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Excerpts from Big Family Newsletters
(Please note that the news reported on our website does not reveal the
names and locations of children whom we are working with in Russian
orphanages. If we use names or locations in these excerpts, we have
changed the names to protect the personal identity of the children.
Supporters and members of BIG FAMILY receive our monthly newsletters,
where we share photos and stories about children, sponsors, and
volunteers…just like in any other big family!)
News from Big Family Mission...
Short-term mission trips to Russia...
Big Family Mission does not sponsor mission trips to Russia, but we can
provide you with information about our ministry partner who does an excellent
job of providing this opportunity. Click here: Mission Trips.
Latvian/Russian hosting program for Christmas 2010
Considering a mission trip?
Why not let the “mission” come to you?
The New Horizons for Children hosting program for Russian, Latvian, and
Ukrainian orphans is coming to the northeast (and rest of the USA) again at
Christmas 2010. Through this program, orphans will be coming to live with
host families throughout the U.S. for 4 to 5 weeks.
Adoption is not the objective of the program, but many of the children who
come for hosting are ultimately adopted by U.S. families.
For more information, Hosting Program
A real shower room!
If you had seen the old shower at this internat orphanage, which had no walls,
had old worn-out rusty plumbing, and had only cold water, you would really
understand how excited the children were to show us their new shower and
bathroom that had been installed by Big Family! Much of the work was
completed by friends and family of our volunteers, and the end result is
beautiful! Despite the fact that the shower room has heavy use, it was
interesting to see how spotless it was. It is obvious that the children have a lot
of pride in their new facility, and they are taking good care of it.
A slow tsunami in Russia?
When we saw the scenes of vast destruction in Indonesia on television news,
we thought about Russia and more than 3 million children who are the victims
of a very slow kind of tsunami…waves of darkness and death that have
spread across Russia for more than 15 years.
Just as there is much need for an outpouring of prayer and financial resources
to help now in southeast Asia, there is also a critical need to reach out with the
love and light of Jesus to the orphan children of Russia.
We would like to thank all of you who are faithfully supporting Big Family
Ministry with your prayers and financial gifts.
We have said it before, but let us say it again, your financial gifts are
important, but your prayers are even more critical in this ministry to Russian
orphans.
“She smiles more often now…!”
That report is some of the good news that we can share with you about what is
happening in the first orphanage that we began working with in Russia.
The news about this young lady brings special joy and blessing to us, because
Anna (not her real name) was one of the first children that we met in Russia,
and we remember how she followed us on our tour of the orphanage during
our first visit to the Russia.
Anna’s progress provides a good example of what can happen through the
ministry of Big Family to children in Russian orphanages. For several months
now, Anna has been tutored in English by one of the young Christian ladies in
her town. Anna’s tutor uses a computerized Bible-based program developed
in the U.S. to teach Anna English. Anna wants to learn English and get a good
job like her mentor!
Now Anna goes to church with her tutor and family on a regular basis, and she
has been invited into her tutor’s home on special occasions so that now Anna
gets to experience what it is like to have a real family! On her last report card,
Anna made all A’s!
Anna’s background is typical of many of the “social orphans” in Russia today.
Her mother died when she was nine years old, and no one has any idea about
where her father might be. Anna is under the “guardianship” of her
grandmother, which means that she can stay with her grandmother on
weekends (but not through the week). However, Anna spends most of her
time in the orphanage where her older brother lives throughout the year. Her
brother has not been accepted by his grandmother, so he has to spend all of
his time at the orphanage. This kind of complex family situation is typical of
Russian orphanages.
Please pray with us that Anna’s brother will also become interested in going to
church, and that he also will be smiling much more in the future!
True meaning of Easter taught at orphanage…
One of our supported church groups in Russia sponsored an Easter
celebration for the children at the orphanage in their town.
The celebrations for the children are held right in the school, which is
operated by the Russian government. The youth pastor from the church in
this town presented the story of the true meaning of Easter for the children.
Isn’t it amazing that the gospel message can be presented without any
interference in a state-operated school in Russia, but such programs would be
outlawed in our “free” United States?
The children enjoyed the food and the program provided through Big Family
Mission!
One orphanage’s activity room has a new look!
The activity room at this school is what you might call a “family room”. The
children sleep in large bedrooms that hold a large number of beds, and the
activity room is where the children get together to talk, to do artwork, to listen
to the radio, etc.
The couches and chairs in the activity room were very old and falling apart.
(We know because we tried to sit in them.) We can say “were”, because Big
Family recently supplied two new couches, 20 stackable chairs, and a
bookcase for the activity room.
The director at this orphanage school was delighted with the new furniture and
commented, “This room is beginning to look like it is a real home!”
What happens with your Big Family donations?
If you are a “Family Friend" who is praying for and providing regular financial
support for a Big Family child, all of your donation goes to provide help for the
children. No part of your donation is used for administration expenses. All
administrative expenses and travel expenses (100% of all expenses except
direct aid to the children) are paid by the founders of Big Family and by
occasional special gifts that are not designated for the children or special
projects.
Donations this year have provided food for several Christmas parties at
orphanages; individual towels for the children; soccer balls and table tennis
equipment; an Easter celebration for the children at one orphanage; summer
shoes for some of the children; fruit (a rare treat for the children); an ice
cream treat; chairs, couches and a bookcase for the activity room at an
orphanage; and now attendance at summer church camp for those children
who were able to get permission to go to the church camp.
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