Consider a year-end gift to faithful orphan ministry in Belarus

If you are among those of us who are considering year-end giving today, please prayerfully consider a gift to help the orphan ministry of our church partner in Belarus.  Belarus is a former Soviet Union country.  It is a “republic” in name, but its president has authority approaching that of a dictator.  

     Volunteers from the church in Belarus are dedicated to helping orphans in four different facilities, including one home for children with developmental impairments.  Many of the orphans are adults with disabilities.

     Teams of 10 to 17 from the church spend almost every Saturday visiting with the orphans.  Here is a brief report from our contact in Belarus:

     “When we go to the orphanages, we divide in several groups. One of the groups makes a concert-playing program and gathers about 100-200 kids.  Some go to the kids who cannot walk, carry them in their arms, sing, pray. Some people go to the kids who move in wheelchairs, make puppet shows, and sing. One more group draws with those who cannot be in the assembly hall. So all the kids are busy.  When somebody blesses us with finances we buy soap bubbles, toys, soap, pencils, paper. We make chocolate presents for Christmas. Our church is not big, about 30-40 constant members and the same amount of kids. People from our church are very good.  God opens their hearts to help. I think some of them give half of their salary. Nobody cares about kids we come to… only God working through our volunteers. Children are very glad to see us and wait for us every month. They feel that somebody needs them and then somebody needs them.”

     If you would like to bless this ministry with a gift, please designate that your gift is for Belarus ministry.  100% of your gift will go to Belarus to bless this faithful orphan ministry.  You can donate online using your credit card, or donate by mail sending your check to the address listed below.

     God bless you for your heart for orphans!  We wish you a New Year full of blessings and love!

BIG FAMILY MISSION

83 BOY SCOUT ROAD

KUTZTOWN, PA 19530

Volunteer from church in Belarus brings ice cream to orphan

Another beautiful tribute to Reece's Rainbow

    Just recently, I wrote about the Washington Post's article about a Maryland family who adopted two Down syndrome children through Reece's Rainbow.
    A few days later, ABC World News with Diane Sawyer aired a touching tribute to Reece's Rainbow and a family in Utah who have adopted a Down syndrome child from Ukraine.
     You can read more about Reece's Rainbow and how this charity/ministry got started through the birth of Reece.  Yes, Reece is real!  The son of Andrea Roberts, founder of Reece's Rainbow.  
     Learn more about Reece's Rainbow.

Big Family Mission helps older disabled orphans in Belarus

     

The disappointment of not getting selected...

     Today I got up "bright and early" to head out for jury duty.  I was among the first of the 80 or so prospective jurors to arrive at the courthouse.  I completed the questionnaire, confident that I would be selected to serve on a jury... something I've never done.  After three hours of orientation and screening by opposing attorneys, the 12 jurors and two alternates were selected... and I wasn't one of them.  Part of me was relieved that I was free to go, but part of me wondered:  why was I not selected?

     As I drove home, my thoughts turned to children in orphanages in Russia and around the world.  The children who see families come and select other children, but never get selected for foster homes or adoption themselves.  Thank God for our volunteers and ministers who visit these "not selected" children on a regular basis.  Thank God that these children can be adopted into God's eternal family through the precious gift of His only son, Jesus, the Messiah!

Thank you, volunteers, for visiting the children who have not yet been "selected"

Igor Klishchenko: "I will bring the Father's love to his orphan children"

     Yesterday, I wrote about Katya, a Russian orphan who thought she was going to be adopted in Russia, and then, at the last minute, her new mother-to-be refused to take her into the family.
     Katya's story about her father's death, her mother's "hard drinking", and her almost being adopted was shared with us by Igor Klishchenko, a minister to Russian orphans.
     Igor Klishchenko and his family are the only family that many orphans in the Kaluga region of Russia will ever know.  God has called Igor and his family to be the Light and Love of Jesus for some very special children.  You can see a lot of Igor's photos and listen to at least one of his songs (in video) on Facebook.  
     Last year, Igor and his family were having a very difficult time financially.  Then, a very generous gift from a family in America provided support for several months of living expenses.  Big Family Mission is seeking those who wish to sow into Igor's ministry on a regular basis.  We have a few partners for this ministry, but we need many more to continue this important work.  Please take a few minutes and read more about Igor's calling, his family, and how you can contribute to Igor's ministry through Big Family Mission.  100% of funds donated to Big Family Mission for Igor's ministry go to Igor and his family.

Igor Klishchenko with his family

What is sadder than not getting adopted?

Igor Klishchenko, who ministers to Russian orphans, recently told us about Katya, a 13-year-old orphan whom he met in an orphan camp during the summer of 2010.

During a recent orphanage visit, he had the opportunity to talk with Katya and catch up on what is going on in her life.

Igor relates “She eagerly started telling me everything what happened to her during that year and a half while we hadn`t seen each other.  Katya told me that this year her father died because of some illness that her mother continued to drink hard.  Her mother had her both arms and one leg broken and how it happened.  She also told me that a girl from the orphanage drank beer and jumped from the third floor late at night but survived having her hipbone broken.  She told me emotionally that the orphanage changed five directors this year. The first one was fired for hard drinking.  She told that she won the first prize in English language contest among all seventh grade classes of her school (she studies at a state general school at the town). 

“The most painful experience that Katya told me about was a failure with a foster mother. Katya wanted so much to live in a foster family. A woman came to meet Katya and to take her to her foster family.    “Katya liked this woman very much, and later she was told to pack her belongings and move to her foster mother. But when she was packed and ready, Katya was told that that woman wouldn`t take her. It was an awful moment for Katya. It turned out that at the last moment the woman learned about Katya`s predisposition to tuberculosis and worried for her own daughter who could be expelled from the university for the contact with Katya… which is, of course, nonsense.” 

What is worse than not getting adopted?  To think that you are being adopted, and then suddenly find that you are not going to be.

Please keep Katya and Igor’s ministry to orphans in your prayers!

Read more about Igor's ministry to Russian orphans.

Katya, on right, with Vika at summer orphan camp

"Why was I so afraid?"

     "Why was I so afraid?"  The words of Nina Clark, wife of Jon, and mother of six, including two adopted girls with Down syndrome.
     The Washington Post recently published the amazing journey of the Clark family and their heart for adoption.  The article points out that the Clarks see adoption as a "divine calling" and briefly mentions the growing movement of churches in America to focus on caring for an ministering to orphans.
     It is wonderful to read some "good news" in the Washington Post!

Katerina, orphan from Latvia with visual impairment, was adopted  by another large  family in America.

Christmas at the orphanage: see the joy and excitement

If you haven't seen this video of a Big Family Mission Christmas celebration in a Russian orphanage, take a few minutes and enjoy the happiness and excitement with the children as they receive their gifts.
Our thanks to Larry and Jennifer Orndorff, missionaries from America, who helped distribute the gifts and made the video!
Video: Christmas at the orphanage.

Joy to the world in a Russian orphanage