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March 2002 Newsletter:
Our ministry at the children's shelter continues. Russian
volunteer Dinara Yelemesova along with mission volunteers Erik Iversen and Amy
Knapp meet with the children each week. During their time together the
children listen to Bible lessons from the Old Testament and New Testament,
make crafts, play, and sing songs.
The children at the shelter are very hungry for the Lord. They
begged for Bibles of their own, which the mission promptly provided. Each
week, the kids sit quite attentively and listen to the Bible lessons.
On Sundays, Erik makes a special trip to the shelter to bring
an older child to worship. When he returns to the shelter after worship, he
stays to play and visit with the other children. Playing and good role
models are something the children miss, being out on the street and fending
for themselves.
In Russia, children's shelters serve the same purpose as the
foster care program in the U.S. Children's shelters are a place for children
who are being mistreated at home, who are living on the streets, or whose
parents have died. In Russia's social welfare system, children's shelters are
the first step for children who need a permanent place to live.
The main goal of our ministry at the children's shelter is to
help the children see and know the love of Jesus. We want them to know and
remember that whatever they do, wherever they go, whatever happens to them in
life, Jesus will always love them.
We are very thankful for the volunteer ministry, which has been
a great help to our mission work here in Siberia. The volunteer ministry is a
great way for people to become active in missions on a short term basis. Some
of our volunteers serve for ten months, while other serve for several years.
If you are interested in serving the church in this way, contact the Synod for
more information.
Again, thank you for your continuing support and continue to
pray for those children who are hearing the Gospel, that their faith in Christ
would continue to grow.
Rev. Jeff Thormodson
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