Julianna and Christmas in Belarus – Update #5

The second of two e-mail updates received on 1/7/10, this one received at 3:35 pm:

...Yesterday, before we took the girls back home, we were also visited at the ARK house where we're staying by 2 women who found out there were Americans staying here.  Julianna was the one woman's name...she was a deaf woman who worked at the deaf village we had visited 2 days earlier.  She heard there were Americans visiting who were interested in deaf children, and she wanted to meet us.  We really have no idea how she found out where we were staying, but she called Lena who works at the ARK house and asked if she could come.  Julianna brought a 15 year old girl with her whose name is Natasha.  Natasha was hearing, but both her parents are deaf.  Her father works with Juliana and her mother works in a shoe factory.  Natasha told us that the shoe factory provides an apartment for them where they live and they share a kitchen with other families, so it must be very similar to the apartment building we visited.  Julianna and Natasha both go to the same Christian church and Natasha is the sign language interpreter at the church.  The church has approximately 40 people there, 15 who are deaf.  The really wonderful thing about Natasha is that she knows Russian sign language, English and Russian, which means she can interpret for the deaf children.  This is truly an answer to our prayers and it is a miracle that she literally walked into the ARK house here.  I know God sent her to us.  If we can find a family to host this wonderful 15 year old girl this summer, not only will she be able to receive the wonderful benefits of the ABRO program, but she'll also be able to help us learn more about the deaf children and conditions of the deaf in Belarus.  Please pray we find a host family for her.  Natasha is a very blessed child - she must have done extremely well on the government tests to have been allowed to go to a good school where they teach her English also.  I am very surprised she was given that opportunity since she has deaf parents, since the deaf are so looked down upon here in Belarus.  She seemed excited about the possibility of getting to go to America, and said she would be willing to help us if she was able to come.  Julianna was a very nice lady also, and was so excited to get to meet us.  She told us she would love to help us find children that needed help through the ABRO program through her church , so I believe we've begun a good relationship there that may grow in the future.  I hope to be able to learn more about her church in the coming months.  We have been given so many children's names who are able to come to America this summer - it would take many host families, volunteers and monetary support to be able to bring them.

Today was Christmas Day (they celebrate the Russian Orthodox Christmas on Jan. 7th) in Belarus so we went to a church service.  The church was a good distance away - about a 3 hour drive each way on the bus.  It was snowing again, and the roads were not good, but our bus driver is a very good driver, and other than a very bumpy ride, it was fine.  We arrived there around 11:15 and went to church.  The service was about 2 1/2 hours long - entirely in Russian.  We understood very little of what was said.  Other than the Americans who were there, there were mainly women and children at church.  Very few Belarusian men attended the church.  There were a good number of children, and they put on a Christmas play for us.  There was much singing and several bible readings and a couple sermons.  After the service, the Americans visited with the children in the village.  Many of the other people who traveled with us to Belarus had hosted children from that town, so they were all taking pictures and exchanging gifts.  It was so nice to see.  We got to see Galina, who came with our group last year, and we met her mother.  Galina looked pretty good, but her mother was extremely shy, quiet and had very little emotion about meeting us.  Galina was thrilled to get her gift and so happy to see us.  It was nice to see her and meet her mama.  Rich also got to see Veronica who was a child who came to the ABRO group he was involved in when he lived in Raleigh, NC.  Veronica is 14 years old and her father is the pastor of the church.  Such a sweet child...

When we left the church, we all got back on the bus and went to a Belarusian restaurant in town.  We had some interesting traditional Belarusian food, but it was pretty good.  The meal, which was quite fancy for Belarus in a Belarusian hotel, cost about $10. 

Then we got back on the bus and headed back to Mogilev.  It's really nice to be able to meet back with the other Americans and hear stories about their experiences while here in Belarus.  Their stories are so interesting and we all learn things from each other about the conditions for the children here in Belarus and their families.  One of the ladies who hosts one of the children that we visited at the church today told us about what horrible living conditions that child lives in.  They sold their "flat" (apartment) and gave the money to a man who told them he had a house for sale.  The man instead stole their money.  They took him to court, but lost the court case, so now they have no money and no home.  Basically, they now live in a shack with no electricity, water or toilet.  They also have a small child - maybe a year or so old.  That child was bitten by a rat in their home.  Some of the stories here are so horrible, it practically makes you sick on your stomach.  Stories about children whose parents have neglected them since the parents are so drunk they forget they have any children.  The children are locked in rooms and forgotten during the days.  Infants whose parents were so drunk they didn't get the rat off the child before the child's lip was chewed off.  Another story about a child who was taken away from her parents because during the summer she was tied up to a dog house in their yard and in the winter she was put in their attic (probably no heat).  The stories are horrible...and that is why we must help...

When we got back to Mogilev, we had dinner.  A sort of pork meatloaf with a hardboiled egg in the center of it, sweet bread and french fries.  The bread and fries were delicious, the meatloaf was ok. 

Tomorrow we have to start packing to head home.  Around lunchtime, we'll be going for lunch at little Karyna's home - the youngest girl we hosted from FCOB this past summer.  Then we are planning to go around Mogilev a little more, possibly do a little shopping for souvenirs from our trip in Belarus.  Dinner will be here at the ARK house, and then we'll have to get a good night's sleep before our journey back home begins early on Saturday morning.  On Saturday we fly to Frankfurt, Germany, and then on Sunday we leave Frankfurt to fly home to Washington DC. 

While I'm looking forward to being back in America, I will miss the children of Belarus - I wish I could bring them along.  These children are all so sweet, so precious.  They need our love and help so much because they have so little love and hope here in Belarus.  I'm so looking forward to being able to share more of my experiences with you when I return and to be able to share the pictures and videos.  I wish I could bring back the smells, the tastes, and the sounds also because those are so vital to telling these stories too.  If you ever have the opportunity to be involved in the ABRO program and/or come to Belarus, you should.  It's not easy, but it's such an eye-opening experience.  You will not be the same again... 

Thank you for your prayers!  I will try to write more another day and tell you more stories of Belarus. 

Please pray for our safety in returning home this weekend and please pray for the children & families in Belarus. 

Thank you all! 

Take care,

Elaine

More on Deaf Orphanages and Village in Belarus – Update #5

The first of two e-mail messages on 1/7/10, this one received at 2:41 pm EST:

Hello friends and family!

The internet is working tonight, and I have time to write to you, so I'm thanking God for answering those prayers.  The past few days have been so very busy here in Belarus - nonstop activity with 4 girls staying with us and constant activities for us to do.  Yet, even though the slight break from activity tonight is nice, the quietness in the house tonight is deafening as it is so evident that the girls are no longer with us since they went back to their "homes" yesterday.  Their smiles and laughter are missed so much by Rich, Joe and I tonight...

But, now let me step back in time to three days ago when we had the excitement of visiting the deaf village.  On Jan. 4th, our day began with meatballs & chicken broth, eggs, and mashed potatoes for breakfast!  A heavier meal than any of us are used to, but since we are learning quickly while here that we often do not get time to eat lunch, we know we need to eat what we can in the morning so we can make it to dinner time!  We left around 11 am to head over to the deaf "village" (as it had been described to us).  In reality however, it wasn't really a village but a set of buildings where many deaf people lived and worked.  The first building we went into was the "enterprise" building (the administration building & factory) where the deaf people worked.  The deaf people are organized into various associations, of which this "village" we went to is one of them.  The association provides for all their needs and is run by the government.  It provides the deaf with a job, a "home", and a place of entertainment.  The jobs that are given to the deaf people are very simple jobs that require very little knowledge...they are trained to do one skill, and they do that one thing over and over and over.  The factory we were in was making window handles and hinges...there were some machines, but the people were doing much of the work by hand also.  We got to tour the factory which was very dirty (but that's probably normal even for a factory in the United States) and very cold - Rich's thermometer registered just 50 degrees!  They also have other types of manual activities such as sewing that they will have the deaf people do.  The tour was interesting.  Joe was quite the celebrity - certainly the only deaf American any of these deaf people ever met before.  They stopped working to come talk to him and the people who were there supervisors wanted to take so many pictures of Joe talking with them.  For that matter, the association directors and administration said we were the first Americans they had ever met also, and they too had us stand with them and took many pictures. 

After the factory, we went to the apartment building.  Wow - what a shock...we walked in on the ground floor to a sparse concrete "lobby" area with no decorations.  We headed up the stairwell - uneven concrete steps, dirty walls, overall filth.  But it only got worse...the further up we went the more intense was the smell that permeated the building.  After going up a few floors we were led into a small room - probably not more than 8 ft. x 10 ft. - which was packed with women and children.  All the children there were deaf except for one.  The mothers had heard that a group of Americans were coming to visit, and these Americans wanted to help their children.  Obviously they desire our assistance.  The children ranged in age from 1 1/2 years old to 12 years old.  Absolutely adorable children - each one of them.  The room was so full of people you could hardly move.  Fortunately we had brought along a bag of matchbox cars, some kaleidoscopes and a baby rattle.  We asked some of the mamas to wait out in the hall and Rich got out the camera and video camera.  We started videoing each child, writing down their name and age.  Then each little boy got a car and the girls got the kaleidoscopes.  The smallest child got the baby rattle.  Some of the children were shy, others were so excited to see us and get a toy.  Most were probably wearing their best clothes, and those were not good - fairly old and dingy.  Some of the children smelled bad - but that is nothing unusual in Belarus.  I was able to convince even some of the shyest children to let me hold them while Rich filmed them, which was just wonderful.  I loved being able to hold and hug these little ones who have so little.  It was amazing how their eyes sparkled when we handed them a little toy.  We learned that all the children we saw that day had at least a mama or papa - perhaps both.  They all lived in the association building.  When the children are 3 years old, their parents can begin sending them to a "daycare" school where they live.  The children only come home 4 times a year - for summer break, one week in the spring & fall, and for the holiday over New Years (probably about 2 weeks).  The adults talked about how difficult it was for them to send their children away to school and not be able to see them for such a long time.  I can only imagine.  We were told that the government gives them hearing aids for the children, but I'm not sure the hearing aids really work well for the children or are suited to their individual needs.  Krystina and the other girls with us were wonderful with the children too - talked to them and gave them lots of hugs.  I wanted so badly to take the kids away from that place to give them a better life - their mothers looked so sad the entire time - so depressed, defeated - totally hopeless.  Their babies are just children like those in America, but born in a country where there is so little hope, so little future for them.  They are just little ones growing up in filth...it's so sad. 

After taking the children’s pictures and giving them toys we were invited to go into one of the mother's apartments for tea and a snack.  We went up the stairs to another floor and entered a VERY small apartment - three rooms - one a mini kitchen which only had a small refrigerator - no stove - and 2 small bedrooms/living areas.  A table had been put in the one room and that was where we sat.  We had a good conversation with the director and the other association worker there about the facility and their needs.  They seemed sincerely interested in having us bring the deaf children to America with the ABRO program this summer.  They told us they had a total of 13 deaf children that lived in the building, 100 deaf adults.  Apparently a German group has helped them some in the past, but that group will only take hearing children, so the deaf children have never had an opportunity to have assistance similar to what we are offering through the ABRO program.  The woman who hosted us in her apartment was partially deaf and had a speech impairment we were told.  She had 2 hearing sons - one was older but the 2nd one was 12 years old.  He has a physical disability - apparently he has club feet and has had 2 surgeries so far for them.  The mother was so gracious to us, and obviously was trying very hard to get us to take her son to America this summer.  After eating she asked us to take so many pictures of her son with us.  Then they even had us take pictures of a little dog they had!  :)  That was kind of funny.  After eating there, we had a better "tour" of the apartment building.  For every 4 "apartments" there is one kitchen which is shared.  The kitchens were horrible - one rusted, very old stove, one or two sinks that looked like they were about ready to fall off the wall and a small refrigerator.  There was one table in the kitchen too.  It smelled horrendous and was filthy again.  We went up to another floor in the apartment, and the smell on that floor was even worse - made us want to gag.  Again the apartments all shared a kitchen and on this floor we saw a "laundry room" which was basically a dirty concrete hole with 2 regular sized sinks hanging on the wall.  Laundry was hung over the pipes on the ceiling.  No washing machine or dryer at all.  We never did see the bathroom in the apartments, but I can only imagine how bad those must have been too.  I'm sure that was the source of some of the smell in the building.

Next we went to the "club".  This was the best building of them all at the deaf facility.  They have a library, sewing room, art room, and theater there for the deaf people.  Apparently they have a singing deaf group that performs there and has won awards too.  I was quite impressed actually by their auditorium.  I must tell you though about the bathrooms we did see in the club...  in the ladies room, you walked in and there were 2 sinks inside the door.  Then you walked into the toilet room - except there were NO toilets.  There were only 3 or 4 holes in the floor - you just squatted over a hole to go to the bathroom.  There was no toilet paper, and there were no doors on the "stalls" for each toilet.  The smell was bad too.  Krystina went in to the bathroom with me and told me that the bathrooms at her school were the same as these.  Unbelievable...  These bathrooms make port-a-pots in America look like luxuries!!  Before we left the deaf facility, I was able to pull aside the one mother who had us in her home and give her $20.  She was so incredibly grateful - hugged me, kissed me, etc.  I mentioned her reaction to one of the other ladies here with us on the trip from America, and she said that $20 is probably more money than that woman receives in one month on her government stipend. 

Two other things we learned - if a deaf adult in Belarus wears a hearing aid, they cannot receive government assistance at all, so most of the deaf people here do not wear hearing aids.  Also, we learned that if a woman "registers" her marriage with the government here, she does not get as much government support as a deaf person as she does if she is not "registered" as married.  That reminded me in many ways of the welfare system in America actually, but many of these deaf people have absolutely no opportunities here to survive except through the government stipend each month.

After leaving the deaf village we met Irena, our one chaperone with our group this past summer, and Pasha & his mother (one of the children who came to Frederick last summer).  We all went bowling and had a nice time with them.  Bowling in Belarus is very similar to bowling in America.  After bowling, Irena took Rich, Krystina & Olya to go shopping more (Rich was so excited about that!!  haha) and Joe, Marharyta, little Krystina & I went with Pasha & his mother to visit her office.  His mother is a dentist and works for a state run clinic.  We walked to her office, which was quite a good distance - I would guess we walked for at least a 1/2 hour, and it was absolutely freezing.  I'm pretty sure it was below zero degrees.  So cold it hurt when you breathed through your nose.  Anyway, we arrived at her dentist office, and it was so busy with people.  Long lines waiting for the government healthcare there.  She took us up to her office and showed us her dental area.  Looked fairly similar to American dentist offices, although a little bit more sparse.  I don't believe she had the advanced equipment as we have in America.  She was such a sweet lady, and cleaned both Krystina & Marharyta's teeth while we were there.  Then she called a taxi for us and took us back to the ARK house.  Dinner was good - we had crepes with dried fruit and cream cheese inside!  That evening we played with the girls some.  I french braided all the girls hair (except Marharyta who didn't want it done!), and then we tucked all the girls into nice warm soft beds for the evening.  We did a bible story then told them good night.  We tried very hard while the girls were with us to impress upon them about trusting in God and believing that anything is possible with Him.

The next day - Jan. 5th - we got up early as we were taking a trip to the Cherikof shelter that day.  I really enjoyed visiting this shelter - it's probably been one of my favorite things about this trip!  We left on the bus around 9:45 am.  Breakfast that morning was rice, chicken, carrots/onion/garlic mixture, cinnamon bread & cream cheese with raisins.  We had an approximate ride of 1 1/2 hours to Cherikof on a bus. 

A shelter is different from an orphanage.  Initially when a child is removed by the government from their parents' home in Belarus, they are put in a temporary housing situation for a short time.  Then the child is moved to a shelter where they stay for 6 months to 1 year.  During this time, the parents have the opportunity to "straighten up" their lifestyle so the child can go back home or the social workers look for another relative to take the child.  If neither of these options work out, then the child is moved to an orphanage.

The bus ride to Cherikof itself was interesting - on the way there, Marharyta got car sick and threw up.  Fortunately, we knew she wasn't feeling well, and another woman on the bus had given her a plastic bag.  Many of the more experienced ABRO people on the bus with me said it was quite common for the orphans, like Marharyta, to get car sick, because they usually have rarely gone anywhere in the car - they stay at the orphanage all the time. 

Cherikof was a good place.  They had a decent playground for the children, and the director there seemed to be very sincere and really love the children (that's not always the case with the administration of the orphanages!).  I learned that this director has on occasion even taken children who had gotten too old to live in the shelter into her own home to help them get established rather than having them end up out on the street.  It's good to know there are people like her here in Belarus helping these children in ways they can also.  We were led to a room in the shelter with a very big Christmas tree which sat in the middle of the room.  About 20 children came in - almost all were dressed in some type of costume - and they sang songs for us and danced around the tree for us.  Then Father Frost (Santa) and his granddaughter, the Ice Princess, arrived.  Tradition has it that the children must perform something for Father Frost before he gives them candy, so each child came up to Father Frost, recited a poem, sung a song or even played a piano, before he handed them candy.  It was very cute.  Cherikof actually had some very young children there also - as young as 3 years old.  All the children were precious - to look into their eyes and faces and know that their parents had rejected them or would not provide for these little ones was unbelievable & so sad!!  We gave gifts (toys, clothes, & school supplies we collected from people in America) to the children and then had the opportunity to spend some time with them and take some pictures.  After the children left, we had an auction of some of the children's artwork amongst the Americans to raise money for the orphanage.  The children here are very talented in the creative arts - I've seen beautiful creations in the orphanages, and they all seem very enthusiastic about drawing, painting, etc.  After the auction, the director brought more children back into the room who she really wants to find host families for next summer.  There was one little boy in the group she brought who was fairly young.  He has vision problems and he still believes his mother will be taking him back.  The director told us that is not the case however, and he'll probably end up in an orphanage.  There were a few sisters who also were young who really needed a host family this summer.  Precious little girls.  Also there was a slightly older child, who was a very sweet, shy girl.  She played the piano very well, and seemed like a wonderful child.

We also met deaf children in Cherikof.  One little girl broke our hearts.  She wore a hearing aid, but I don't believe it helped her much at all.  She didn't know sign language at all and could not speak.  She is 7 years old, and has no communication.  She comes to Cherikof for school but lives at home with her mother.  Her mother was there too, and did not want us to video her daughter because she was ashamed that her daughter was deaf.  We were able to take the little girl's picture though.  This child desperately needs a host family this summer who can spend a lot of time with her to begin teaching her some communication skills.  She's obviously been neglected for a long time and it worries me that she cannot even talk through speech or sign language now at age 7.  This is the culture of Belarus - anyone with a handicap can have a serious disadvantage, as is seen with this child.  We met 3 or 4 other deaf girls there too whose parents brought them to meet the "Americans who want to help deaf children."  We took pictures of them and told them about America.  After meeting with the children, we had lunch at the orphanage, and then it was time to say goodbye and head back to Mogilev.

Dinner at the ARK house was pasta and chicken - a good meal.  Our girls loved it and ate quite a lot!  We let the girls stay up late that night, since it was their last night with us.  We played with them, I braided their hair again, and we videoed messages from them to bring back to their host families in America.  So cute to see what they wanted to tell their American mommy and daddy!  Our poor girls - some of them smelled so badly even after they had taken showers for a few days and were using deodorant we brought them.  They live in such bad living conditions, in such horribly smelly places, I think the odor just gets in their skin!  After a while, it's a little hard to take the smell, but I love these girls so much, you just hug them and hold them anyway figuring you can endure the smell so they know how much they are loved.

Yesterday, we had to take the girls back to their homes.  Olya was the first girl we dropped off.  Another ABRO lady met us at a bus station to take her back home.  She cried when she left, as Rich and I also did.  It's so hard to say goodbye to these kids - especially when you know their homes are so horrendous and such bad living conditions.  Then we drove to Msistlval to take back Marharyta & Krystina.  While at their orphanage we got to tour the buildings again with the director and we met a few other deaf children we hadn't seen before.  We brought more toys with us and left them there for the kids.  It was snowing, so we couldn't stay too long, but we did get to see their historical museum, and we learned that the buildings where the orphanage is are hundreds of years old.  It is an old monastery.  Some of the buildings including the gymnasium have been condemned because they are no longer safe.  The dormitory buildings smell very moldy, but they do have some heat.  I was told they have about 46 boys and over 50 girls that stay there.  One adult supervises the girls floor at night and one adult supervises the boys floor at night.  That's it - 2 adults for over 100 children!!  Saying goodbye to Marharyta & Krystina was also very hard, but they did well.  There were some tears, but they are both very strong girls, and they know how much we love them.

Next we took Rich's Krystina back to Dreben.  It was a long drive - it was snowing all day and the roads were getting quite bad.  But we made it to her apartment where her foster mom was.  Krystina was very upset to have to leave and wanted to stay with us so badly.  It was very hard to leave her as we were all so emotional by that point in the late afternoon.  When we left the van felt so empty with out the four girls with us.  When we arrived back at the ARK house last night, we ate sausage balls wrapped up in some kind of dough and yogurt with dried fruit.  It was alright.  Rich, Joe & I talked for a long time too.

I've discovered that the Internet here shuts down around 9:55 pm so I'm going to end this email and then start a new one with the rest of the update.  That way if I don't complete the second one you'll at least have some information.  I hope you are all doing well and taking care of yourselves.  Thank you so much for your continued prayers!  We can feel your prayers giving us strength and protection on this trip!

Take care,

Elaine

Visited Deaf Villages and Children Shelters – Update #4

From an e-mail message on 1/5/10 at 12:19 pm EST:

Dear friends & family,

I hope to be able to write you a longer email later tonight with more details about the past two days here in Mogilev, Belarus, but our internet connection does not always work, and that is why these emails have not been sent everyday unfortunately. Each night, I try to spend as much time with the children as possible before they go to bed. Then I hope and pray the computer connection is still working so I can send you a message. Unfortunately the past day or so, it has not worked. Tonight, I decided to let you all know we are still alive and well before the internet decided to "stop" for the evening. But I must go back soon with our girls, since tonight is our last evening with them. Tomorrow the orphanage and Krystina's foster mom want us to bring them back to their homes. Tonight and tomorrow will be very tough days for us as a result - we love these girls so much, and they love America so much. They dream of living in our country and having families. Fortunately we are able to give them a family who can provide for them in some ways through ABRO, even though Belarus doesn't allow international adoptions.

Yesterday we went to the deaf "village" and it was an amazing experience. I promise to write about that more when I have time. This short email will not do the visit justice, and there is so much I wish to tell you about it.

Today we went to another children's "shelter" - not an orphanage, per se, although children without families do live there. Basically it's a place where the children stay after being taken away from their families by the government and before being placed in an orphanage. Today was wonderful also - I really love going to visit the orphanages and be with the children. They are so precious.

We met several children - deaf and hearing - who need host families this summer. Please begin thinking and praying about opening your homes this summer to one of these children. They are so precious, and we so desperately want to help them as much as possible.

I will write more later - must go play with the girls, hug them while they cry as they don't want to leave, and look at pictures and videos of our times with them. I love them all so much. Please pray for us all as tomorrow will be a very hard day for the girls and for us.

May God bless you all for taking this journey to Belarus through your prayers with us!

Elaine

Dreben, Mstislval orphanage – Update #3

From an e-mail on 1/3/10 at 1:09 pm EST:

Dear friends & family,

I can't express how much your thoughts and prayers have meant to us while on this trip so far. So many of you have sent your love and prayers our way - thank you so much! It's almost like you're here with us in Belarus.

It's been a while since I've had access to a computer to be able to send an update email. The past 4 days have been very busy, so I'll try to summarize as best I can, but I'm afraid this may be a long email!

When you last heard from me, Rich, Joe & I were getting ready to head to Msistlval where the deaf orphanage is located. The ride there was interesting in and of itself! Valentina had rented or borrowed a van and a man drove it for us. They picked us up at the ARK house where we were staying and drove through Mogilev. Our first stop was to change some US dollars into Belarusian rubles at the supermarket. Wow - the supermarket was a crazy place... We also bought lots of bottled water since we can't drink the water here. (You'd be amazed how much you treasure clean water at home when you're in a country where you can't just go to a sink to get a glass of water!) Then we headed to Dreben to get Krystina (Rich's). It was about a 2 hour drive.

Dreben was a small town - apartments on one side of the road, many stories high. On the other side of the road were small homes. We found Krystina's apartment building and she came down to let us in (all the apartment buildings are locked here and someone has to come let you in the main door). We were all so happy to see each other again! Her foster mom Natasha invited us in, and we got to see where Krystina lives. It was probably a 3-4 room apartment - a living room, bedroom, kitchen and toilet. Natasha earns a living by keeping foster children. She has Krystina now. One week ago she got a new little boy named Artom. The government took him away from his mother because she was an alcoholic and he was living and playing in dirt in the home where his mother lived. When the government took him away he was very sick and had to go to the hospital for a while before coming to Natasha's home. He was a very cute little boy - about 1 1/2 years old. Unfortunately Natasha will only be able to keep him in her home for 6 months. Then he will most likely go to an orphanage, unless his mother cleans herself up and can show she can provide for him. More than likely, he'll end up like the many other social orphans in Belarus living out the rest of his childhood in an orphanage or foster home. It was so sad to hold that little boy and know there was nothing we could do to help him have a good family home to grow up in, other than pray that the government of Belarus will one day allow international adoptions again. Natasha served us (as is Belarusian culture when anyone comes to visit - ESPECIALLY Americans!) meats, bread, tea (chai in Russian), wine, and cookies. After visiting, we left with Krystina and headed to Msistlval.

Upon arriving in Msistlval, we went to Valentina's home. It was late already, so we couldn't go to the deaf orphanage. She cooked us a pasta dish with a meat sauce on top along with some other food. We met her husband Baris, and chatted for a while that night. It ended up that Krystina & I slept together in the one and only bed in the house. Rich and Joe slept on a pull out sofa. Valentina & her husband slept in her kitchen. Their only son stayed at his grandmother's home. Their apartment was small, but basically fine. A small kitchen, hall, bedroom, & living room. One toilet and bathtub (both in very tiny rooms).

Our first full day in Msistlval was quite exciting as we headed to the deaf orphanage around 9:30 am. We were excited to go meet the children and see Krystina (Joe's) & Marharyta. The orphanage/school is in an old monastery. The main building has been severely damaged by wars years ago, and was never repaired (it appears). They have a school building and a dormitory. Over 100 deaf children live there - boys and girls ranging in ages from 7 - 19. A couple teachers met us and took us in to see the children who had not gone to a home on holiday break. There were 9 boys and 2 girls (Krystina & Marharyta). The boys were aged from 7-19. You could tell they didn't get visitors much because they were so excited to see us and starved for attention. The other interesting thing was that there were some hearing children there too - I don't know why they mixed the deaf and hearing kids, but I hope to find out while here. Anyway, we handed out the toys and gifts we had put together for the children and they absolutely loved seeing what we had given them. They ate lots of the candy while trying to learn how to play with the toys - they didn't know what a frisbee, basketball hoop or football were, or what to do with them, so we tried to teach them. After playing with the kids some, we got to see some of the school. Small classrooms, but they did have some books, paper, pictures, etc. in them. They did have some heat too, although we wore our really heavy winter coats inside, and did not get overheated. We saw the bathrooms - the toilets don't really flush well at all and in the one bathroom I went in, there were 2 toilets and one sink. The smell practically made me gag. Following the tour of the school we went back to the kitchen where the children were starting to eat lunch - looked like chicken broth with some carrots, and some kind of food that resembled meatloaf on top of an egg (?). I'm really not sure what it was, but the kids did not eat much of it...they are all very skinny and many are so small for their ages. We took Marharyta & Krystina with us for the rest of the afternoon when we left. They had to go back to the orphanage to sleep that night, New Years Eve, though, because Valentina didn't have room for them in her home with us.

New Years Eve - a huge Belarusian celebration. Valentina invited her family over - her sister & brother-in-law and her mother. Of course, they wanted to come "meet the Americans!" They put out all kinds of food for dinner around 10 pm. They had fish (raw & cooked), chicken, pork, fruit, vegetables, etc. Juice, champagne & vodka were apparently essential to the celebration too. We first celebrated the Russian new year at 11 pm (Moscow is 1 hour ahead of Belarus), then the Belarusian new year at 12 pm. At 1 am we walked to the town square to the holiday lights. We saw it, but apparently arrived too early because as we were walking back many people were starting to come down for the concert that was starting later. We were too tired to stay longer. When we got back to the house, we had dessert and then around 3 am we finally went to bed!

The next day, Baris showed us the town - we first went on a horse drawn sleigh ride! Now I know in America we have this picturesque image of the horse drawn sleigh ride with the sparkling silver runners, and the beautiful horse - that was not quite what this ride was!! :) The horse was small, pretty dirty and didn't smell good at all. The "Sleigh" was more of a sled that had poles attached to handmade braided harnesses on either side of the horse. It did have a bench that 3 of us could fit on. The ride was fast & cold & bumpy! We survived though and it was certainly an interesting experience. We also went in the stable where these horses are and saw the stable area. Again - nothing like America!

After the sleigh ride, Baris wanted us to meet his parents, so we visited them in their small village home. It was a tiny little house - seemed like we had gone back in time about 100 years. It was so old! When Baris opened the door to go inside, 3 chickens came running out. His parents looked very old, but we found out they were only 77 and 82 years old. They had lived in this home for over 40 years. There were clothes hanging on the clothesline outside. They did have electricity and a small refrigerator & TV. Otherwise it seemed to be a 2 room house - a small kitchen and a living area. On one side of the living area were 2 twin size beds, on the other side was a sofa, chair & TV. They were very welcoming and friendly people. We were the first Americans they had ever met in their lives. To these people, that is a huge thing - at times Joe, Rich and I have very much felt that we are "celebrities" as we are taken to different places and introduced to family as "my friends from America". All the people we have met are so excited to meet us, as Americans, and can't wait to invite us to their homes. Constantly we're told to "come back in the summer"! :)

After that visit, Baris took us to a monastery that is over 600 years old. Again the old church building and monastery were severly damaged in WWII, but they have a small church there now and 12 monks live there. It was an interesting visit.

On Jan. 2nd we woke up early to pick up Marharyta & Krystina at the deaf orphanage & take them with us to the ARK house. It was great to get to take them out of the orphanage! Before we left the orphanage, we got to see the bedrooms. About 10 kids in a room - very small beds with little blankets, some heat, 2 small wardrobe closets for all the kids in the one room, very few toys and decorations. You could easily see which kids came to America before because they had some toys on their beds. The bathrooms were not good. 2 sinks for a whole floor, 1 bath "tub" (a 2 ft x 3 ft porcelian wash area that's about 5 inches deep - no shower & no privacy, and 5 toilets. There was one girl's floor and one boy's floor. No wonder the kids didn't smell very good - it'd be practically impossible for them to get a decent bath.

After taking the girls we went to the Ryasno orphanage where we met up with the rest of the ABRO group that went on the trip. It was so exciting to see the other English speaking people again - so nice to be able to talk to others too! :) Ryasno is a large orphanage - about 75 kids live there now. They have a school building, greenhouses, and a dormitory/kitchen. Again, we handed out toys to the children & the children put on a performance for us. The children also had made pictures and other crafts which they auctioned to us. The money raised went to the orphanage - they raise over $1,600 from the Americans! The thing about Ryasno that struck me the most was that we were told all the children there were mentally retarded. But, in our interactions with them, the children are not mentally retarded at all...they were labeled early in life as having severe learning disabilities and were sent to Ryasno. They will have this label for the rest of their lives, even though it's untrue. It is so sad to think these children, who are perfectly capable of doing almost anything probably, won't be allowed to grow to their full potential because of the limitations they have in life set by the authorities. The temperature in the one bedroom at Ryasno was 54 degrees. The bathrooms were ok, but according to Rich and Joe, the boys' bathrooms just have holes in the floors - no toilets at all.

We got back to the ARK house last night, enjoyed dinner with the girls, and then gave the girls their "presents" we brought from home. Oh to see their faces when giving them little things like a new pair of socks or a toothbrush! I got so many hugs and kisses for such little things...that's how you know these children really have nothing...they see us loving them in these little actions, and it is so rewarding. It's one time when their sad faces change to joy, a little light glimmers in their eyes...

Today we took the girls shopping - for 7 hours!!! Yes that's right a seven hour shopping trip...now I must commend Rich and Joe because they put up with 7 girls shopping for 7 hours today (we had 2 female chaperones with us and another girl, Olya, who stays with friends of Rich's in America came to stay with us too last night). We got the girls the essentials - they all needed new boots & socks. Some needed underwear, jeans, shirts, hats, & scarves. It was a big day. The shops are totally different than in America too. Much much smaller...

We visited another girl this afternoon too, Natasha, who stayed with a host family from New Hope in Frederick last summer. She and her family live in an apartment. Her parents are both artists, and they do beautiful work. Her father's dream is to be able to have an art show in America... They thanked us (all Americans) so much for helping one of their daughters be able to come to America and see the ocean, our country, to get clothes, medical care, and help. They were so grateful... They served us cake, tea, and cookies. They had 2 bedrooms in their apartment (one was also the living room) and a kitchen. It was a newer apartment. They have an older daughter (17) and a younger daughter (almost 3) too. The youngest was so small for a 3 year old - if I had to have guessed her age, I would have said 1 1/2 years old. She was adorable - so sweet.

Tonight Joe, Krystina (Joe's), Marharyta & I ate at the ARK house and we'll play games and hang out with the girls some. Rich, Krystina, and Olya went to visit a friend they know from when they were with the ABRO group in NC.

Tomorrow we go to the deaf village, and then we are supposed to go bowling. Please pray for us tomorrow...I highly suspect that seeing the deaf village will be a very difficult experience for all of us. While we want to go learn about what happens to the deaf people in Belarus, we are also wary of going, knowing what we will see most likely will be very bad living conditions for these people.

I hope you are all doing well in America. We all miss you and we miss America. I know that even though I knew we were very blessed to live in the U.S. before I came on this trip, I now realize how very blessed we are. I'm not sure I will ever quite look at a shower or a clean toilet the same way as I did before - or clean drinking water - or lots of fruits and vegetables - or a nice car. God has truly blessed us so much...we need to thank Him and give back to Him by serving others who so desperately need our help.

Thank you for your continued prayers. Having you all as friends and prayer warriors is such a blessing to me!

Take care,

Elaine

Mstislavl, Belarus

Right now, my sister and the ABRO missions team are in Mstislavl staying with her host, Valentina. Curious about this town and region, I did some digging and found some pictures. I was only able to find one or two pictures of its orphanages, but cannot confirm which of those are the deaf orphanage my sister visited today.

Here are a few pictures from its website (http://mstislavl.mogilev-region.by/en/photos/):

View Full Album

You can view this region’s official website here: http://mstislavl.mogilev-region.by/en/

New Year Eve and A Day with Orphans!

I have received no updates yet from my sister to share with all of you, but I thought I would share with you what the ABRO missions team are planning to do today.

According to the brief trip itinerary, the ABRO team are planning to go to the Mstislavl orphanage where Valentina, Elaine’s host, works to deliver Christmas cards and candy boxes. The children of the orphanage supposedly has great plans for them, including visiting the orphanage and doing some activities with the kids who won’t go anywhere for their vacation, a cookout (with barbecue), “banya” (if they wish), and visiting deaf families or families having deaf kids (again, if they wish).

I believe that at this time I write this, the team is at a New Year’s Eve party right now…

I did some looking online for pictures of Mogilev on the New Year Eve so all of you can get an idea of what it is like to celebrate it in Belarus. I found all of those pictures online, and I have no idea of what those places are because they are identified using Russian language! They do look pretty important to me… maybe something related to the regional government?

Enjoy the pictures, and Happy New Year!

First Morning in Belarus – Update #2

Here’s the e-mail I got this morning at 4:46 am from my sister to all of you. Enjoy!

Hello from Belarus!

Rich, Joe and I had a wonderful night's rest.  Comfy beds, warm  blankets.  I think I was asleep before my head hit the pillow!  :)  This morning we were all able to get showers and there was plenty of hot water.  The small things do make us feel at home here. 

The breakfast was 'interesting' this morning.  We're not exactly sure what we ate - it seemed like one thing was cabbage leaves wrapped around a meat mixture (sausage?).  That tasted ok - it was hot.  (Yes, Leslie - Rich ate it!!)  They also served a big roll which had some kind of fish (?)/vegetable mixture inside - Joe ate a little, Rich and I tried it, but he and I couldn't quite "stomach" the smell of it...probably some kind of fish.  We had leftover mashed potatoes too (yummy!) and some of the sweet bread from last night (thank goodness!).  Hot tea, coffee and water to drink.  The women who cook for us are so generous and want us to try everything - they put mustard, horseradish, ketchup, sweets, cookies - everything it seems - out on the table for us. 

After breakfast Rich went outside to help Yura move the Ford F250 which has a broken starter and was stopped in the middle of the driveway.  This was the truck Yura tried to move himself but tore his Achilles tendon on the day before we got here.  (For those of you who do not know, Yura is the director of ABRO - Belarus).  Anyway, I videotaped Rich and Yura as they worked to move the truck.  They hooked it up to a Nissan with tow cables, first pulling it forward, then pulling it back under a covered area (what we would call a car port).  Oh - it's still snowing.  :)

Some children arrived here at the ARK house today to pick up their Christmas cards and gifts from their American host families.  Seem like very nice kids too.

We'll be sorting toys this morning and then Rich, Joe and I will leave to pickup Rich's Krystina before heading to the deaf orphanage in Mstislavl.  Valentina (the chaperone for the deaf children) will pick us up and take us there.  There are 12 children left at the deaf orphanage for the holidays - all orphans.  Nine boys, three girls.  Ages range from 7 to 18 years old.  We will stay at Valentina's home while there - Rich and Krystina will sleep with Valentina's neighbor and Joe and I will sleep in Valentina's apartment.  I don't believe I will have any internet access there, so this may be the last update for a few days.

We are all very appreciative of your prayers.  Thank you so much for them - they truly carry us along in this mission we are on! 

Take care & God bless,

Elaine

Lost Baggage and Safe Arrival – Update #1

From my sister’s e-mail message received at 2:45 pm (sent at 9:45 pm in Belarus) with slight revisions:

Hello from Belarus!

Rich, Joe & I arrived safely in Belarus around 6 pm Belarusian time (7 hours ahead of EST).  It was a long trip-much longer it seemed than I anticipated, but we made it through safely.  All our luggage also got here except for my one suitcase which is mostly full of toys for the orphans.  They say it will be sent by tomorrow sometime from Frankfurt - we'll see.  Several other people on the trip also lost their luggage with the toys, etc. in it so we all need prayers that these bags appear soon.

The countryside here is covered in snow.  We landed in Minsk in snow - lots of it!  Then as we rode in a bus from Minsk to Mogilev (where I stay tonight), we saw snow covering fields, lakes and literally every branch and pine needle of every tree I saw.  They seem to have mainly skinny pine trees (think like the ones you see in North Carolina with just branches at the tip top), some regular pine trees, and lots of birch trees.  The forests are pretty with all the snow.  Snow doesn't stop people in Belarus - there were lots of cars and people walking on foot in the snow and the roads aren't really cleared at all in Mogilev.

Dinner tonight consisted of ethnic Belarusian dishes.  We had a chicken recipe - looked fried, but they said it wasn't, a carrot & cabbage salad, bread and bottled water.  For dessert there were all kinds of sweets, but the one I absolutely loved was a sweet bread.  It looked like sticky buns except with powdered sugar on top, and it was such a wonderful bread!!

Everyone I meet starts speaking to me in Russian and then finds out I can't understand.  Hopefully they catch on, or I do!!  :)

It's been a long trip, and I desperately need some sleep since I barely slept at all on the planes & bus.

A couple prayer requests:

1.  That the luggage would arrive safely with all the toys.

2.  For Yura - the leader of the mission here in Belarus.  He tore his Achilles tendon yesterday and need surgery.  Will be difficult for him since he's responsible for the 23 people here on the trip.

3.  For me - for sleep, strength and a renewed since of purpose here.

Take care & thank you for all of your prayers.

Elaine

Some interesting information on Belarus

This evening, I was paging through information on Belarus from CIA – The World Factbook (https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/bo.html), and I find this country really interesting. Here are some tidbits for your information:

Belarus Flag

From the Factbook: “A white vertical stripe on the hoist side bears Belarusian national ornamentation in red; the red band color recalls past struggles from oppression, the green band represents hope and the many forests of the country”

Belarus Map

The capital of Belarus is Minsk (identified by the star). The highest peak just west of Minsk is Dzyarzhynskaya Hara (how about that for a name!) topping off at 346 meters (1,130 feet).

 

 

 

 

Belarus Background

“After seven decades as a constituent republic of the USSR, Belarus attained its independence in 1991. It has retained closer political and economic ties to Russia than any of the other former Soviet republics. Belarus and Russia signed a treaty on a two-state union on 8 December 1999 envisioning greater political and economic integration. Although Belarus agreed to a framework to carry out the accord, serious implementation has yet to take place. Since his election in July 1994 as the country's first president, Aleksandr LUKASHENKO has steadily consolidated his power through authoritarian means. Government restrictions on freedom of speech and the press, peaceful assembly, and religion remain in place.” ~CIA – The World Factbook, 12/29/09

To read more about this country, go to https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/bo.html and browse at your own leisure!

Bon Voyage to my sister!

For the first time, my sister will be almost halfway around the world on a mission trip! And I think it is my fault... (the reason why I said this will come later).

My sister is en route to Frankfurt, Germany abroad Lufthansa Flight #419. She left Dulles International Airport this afternoon at 6:14 pm and is scheduled to arrive by 8:04 am (around 2:00 am our time). She will connect with a 10:50 am flight scheduled to arrive at 2:10 pm in Minsk, Belarus. She will remain in this country until January 9th, and come back home on January 10th.

Why, out of all places, is she going to Belarus? After joining the America-Belarusian Relief Organization (if you are interested in learning more about this organization, please visit http://www.abro.org/) at Frederick Church of the Brethren (http://www.fcob.net/) this past year as a co-coordinator, she was able to bring two hearing and four deaf children from orphanages in Belarus to America this past summer for six weeks. Several of our families in the church hosted those kids, and the entire congregation were graced by their presence for this brief time. For those who are involved and interested, ABRO organizes occasional mission trips to Belarus to encourage host families and volunteers in America to visit children in Belarusian orphanages. Many good things have been said about the past mission trips, and after some persuading, my sister was convinced that this trip was for her this year.

Over the course of the next two weeks, my sister will be traveling with a group of people and visit several hearing and deaf orphanages, bring them toys and clothes, and look for some new orphans to bring back to America next summer. I have a detailed itinerary of what my sister will do on each day, and I will let you know what the plans are over the next two weeks. She also will be sending me occasional updates during her trip, and I will be sure to post it here to keep all of you informed! In addition to the above information, I will add some details about Belarus and what deaf orphans face there.

Your prayers are needed - the entire ABRO missions team will appreciate it! Until tomorrow!

Christmas Tree – A Concise History

I can’t vouch for the accuracy of this e-mail message I received from my sister, but this is a fascinating story behind the Christmas tree. Feel free to correct any of mis-information here. Enjoy!

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     Nothing says Christmas like an evergreen tree. Of all the symbols of the holiday, it is the one we see most often. The story of the tree is one we should not just know but also share. Without this understanding, putting up the tree might just become another unwelcome chore rather than an exercise in love and faith. For your holidays to be full, rich, and rewarding, you need to shine a new light on your tree....

      Long ago evergreens were held in awe by Viking warriors. These powerful men knew winters that were long and harsh, in which many living things did not survive. During these bleak days, almost all plant life ceased to exist, and many animals starved to death. Stranded outdoors, a man could freeze to death. Yet in these horrid conditions, the evergreen not only survived; it thrived. Its vitality was so great, it seemed nothing could harm it. Because of that unique strength, the tree was seen as a source of mystery and power. Vikings prayed to their gods that they could be as strong and resilient as the fir tree.
When early Christian missionaries began explaining faith to these feared warriors, they used the evergreen as an example of God's undying love. They told the Vikings that even in their bleakest and darkest days, Christ would be with them. Their faith, like the evergreen, would survive every test. By putting this Christian lesson into a visible context, the missionaries helped thousands understand the love of God and the sacrifice of his Son. Yet the symbol of the evergreen and its tie to faith were not limited to Scandinavia.

     In the seventh century Saint Boniface, an English missionary, came across a trio of men gathered around a huge oak tree in central Europe. One man was holding a small boy who had been chosen as a sacrifice to the god Thor. Boniface raced up to the old tree and struck the trunk with his fist. The mighty oak shuddered and fell to the ground. As the dust settled, a tiny fir tree became visible just behind where the oak had stood. Boniface pointed to that little sprout and explained that the evergreen was the Tree of Life and stood for the eternal salvation offered by Christ. He also pointed to the triangular shape of the fir tree and explained that the three points represented the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Over the centuries, Boniface's "sermon" would be used thousands of times by missionaries all over the world. Long before the printing press was invented, the evergreen became the first Christian "tract" used in witnessing....

     Knowing the way the evergreen was used to help lead the lost to faith can help keep your focus on the real reason why we celebrate Christmas. Every Christmas tree you see will be a reminder of the power of faith. That alone should make viewing Christmas trees a much more moving experience. Through sharing this story with your family and friends, you will spread the special, original meaning of the Christmas tree, which is the evergreen's connection to missionary work and reaching out to others. In fact, if your tree becomes a symbol of a love that will not die, it can be one of the greatest reminders of the gift God gave us in that humble manger. Furthermore, this understanding will create a door to sharing that good news with others....

To get the most out of your Christmas tree, don't look at it as a sideshow; see it as a treasure with special meaning for the season. Let the trimming of the tree open the vault to stories of past holidays. Create new memories that will live on for future generations. You might even sing a verse of the wonderful old carol about this great holiday tradition.

O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree,
Thy leaves are green forever.
O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree,
Thy beauty leaves thee never.
Thy leaves are green in summer's prime,
Thy leaves are green at Christmas time.
O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree,
Thy leaves are green forever.

Source: Unknown

Number One Priority

“You must love the students… that’s what matters the most in youth ministry!”

That’s the common statement I face with parents and church leaders in youth ministry. This is one of the major struggles I face – what is the most important priority in a youth ministry? Loving our students unconditionally? Being there for the parents (and making them happy)? Keeping a open communication channel with the church leaders about our activities?

Sure all are important in youth ministry, but are any of them my number one priority?

Jesus faced similar questions when standing before an expert of the Law. Seeking information on how to inherit eternal life, Jesus gave him an uncluttered and succulent answer:

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind”; and “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Luke 10:27).

Jesus stresses the importance of one’s relationship with God above loving or serving others; this principle applies to everyone, youth ministry or not. If anyone reverses this order, it can have a devastating effect on one’s spiritual life.

Loving God might not be difficult if done so in a static environment; it can become quite challenging when pressures of life and conflicting expectations takes hold in our lives. I’m guilty of this because it is easy to serve others under the guise of “I’m loving others because I want to show my love of God.” While there’s nothing fundamentally wrong with this, I find it easy to push aside my personal spiritual growth and time with the Lord when things get busy. In fact, I do this so often that I find myself burnt out and exhausted, wondering what happened.

Doug Fields explains it clearly:

“Failure to see the difference between loving God (focusing on him) and loving others (doing ministry) can result in a ministry-focused life rather than a God-focused life” (Youth Leader Training on the Go).

I preach to my ministry colleagues that the greatest aim for a youth worker – no matter what happens – is to pursue and love God. Once this is achieved, people can reveal God’s love clearly by serving others.

The Potter Works Only with Soft Clay!

It has been a while since I updated this blog the last time, and many events has transpired in my life. However, I came across this delicious piece that I couldn’t resist sharing with you from a special edition of the Gospel for Asia News Magazine. This piece was written by K.P. Yohannan, the Editor-in-Chief. Enjoy, and be refreshed!

When I was a boy, growing up in India, I often went to a potter’s house near my high school. I was fascinated to watch him make clay vessels. During those visits, I never saw the potter take a hardened lump of clay and put it on his wheel to make something out of it. He, just like every other potter in the world, used only soft and tender clay to work with. So does God!

The prophet Jeremiah tells us that God is like a potter and His people are the clay He wants to form into a beautiful vessel. In order to accomplish this, God looks for soft and pliable hearts.

Man measures the quality and usefulness of a person by his education, ability and expertise. Yet God determines his true value by the condition of his heart: “Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7).

What happens if the Clay Is Hard?

If the clay is hard, the potter will spend days pouring water on it and pounding it thoroughly until it becomes soft. It took God 20 long years of “pouring and pounding” until Jacob’s heart became soft enough. Moses needed 40 years of desert life to become the meekest man on earth (Numbers 12:3) who could lead Israel out of Egypt.

The Bible warns us not to harden our hearts: “Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts” (Hebrews 3:15).

It is possible for us as believers to have a tender heart for a season, but then when God speaks to us about an issue, to choose not to humble ourselves but rather to harden our hearts. This is not a good place for us to be, because the Bible declares: “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6).

The Lord will not let us go. He will allow circumstances to pound us so our hearts will once again become soft and pliable. The people of Israel are the perfect example of this. Just think of how many times God allowed them to face famines, hardships, oppression, defeat, and captivity in order to soften their hearts and help them return to Him!

What Causes Our Hearts to Become Hard?

Being poisoned by negative talk. One person in a church or ministry is dissatisfied, bitter, critical and unwilling to change. He starts to talk negatively and poisons others. Soon the atmosphere of love among the brothers and sisters is replaced by disunity, anger and hardness of heart toward each other and the Lord.

An elevated view of ourselves. We feel important because we do something significant for God’s Kingdom, and we don’t recognize that our hearts is filled with pride, arrogance and an exalted view of ourselves. Often the symptoms don’t show up until years later when our heart is no longer soft in the Potter’s hand.

Rebellion. Any form of rebellion is like a tiny seed that, if not dealt with, will grow and eventually harden our heart and bring destruction. It begins with a tiny issue or a thought like this one: “Who does he think he is to tell me what to do? My life is none of his business!” – and it ultimately ends in death.

What Should We Do to Keep Our Hearts Soft?

Don’t take God’s grace for granted. Grace is given to those who are humble, not to those who are right or feel indispensable.

Watch over your heart (Proverbs 4:23). Don’t keep company with those who spread negative talk, sow disunity or have a rebellious spirit. Love them and pray for them, but have no part with them. Believe me, you and I are not strong enough to withstand the poison they spread. It’s in the atmosphere, and we breathe it in whether we intend to or not.

Submit to one another (Ephesians 5:21). Don’t fight for your rights. Be willing to give up something. Learn to let it be.

Don’t think of yourself more highly than you should (Romans 12:3). Remember that all the gifts, talents and ministry you have are given to you by the Lord. Nothing is of yourself. It’s all God’s grace.

Be careful from whom you receive your counsel. That’s especially important when you are disappointed because your expectations are not met. Don’t go to a brother or sister who is not mature in the Lord and who sympathizes and agrees with your complaints and tears. Instead, go to someone who is mature and who can help you see the hand of God and His purpose behind the things you face.

Repent and run to the cross. If need be, do this a thousand times a day to maintain the tenderness of your heart. Whenever you seek the limelight, want to take credit, get hurt or when your expectations are not fulfilled and your plan don’t work out, don’t fight; go to the cross.

God always seek to do one thing with us on the Potter’s wheel – not to make us more powerful and famous, but to make us more like HIs Son, the Lord Jesus.

www.gfa.org/5minutes

Seasons

Exultation. Despair. Triumph. Defeat. Contentment. Frustration. Pride. Disappointment.

I have experienced all of those emotions – plus many more – in the last three years since I became a youth worker. And thus is my story.

Often, I feel like waving a white flag because I was tired of ministry. I didn’t want to be around teenagers sometime because I’m selfish. I would rather to be narcissistic rather than a servant. Sometime I wonder aloud if God wants me in this position because my heart doesn’t feel wholly into it. My ardent love for God fades when I face tough times in my personal life and ministry. I impulsively cry out, “Why, God,” when things don’t go well. I yell at God when bad things happens, and argue with Him relentlessly to get things done my way (actually, what right do I have to argue with the King who can take my life at a moment’s notice?).

Sadly but true, I do get ashamed of the Gospel sometime – the very thing that should give me endless joy and passion to share with everyone. I hide it out of fear, discouragement, and a momentarily lack of hope. I even run away from the eternal wellspring of Life without realizing it.

It is during those times when I want to abandon the call God has given me – and even my faith. Essentially, the fire within my heart was a dying ember enclosed within the ashes of its former glory. I knew deep within me that my life belonged to the King of kings, but I felt abandoned. I knew that God is always there for me. He never forsook or abandoned me. Yet I try in vain to run away from God just like the prophet Jonah.

Unbeknownst to me, God allowed me to grow distant from Him so I develop a holy longing for His divine Presence.

Sooner than later, I realized how depraved and worthless I was before God. I become horrified of the amount of sin in my life. I cringe at things that I have done. That’s when I turn around and run into my Father’s arms. I enter into His loving Presence in repentance. I start to drink the nectar of Life that flows from Him. The dying embers deep within me are fanned and rejuvenated, transforming into an all-consuming fire.

While cognizant of and consumed by His blazing Love, it is when I am reminded of the call God has placed in my heart. It is when I rise up from the ashes and faithfully press forward. It is when I am reminded of the high cost of following Christ. It is when I am strengthened and encouraged to face the world again. It is when I am reminded of my youth’s faces, the precious gifts God has given to this world. It is when I gaze at the face of Christ and am satisfied.

Thus sums up the seasons, the ebbs and flows, the waxing and waning, of a youth worker’s life. Minus all the titles and privileges I have in my life, less all the accolades received, while standing in the presence of God I am merely a Man, a condemned criminal forgiven by the anointing and redeeming blood of Christ.

Essentially, I am a saint and a sinner, eternally a willing prisoner to His Love.

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“Why do you say, O Jacob, and complain, O Israel, “My way is hidden from the Lord; my cause is disregarded by my God”?

Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.

He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youth grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”

~Isaiah 40:27-31

God Texts the Ten Commandments

I found this online, and thought I would share you this rather humorous piece. Enjoy!

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1. no1 b4 me. srsly.

2. dnt wrshp pix/idols

3. no omg's

4. no wrk on w/end (sat 4 now; sun l8r)

5. pos ok - ur m&d r cool

6. dnt kill ppl

7. :-X only w/ m8

8. dnt steal

9. dnt lie re: bf

10. dnt ogle ur bf's m8. or ox. or dnkey. myob.

M, pls rite on tabs & giv 2 ppl.

ttyl,
JHWH.

ps. wwjd?

Source: http://www.mcsweeneys.net/2009/6/3quatro.html

American Capitalism Gone With a Whimper?

I discovered an interesting piece written by Stanislav Mishin, a blogger and columnist for the Russian newspaper Pravda (from American Family Association, www.afa.net). After reading, leave a comment about your thoughts on this, in addition to whether you agree or not. Enjoy!

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It must be said, that like the breaking of a great dam, the American decent into Marxism is happening with breath taking speed, against the back drop of a passive, hapless sheeple, excuse me dear reader, I meant people.

True, the situation has been well prepared on and off for the past century, especially the past twenty years. The initial testing grounds was conducted upon our Holy Russia and a bloody test it was. But we Russians would not just roll over and give up our freedoms and our souls, no matter how much money Wall Street poured into the fists of the Marxists.

Those lessons were taken and used to properly prepare the American populace for the surrender of their freedoms and souls, to the whims of their elites and betters.

First, the population was dumbed down through a politicized and substandard education system based on pop culture, rather than the classics. Americans know more about their favorite TV dramas than the drama in DC that directly affects their lives. They care more for their "right" to choke down a McDonalds burger or a BurgerKing burger than for their constitutional rights. Then they turn around and lecture us (Russia) about our rights and about our "democracy". Pride blinds the foolish.

Then their faith in God was destroyed, until their churches, all tens of thousands of different "branches and denominations" were for the most part little more then Sunday circuses and their televangelists and top protestant mega preachers were more then happy to sell out their souls and flocks to be on the "winning" side of one pseudo Marxist politician or another. Their flocks may complain, but when explained that they would be on the "winning" side, their flocks were ever so quick to reject Christ in hopes for earthly power. Even our Holy Orthodox (Russian Orthodox) churches are scandalously liberalized in America.

The final collapse has come with the election of Barack Obama. His speed in the past three months has been truly impressive. His spending and money printing has been a record setting, not just in America's short history but in the world. If this keeps up for more than another year, and there is no sign that it will not, America at best will resemble the Wiemar Republic and at worst Zimbabwe.

These past two weeks have been the most breath taking of all. First came the announcement of a planned redesign of the American Byzantine tax system, by the very thieves who used it to bankroll their thefts, loses and swindles of hundreds of billions of dollars. These make our Russian oligarchs look little more than ordinary street thugs, in comparison. Yes, the Americans have beat our own thieves in the shear volumes. Should we congratulate them?

These men, of course, are not an elected panel but made up of appointees picked from the very financial oligarchs and their henchmen who are now gorging themselves on trillions of American dollars, in one bailout after another. They are also usurping the rights, duties and powers of the American congress (parliament). Again, congress has put up little more then a whimper to their masters.

Then came Barack Obama's command that GM's (General Motor) president step down from leadership of his company. That is correct, dear reader, in the land of "pure" free markets, the American president now has the power, the self given power, to fire CEOs and we can assume other employees of private companies, at will. Come hither, go dither, the centurion commands his minions.

So it should be no surprise that the American president has followed this up with a "bold" move of declaring that he and another group of unelected, chosen stooges will now redesign the entire automotive industry and will even be the guarantee of automobile policies. I am sure that if given the chance, they would happily try and redesign it for the whole of the world, too. Prime Minister Putin, less then two months ago, warned Obama and UK's Blair, not to follow the path to Marxism, it only leads to disaster. Apparently, even though we suffered 70 years of this Western sponsored horror show, we know nothing, as foolish, drunken Russians, so let our "wise" Anglo-Saxon fools find out the folly of their own pride.

Again, the American public has taken this with barely a whimper...but a "freeman" whimper.

So, should it be any surprise to discover that the Democratically controlled Congress of America is working on passing a new regulation that would give the American Treasury department the power to set "fair" maximum salaries, evaluate performance and control how private companies give out pay raises and bonuses? Senator Barney Franks, a social pervert basking in his homosexuality (of course, amongst the modern, enlightened American societal norm, as well as that of the general West, homosexuality is not only not a looked down upon life choice, but is often praised as a virtue) and his Marxist enlightenment, has led this effort. He stresses that this only affects companies that receive government monies, but it is retroactive and taken to a logical extreme, this would include any company or industry that has ever received a tax break or incentive.

The Russian owners of American companies and industries should look thoughtfully at this and the option of closing their facilities down and fleeing the land of the Red as fast as possible. In other words, divest while there is still value left.

The proud American will go down into his slavery with out a fight, beating his chest and proclaiming to the world, how free he really is. The world will only snicker.

Stanislav Mishin
http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig10/mishin1.html

TEA Party 2009

When government fears people, there is liberty. When the people fear the government, there is tyranny. ~Thomas Jefferson

Today marks a historical day in America - all over the nation, there will be hundreds, if not thousands, of Taxed Enough Already (TEA) Parties. Inspired by the December 16, 1773 Boston Tea Party, America's first grassroots movement, American citizens will gather peacefully at their local city halls to protest the runaway spending, larger government, and the projected tax increases that has been imposed on our generation and our future children by Barack Hussein Obama and his "Change" administration. I'm not here to argue about whether his spending policies were appropriate or on whether Classical or Keynesian economic philosophies are effective - I'm talking about the prospect of our hard-earned money going to the ballooning size of our magnificent government.

In response to this movement, I've affixed a tea bag on my car's rear view mirror in support of this effort. I can't go to my local rally, but I won't be silent - I hope that the government will hear the loud voices of many disgruntled citizens to stop spending money and pulling us deeper in debt. If they don't, then democracy is on our side at the ballots.

I found it amusing that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a report to watch out for "right-wing extremism." If DHS categorizes this movement as a form of extremism, that means the government is trying to discredit and minimize this event. Yes, terrorism risk is always present in the post 9-11 America, but that's not the reason why they issued such a report. As some critics assure, this is a veiled attempt by the government to label conservatism as a form of extremism (which DHS has denied earlier this year).

Here's my simple analysis: the government fears the voice of the People. They know that American people are able to bring change if they deem the government unsuitable, as is revealed in the Constitution. If no such fear exists in the government, liberty would have been stamped out; we, the People, have achieved Liberty today.

UPDATE (04/17/09): There will be another TEA party on July 4th, appropriately named "American Freedom Day TEA Party" - check out www.taxdayteaparty.com for more information!

O Sacred Head, Now Wounded

This timeless hymn really resonates in my heart, especially since it being the holiest week of a Christian's calendar. I have read this hymn several times, and been struck with the poignancy and vivacity of these words. Take 15 minutes - I challenge you - and meditate on the content of these words.

Written by Paul Gerhardt (1607 - 1676)

O sacred Head, now wounded,
With grief and shame weighed down,
Now scornfully surrounded
With thorns, Thine only crown.
O sacred Head, what glory,
What bliss, till now was Thine!
Yet, though despised and gory,
I joy to call Thee mine.

Men mock and taunt and jeer Thee,
Thou noble countenance,
Though mighty worlds shall fear Thee
And flee before Thy glance.
How art thou pale with anguish,
With sore abuse and scorn!
How doth Thy visage languish
That once was bright as morn!

Now from Thy cheeks has vanished
Their color, once so fair;
From Thy red lips is banished
The splendor that was there.
Grim Death, with cruel rigor,
Hath robbed Thee of Thy life;
Thus Thou has lost Thy vigor,
Thy strength, in this sad strife.

My burden in Thy Passion,
Lord, Thou hast borne for me,
For it was my transgression
Which brought this woe on thee.
I cast me down before Thee,
Wrath were my rightful lot;
Have mercy, I implore Thee;
Redeemer, spurn me not!

My Shepherd, now receive me;
My Guardian, own me Thine.
Great blessings Thou didst give me,
O Source of gifts divine!
Thy lips have often fed me
With words of truth and love,
Thy Spirit oft hath led me
To heavenly joys above.

Here I will stand beside Thee,
From Thee I will not part;
O Savior, do not chide me!
When breaks Thy loving heart,
When soul and body languish
In death's cold, cruel grasp,
Then, in Thy deepest anguish,
Thee in mine arms I'll clasp.

The joy can ne'er be spoken,
Above all joys beside,
When in Thy body broken
I thus with safety hide.
O Lord of life, desiring
Thy glory now to see,
Beside Thy cross expiring,
I'd breathe my soul to Thee.

What language shall I borrow
To thank Thee, dearest Friend,
For this, Thy dying sorrow,
Thy pity without end?
Oh, make me thine forever!
And should I fainting be,
Lord, let me never, never,
Outlive my love for Thee.

My Savior, be Thou near me
When death is at my door;
Then let Thy presence cheer me,
Forsake me nevermore!
When soul and body languish,
Oh, leave me not alone,
But take away mine anguish
By virtue of Thine own!

Be Thou my Consolation,
My Shield when I must die;
Remind me of Thy Passion
When my last hour draws nigh.
Mine eyes shall then behold Thee,
Upon Thy cross shall dwell,
My heart by faith enfold Thee.
Who dieth thus dies well!

Reid, Pelosi, and the dying priest

I came across the joke this week from Patriot Humor, a publication of The Patriot Post (www.patriotpost.us), and I could not resist to share it with you all. Enjoy!

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The old priest lay dying in the hospital. For years he had faithfully served the people of the nation's capital. He motioned for his nurse to come near.

"Yes, Father?" said the nurse. "I would really like to see Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi before I die", whispered the priest. "I'll see what I can do, Father" replied the nurse.

The nurse sent the request to them and waited for a response. Soon the word arrived. Harry and Nancy would be delighted to visit the priest. As they went to the hospital, Harry commented to Nancy "I don't know why the old priest wants to see us, but it will certainly help our images." Nancy couldn't help but agree.

When they arrived at the priest's room, the priest took Nancy's hand in his right hand and Harry's hand in his left. There was silence and a look of serenity on the old priest's face.

Finally Nancy spoke. "Father, of all the people you could have chosen, why did you choose us to be with you as you near the end?"

The old priest slowly replied, "I have always tried to pattern my life after my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."

The old priest continued...

"He died between two lying thieves. I would like to do the same."

Behind the desk - Article from SYM

I got this short yet to-the-point article that got me thinking about planning for youth ministry events in general... behind a desk. Read, and be challenged!

behind the desk

I often find myself developing great new ways to engage and work with teenagers. The strange thing is they all involve me sitting behind my desk. ...

The Search for a Godly Spouse

My sister sent me an e-mail link to a summary of Focus on the Family's daily radio broadcast about an interesting topic we all should think about: what to look for in a godly spouse. This resource is wonderful for me because I'm currently dating someone, and I will need to use this measuring stick to evaluate her (and all other women if this one doesn't work out) in order to discover if she is "the one."

Women: the man you someday marry should...

• Be continually growing closer to Jesus Christ
• Demonstrate integrity
• Be a bold leader
• Love sacrificially
• Laugh heartily, especially at himself
• Model genuine humility

Men: the woman you someday marry should...

• Have a personal faith in Jesus Christ
• Possess inner beauty, not just outer
• Be an initiative taker and have an attitude of submission
• Be a wife who will help build her husband's confidence
• Display kindness
• Have a sense of humor

Source: http://listen.family.org/miscdaily/A000001794.cfm?utm_id=emailafriend&utm_campaign=1