Global Aid Network Mission Reports

Andrew S (Mercy Ministries, Vladimir)

Praise the Lord for Vladimir!

Today was our first day of ministry and it was such a blessing to be able to minister to the people of Russia. We started at the Sudzal Orphanage which has about 30 children ages 3-10. The children sang some songs for us, and we were able to perform some of our talents with us. The children loved the magic tricks performed by Jaye W., or “Jaye the Magnificent” as she preferred to be called. After the assembly time, we were able to spend some time playing with the children outside. These kids were definitely full of life and loved being entertained by our face painting, balloon animals, and bubbles!

During our time with the children, Mickey S. was able to deliver Gospel aprons to the kitchen staff of the orphanage. Mickey believes it is important to include the cooks in our ministry, because they play such a large role in caring for these children. We are able to nourish them spiritually, but they depend on the cooks for their physical nourishment. Only one of the two women was there today, but as Mickey shared the truth of the Gospel apron with her, you could see that she was so touched by the words and she was honored to be included in our ministry. She promised to read the explanation of the Gospel apron that was provided, and to give the other apron to her coworker.  

After leaving the orphanage, and eating a delicious Russian lunch, we were able to visit some needy families living in Vladimir. Mercy Ministries, who is partnering with GAIN for this trip, has personal relationships with these families and has been ministering to them for quite a while. We split up into six groups, each with an interpreter and a representative from Mercy Ministries.

Tim B. and Natalie B. visited a woman named Luba and were able to talk to her about her family. She has two grown sons and one grown daughter, and one son and her daughter both live with her. Her daughter is a believer and she works at a local church, cleaning it. Her burden is for her son who lives with her, who is an alcoholic. He has had jobs but he usually quits after a week or two. Natalie said she seemed to have no strength or hope left for him. Tim told her that we cannot change other people, we need to put our hope and strength in Christ.   Natalie was able to share a similar situation that happened with her youngest son, who struggled with drugs and crime as a teenager. She needed to step back and let God deal with the situation and Natalie was only able to pray for him and trust God to take care of him. The interpreter and representative from Mercy Ministries shared the gospel with Luba. When Tim and Natalie offered to pray for her son and her situation, Luba told them that she wanted to pray to receive Christ! So, they were able to pray with her and she prayed along with them. Natalie shared that she could hear in Luba’s voice that her prayer came from the heart and was going to make a big difference in her life. As they were leaving Natalie encouraged her that though there would still be hard times, she should not be discouraged, but continue to pray and read her bible so she could grow closer to God. We know that the angels in heaven are rejoicing today for Luba, our new sister in Christ!

From: Faith H.

Today the Brown Bus traveled approximately 2 hours out of Ivano-Frankivsk to Snyatyn to visit a Boarding Home for mentally impaired men.  At the home we found over 200 men from age 18 to 90 years old.  Some of these men had been at the home for many years.

There was a man in one of the groups by the name of L’onia who had celebral palsy.  As the group shared the bracelet with the men and told them how much God loved them, L’onia began to cry and tried to talked.  One of the caretakers told the group what he was saying.  He wanted to know if God would help him go home to his mother.  He had heartache because his mother had given him away when he was a year old and did not come to see him.  Pat H of Virginia went over to L’onia and hugged him and told him that he had a Father in heaven who loved him and that she would be his mother.  With those words, L’onia began to smile.

Subject: Ministry update

Hi everyone!

Yesterday, we arrived in Ivano-Frankivsk! On the way here, we stopped to take photos of a stork’s nest and a little girl kept peering at us at the entrance to her home across the street. Lynn and her son, Gabriel went with me to give her a bracelet and tell her that God loves her. Lynn gave her a necklace as a friendship gift. Her name was Nadia. Oksana told us her name means “hope”. That’s what we’re here for - to bring “hope” to the people of Ivano-Frankivsk and surrounding villages. By the way, guess what the name of our hotel is - Hotel “Nadia”!!

Today we had our first day of ministry. This morning we went to home for men, ages 18 and up. They had many kind of disabilities, some had missing limbs or severely crippled limbs. Others had cerebral palsey. They were very glad to have someone visit them. We split into groups and my group went to several rooms and gave them  gospel bracelets and the little leaflets that explained the bracelets. One older fellow immediately started reading the leaflet out loud.

Our second stop today was at a boarding school for mentally impaired boys.

My small group’s interpreter, Oleg is a pastor of a baptist church (Ressurection Church). This church is four years old and already has over 100 members. They go to this boarding school on a regular basis to minister to the boys. As soon as Oleg got off the bus they ran to him, they were so excited to see him! We took a two hour tour of the place while the boys patiently waited outside in the hot sun. This was a very impressive place.

The boys are taught how to make items that can be useful in their daily lives and can also be sold to raise money for the school such as brooms, gloves, even parakeets and guinea pigs (That really excited me since I had ten guinea pigs at one time when I was a child.)! They alse make wooden shelves and repair their own shoes. The boys seemed to have trouble communicating emotionally but were very good at using their hands, even though many of them had deformed hands and feet. When we finally got to spend time with the boys, they were so excited and had a hard time concentrating enough for us to share much they could understand. We shared the gospel anyhow and gave them books and backpacks from the ministry and some of our personal friendship gifts. I truly believe these boys are some of God’s special children and I told them with complete confidence that they were my brothers and I would see them someday in heaven!

Tomorrow, we may get to visit some more of God’s special children as we go to a boarding school for girls who are mentally impaired. We will also visit an elderly center.

Pray for safety on the roads as we had several close calls today even though these bus drivers are excellent!).

We are all healthy except for one young gal who is battling a cold and several of us get nauseous on the bumpy, windy roads.

Thanks so much for your prayers,

Esther

“Monday, June 18 Public school near Grodno:

Nancy C.’ small group had 40 children, ages 8-13. The children received CarePacks that were inside wonderful full-size backpacks. Inside each Care Pack there was a letter from American family that sent the CarePack to this particular student. It was a very pleasant surprise when one of the letters in a Care Pack was from Donna and Jim O. of Danville, PA! Both of them are on this trip to Belarus and were in that classroom when the letter was opened! They had their picture taken with the young lady who received their letter!

Afterwards, in that same classroom, four of the teachers came to Nancy C. and Barbara M. with a question. “While you were talking with our children and sharing with them, we noticed a special light in your eyes and on your face as well. What is it?” Barbara answered that it is God. And you can have the same light too”. Copies of More than a carpenter by Josh McDowell were left at the school for staff. It’s our prayer that the teachers will read them and gain an understanding of the gift of salvation.”

6.17.07 – Sunday morning…

I woke up feeling rather lousy.  The flight over was 9 hours with an hour delay.  My head felt heavy and my brain was fuzzy.  It is funny how jet lag can affect you.  In the early morning hour, I had heard very loud numerous popping sounds outside my window which sounded like gunfire.  Jolted by the noise that night, I began to pray and intercede for our team.  Then, at 4:30a someone was outside knocking on my door.    

My lousy feeling quickly changed as we entered our devotional time after breakfast.  Tim B. read from I Cor. 2:2-4 and reminded us as we were brought here to do missions that it wasn’t from our persuasive speech or words that people would know Christ, but by a demonstration of the Spirit’s power.  As Paul goes on to explain the reason why in I cor. 2:4, “…so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power.”  

We are His living letter and His mouthpiece to bring others to Himself.  It would not be on our strength or our own words, but by HIS spirit.  What an honor and excitement to serve and make Him known.   There are people from all over the United States on this trip stepping out by faith trusting God to use them.   I would like to share with you the life of one who has come to serve in Krasnoyarsk, Russia.

Dale S. said, “I had always dreamed of going to Russia, but never thought I would make it here.”   This is her first mission trip to Russia with Global Aid Network.  Dale s. has been married 16 years and is a mother of a 9 and 11 year old.   She first heard about Global Aid Network through members of her church telling about their time in Russia.  She said, “I have always had a heart for missions.”   Dale said she remembers how God used her little nieces and nephews to make Jesus real in her life.  She said they would sing songs to her they had learned at church.  As they would sing songs like “my God is so big, so strong and so mighty there is nothing my God cannot do…”  These songs moved in her heart and prompted her to go to church where she became a Christian.  Now she would like others to hear the Good News of Jesus Christ.

When she first heard about this mission to trip Krasnoyarsk, Russia, she wanted to go, but with the costs and concerns with family, she decided it would not come to pass.  Then to her amazement God moved in some incredible ways.    First, some one she knew called and said, “Do you really want to go?  If the funds were provided would you go? “   They were willing to provide for her, but needed to know her decision within 24 hours.   At 6am she called her boss to ask off.   He said, “If God is leading you to do this, ok.”   Other measures of confirmation from God came through additional financial gifts, her family’s blessing and her boss’s provision of finances while she would be gone. 

God was demonstrating His power in Dale’s life confirming for her to step out in faith and go.  She feels like He has something in store for her and is looking with expectation and excitement to see what He will do.  Please pray for Dale that she may display God’s power as she shares the Good News of Jesus Christ and many might come to know Him!

All,

the team has safely arrived into the Minsk International Airport on July 16 with no lost luggage (!) Praise the Lord, and checked into the Orbita hotel. We had a wonderful and refreshing dinner altogether and then a short cultural orientation.

On July 17 we had a full morning orientation with Ambassador Training and practicing in small groups, as well as meeting our 6 interpreters.

We safely travelled to the city of Grodno (western Belarus) in the afternoon and checked into the Belarus Hotel there, had dinner there and met 2 ministers (each one called Dima) of the Baptist church “Hope” that we are going to be working with.

We have arrived in Ivano-Frankivsk.  The trip from Lviv took us about 3 hours including time to stop and take pictures along the way and stopping at a church to load aid and books stored there.  All the missing suitcases arrived safely tonight  from Lviv.

Everyone is excited about the sites we’ll be going to tomorrow.

In Christ

Dave and Talu

All is going well.   The entire Belarus team has arrive as well as all the luggage.  After a good night’s rest, we began the day with prayer and orientation.  We have a mixture of return volunteers and new volunteers but all are equally eager to begin ministy.  We were reminded this morning that “His grace is sufficient” - and in our weakness He is strong.
 
We’re excited to see what God is going to do through the efforts of our regular team and our wheelchair team as well.  In a few hours we will be on our way to Grodno.

Hi everyone,

We’re here! We got to the hotel here in L’viv about 3 o’clock in the afternoon. There were only about three pieces of lost luggage - that’s a miracle! Pray they arrive tomorrow and can be sent to us at Ivano-Frankivsk.

We leave in the morning after breakfast and will be having orientation for the new people on the way to Ivano-Frankivsk. Praise, Lynn and her son, Gabriel were able to pick up their passports in New York several days before leaving for the trip.

The group is already starting to knit together as one. I’m looking forward to a great week of ministry together.

Thanks for praying,

Esther

P.S. L’viv is beautiful in the summer - very lush and green due to lots of rain

30 March 2007

Dear friends!

I wish I could participate in your meeting in Moscow but it is not possible at the moment. But as a partner of many projects I would like to share some thoughts with you!

Groups of volunteers from your organization came to Novokuznetsk 10 times and a few times to Kemerovo.

As a Senior Presbyter, I witnessed a lot of fruit after your projects. I understand that such projects require significant financial resources and human resources. But please believe that the results are worth it! Such projects are so important for the Kingdom of God. Thousands of children and adults were blessed not only by individual gifts, food packages, gifts from the containers – clothes, shoes, blankets and many more items, but also blessed with the love of Christ that was shared generously by American volunteers. Over 100 institutions received significant aid in a category of special needs. But most important – people in those institutions heard Good News about Jesus and learned about “the way” – how they can come to God.

There are still so many needy people in our country:  poor, handicapped, hungry and ill – children and adults. Local churches have a real picture of what is happening in their towns and villages. Because these churches are in contact with local people, they are serving them and while doing that we are in a great need of your partnership with us. Such projects that involved American volunteers are a great support to local churches, inspiration and encouragement. For me personally each coming volunteer is a hero of the faith who is serving the Lord. And we constantly ask and try to persuade them to come back again and again, because we see the fruit and blessings and we see God at work during these projects and also after them. I think that this truly is the fulfillment of our main call for us – Christians and Christian Organizations – to proclaim the Gospel.

I ask God to grant you wisdom, strength, power and great love, my dear brothers, while you work to spread the gospel, in your planning and communications in Russia.

With blessings and brotherly love in Christ,

Pastor Andrei H.