Debbie’s Group at Orphanage #24

People keep asking if I'm glad to be home and my reply is always yes but a part of my heart is in St. Petersburg. Let me tell you what happened on the last two days of our time with the kids in my small group.

On Thursday, my co-group leader John Bull was gone so I gave the Easter story. After the story I was prompted by the Holy Spirit to ask my group why should we care that Christ had died, had risen, and was now alive. When they didn't answer I went into the plan of salvation, and then I gave my personal testimony of accepting Christ and how He had changed and worked in my life.

On Friday I asked the group if they would like to hear what God had done in Anya's life and they said yes. Anya was my translator and had lived the life of an orphan. Anya gave her testimony and told them that they may be feeling God was knocking on the door of their hearts and if so they should let Him in. Then one of the girls, Luba, said that she went to church and did some other things. I became concerned that she had a works mindset so I read Ephesians 2:8-9 which says;

"For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God – not because of works, lest any man should boast."

I told her and explained that we can't do enough good things to have a relationship with God. The only way to have a true relationship with God is by believing that His Son Jesus died on the cross to pay the penalties for our sin and to ask Him to be the leader of our lives. Then out of our love for Him would come the good works. After explaining this, I asked if there were any questions and Luba said "How can we have questions when it's so clear?" Even though no one made a profession of faith God reminded me of His promise in Isaiah 55:11;

“…so shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and prosper in the thing for which I sent it.”

His word will not return void but will accomplish what He sent it out to do. I know God is doing a work at Orphanage 24 and I can't wait to see the fruits of that.
– Debbie Stewart, Eastern Hills Baptist Church