Hope and mercy

Meeting with many people while implementing various charitable projects, we have enjoyed fellowship with the believing families, where the spirit of Christ's love reigns and the parents lovingly care for their children. Striving for implanting the seeds of God's truth into their kid's hearts, the believing parents teach them to love God and His creation. The children are well cared for and look smart. At the same time there are many troubled families in our country, in which the children are deprived of parental care and love, and live like orphans, often having nothing to eat. Their parents lead immoral life and are indifferent to their kids' needs; they are drunkards, drugs addicts, many of them are former prisoners. Our society's future, they are so vulnerable and helpless today, so great is the need of giving them material food as well as spiritual one. Clearly realizing that, the Bible Society strives for helping them. In this direction we have started to collaborate with Irina Vladimirovna Malakhova, a remarkable person who has become a caretaker for such children. While a child, Irina Vladimirovna had been a prisoner of the "Ravensbrjuk" concentration came and not by hearsay she knows what it is to be hungry, to suffer from cold, and have nobody to care for you.

Now, gathering the children from troubled families together, Irina Vladimirovna leads the circle of needlework. The studies are conducted in the building of the "Golgotha" church, and almost all the girls who attend have a very difficult childhood. Natasha Bezrukova (in a red bandage) and her brother were taken by her granny after her heavily drinking mother has spent on drink their apartments and the father has gone. Sveta Soroka's mother is a drunkard, and the girl often goes to bed hungry. She was caught on the spot after having stolen a chewing gum bar at a shop, and now, being ashamed of her wrongdoing, she hesitates of attending the classes. All the stories are similar. We are thankful for the heart of Irina Vladimirovna: her loving attitude towards these destitute kids is a real testimony of God's love to them. Not only the girls learn the skill of embroidering and knitting, but they also hear the Good News, and see genuine Christian love and care. Irina Vladimirovna washes the girls, comb them, conducts Bible lessons. The Bible Society assists her with children spiritual literature, and also, due to cooperation with "ABC" charitable organization from Wales, with clothes and footwear. Let's pray together for those children so that the seeds of God's love will produce good fruits in the future.

A Heart filled with love

The Bible Society has struck up fruitful cooperation with the committed workers of the Hope and Mercy organization located in the city of Baranavitchi. Galina Vladimirauna Pikula, a member of the local evangelical church, is one of them. A highly qualified designer, she has a workshop at her disposal. Galina turned to the Lord in 1984, and since then she had constantly prayed that God would enable her to serve Him in a way that pleases Him. In 1990 God granted her the opportunity of serving the little ones that had been deprived of parental love and care. Galina took in her family four kids whose parents had died. Leading a "Mercy" group consisting of the church members, Galina had started visiting several orphanages together with some faithful sisters. They have held Sunday school studies, prepared festive programs on Christmas and Easter celebrations, provided the kids with free dinners, and took them in for weekends.

Galina Pikula and Tamara Makayed were the early pioneers in establishing the "Mercy and Hope" Belarusian republican organization. The databank of potential foster-parents was created. The faithful sisters take care of the babies having been abandoned by their parents. Besides, they visit the little inmates of the Central City Hospital, as the kids down there feel lonely due to reluctance of their relatives to see them.

Helping them that are going to leave orphanage surroundings and start adult life is one more activity the "Hope and Mercy" is involved in. They help the young people with getting valid documents and obtaining employment. Being aware of many difficulties waiting for former orphanage inmates entering new life, the sisters lovingly pack the boxes with clothes for them and present them with the Bibles.

There has arisen an acute need in helping the children whose parents are on the verge of deprivation of parental rights due to drunkenness and unwillingness to work. The children from troubled families have neither enough food nor decent clothes. The believers have attended all the schools in Baranavitchi, and collected the addresses of such children. Thanks to the efforts of the sisters he kids from troubled families now can have their meals in the city canteen, and on Sundays they are fed in the church. Up to 200 children receive help they need so badly. These kids attend Sunday school studies, and Christian children literature is in high demand there. Along with food and articles of first necessity, spiritual help is vital for the little ones.

BS workers made a trip to Baranavitchi and handed the children the Children Bibles (pic.1) and footwear and socks, which had been given by the charitable ABC organization from Wales (pic.2). Developing our collaboration with "Hope and Mercy", we plan visiting children homes with intent to help and encourage little inmates needing love and care.