. Nancy was sitting waiting for the head counselor to translate. Nancy said later that she never felt ill at ease and was perfectly calm. She was praying the whole time for God to give her that sense of calm and to give her the words to say and God did!

Near the end of this ordeal all the ladies were talking and arguing at once and the male police officer screamed for everyone to "Stop"! He then told Nancy, "Madam please excuse us that we have involved you in this. I can see from your answers and from your face that you are an honest woman who loves children, and who wants only the best for the children. May I ask that you bring documents showing that SAC is registered to do ministry in St. Petersburg?" Nancy respond, "Of course, I will be happy to." He then states that Nancy is welcome to finish her work at the dorm and come back any time, but must first have a contact who will schedule the event, and she must submit to that contact in writing what she will be doing and who will be coming with her. Nancy agreed. Then the officer asks, "Who will be your contact, and you must understand it cannot be the ROL Director or any of her staff"? Nancy looked around the room and one of the dorm counselors’ steps forward and says, in English, "I will be honored to be Nancy's contact". She then says, laughing, "I need to practice my English and this will be a good chance to do that." Nancy laughed and told her she can practice her English on her, but she doesn't guarantee that she will practice any Russian on her. Everyone laughs, and nods. The counselor then writes out her contact information and at the bottom of a paper and writes in big letters in English, "You are welcome!!!" Then the General Director of the dorms leans across the table and says to Nancy, "Would you like to go now and have the party you had planned?" Nancy responded yes, and they all smiled and agreed that she could go.

As Nancy starts to go, the male police officer tells her, "You must understand that this woman (pointing to the ROL Director and one of her staff), will NEVER be allowed back at this dorm. If either of them comes here or attempts to take any of the people from here, they will be arrested. Do you understand?" Nancy said "Yes, sir." and he replied, "Then please go, and enjoy your time with the residents."

It was pretty intense meeting. Although God has closed the door for the ROL Transition Home to have a ministry at this dorm, He has left that door open for Nancy. In complying with the wishes of the authorities, Nancy went to SAC’s ministry partner and legal entity MIR (the organization that officially allows us to do ministry in St. Petersburg) and gathered all of the documents the dorm had required, including copies of her teaching certificates that can be given to the head counselor of this dorm on Friday.

Unfortunately, one of the causalities of this encounter is the young girl Tatiana who had moved from the dorm to the ROL Transition Home. She had just begun adjusting and had recently became a Christian before being ordered by the authorities to return to the dorm by noon the next day from the home setting she had come to know at ROL. If she did not move back, all in the home would be arrested. She moved back on Tuesday, amid tears and great disappointment. Please pray for her as she adjusts from this trauma of being removed from the ROL transition home.

What does God have planned for the ROL Transition Home and its ministry? Only God knows. Through these “pruning” events, it has caused ROL to be seen as an organization not abiding by the laws of Russia. The Christians at the ROL Transition Home are great people, called by God, to do a great work in St. Petersburg. Unfortunately they have let some things slide and have allowed friendships and personalities to get in the way of their original calling into the ministry. The ROL ministry will recover in time after doing some house cleaning and working to make sure every “i” is dotted and every “t” is crossed so they can abide by the law and continue their good work.

Meanwhile, Nancy and the SAC Ministry are very thankful that God is allowing Nancy to continue to love and be with these hurting children in the dormitories. We know that God knows what is going to happen before it does and we know that He has a plan greater than anything we could ever understand. Mostly we are happy to report that Nancy didn’t write the details of these events from the prison library in Siberia! At this writing, she is well on her way home to Louisiana.

God Bless you as you pray for the SAC Ministry team as we continue this month to work in Russia for the orphans and hurting children we are allowed to come in contact with.

Why Are You Here?

After recovering from Jet Lag on Sunday, the team was ready to go! We started the morning by visiting a Russian Cathedral called Savior of the Spilt Blood. It is the place where the Czar Alexander II was assassinated. It is filled with mosaic tile pictures of the life of Christ and many other Bible stories. It was a 19th century way of sharing the Bible through pictures to many who were illiterate at that time.

After lunch, we took the metro to a station near Orphanage #24. From there it is about a one mile walk that takes us on a bridge over the Neva River that runs through St. Petersburg. Once we were there we were given a room to meet in and store our supplies. We prepared all our things for our first meeting in the small groups for the kids that were there.

Our first meeting started with a performance by the kids in the auditorium. In addition, I had invited a Russian Christian man who has a Clown Ministry. “Pompa” entertained the kids and helped me “introduce” our team! He certainly brought laughter and excitement to our first day.

After the performance and our introductions, each group was called forward and instructed to lead their American leaders and their translators to their classrooms where they will meet. Each small group was different, but they all got to know one another, play some introduction games, and maybe even a hand of UNO! Some even had some deep questions!

During one of those first sessions as the kids were getting to know us, one of the boys in Debbie’s group asked, “Why are you here?” Debbie responded by saying that God had called her to go to Russia and visit them. He then asked, “Is it true that only 28% of Americans are believer?” Debbie responded by saying that she wasn’t sure of the statistic, but not everyone that says they are a believer IS a believer." She continued by saying, “I know I am a believer because I have asked Jesus Christ to be the ruler of my life.” The boy responded and said he had heard something like that before. Distractions came and the conversation was over, but Debbie had no idea that she would get to share even this much on the first day! Its little conversations like this that helps orphans understand the truth and guide them towards a life with Christ.

Thanks for praying for us. We are hoping for many more conversations in the coming days.

October Arrival

Our team departed Dallas on Friday afternoon and arrived in St. Petersburg, Russia Saturday evening with no problems. All the luggage came through and there were no issues at the border with customs. After exchanging money and checking into the hotel we went to a nearby café for a light dinner. Sleepy heads prevailed and the normal lively group was pooped! All went to bed about 9pm (local time here) only to awake at 2am feeling like it was time to get up. Don’t worry… they didn’t!

On Sunday we attended the church services of our IMB Missionaries in St. Petersburg. Clint and Janet Stewart and their family have been terrific hosts! The team member got to ride the metro system for the first time which is always an experience! After the three hour service we had lunch in a food court in a mall near the center of the city with the Stewart family.

At 5pm Sunday we all squeezed into one room along with our newly hired translators so we all could meet and get to know each other before the first day of ministry in the orphanage. With all the American trip participants, translators, family members of Clint & Janet Stewart and another family of volunteers, John & Karen Bull and their four kids, we had about 27 people in the room for a meeting!

As I had warned everyone in training, there would be changes and trip participants would have to be “flexible”. During that meeting I announced some recently passed on news from the Orphanage that half the kids would be at a dental appointment on Monday and would not be with us. That meant that the four oldest groups would not be there. We also had one translator show up and she determined that she couldn’t get to the orphanage in time on the days we needed her. Fortunately, her friend Olya who had just tagged along, volunteered to be the replacement translator! God was in control!

We were all excited and ready to go, although we knew that Monday would bring its own surprises!