Global Aid Network Mission Reports

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.

Sergei V. shared the following story with us on our trip out to the airport.  He called it a “little spice” regarding a school we visited on the first day:
The director of the school received a call from the governor of the regional office to inquire about the group of Americans coming and “bribing the director of the school to make his students pray.”  After the call, the school’s director called Pastor Alexander and asked for prayer from him and his church.  The pastor let the prayer need be known, and local Christians gathered in church and prayed there and at homes for the whole day while our team was at the school.
In the evening the school director called the pastor and thanked him for praying, saying the governor’s office called her back and said that they inquired about our organization, and were told that we are all good and do good work and that they should let us proceed.  That dear lady was one of the few people Tom got to share the whole gospel bead presentation with.  Her response was, “I’ve never stopped believing in the Lord.”
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From Ed & Lori L.: 
 – Tuesday afternoon at the church where the people came to meet with us, I gave the bead presentation and I remember one of the women that was sitting in the front row did not take her eyes off of me.  I believe she was listening with her whole being. – It was very special to have a third grade boy ask his teacher if he could say something to the Americans.  He wanted to thank us for coming and thank us for the gifts.

 – More than once I observed children beginning to look through the Bible story books as soon as they were placed on their desks.  A couple of them looked rather intent as they were turning the pages.  Many of the children’s eyes lit up as we started handing the books out.

 – The aprons were well received by all who received them.  One of the workers felt bad because she didn’t have a gift in return.  I told her that her gift was the lovely tea she had prepared for us and the important role she played in the serving of the children.