Your Support Helps Reach Belarus Children Through VBS Ministry

Alexander
SGA-Supported Missionary Pastor in Belarus

Dear brothers and sisters, I greet you with the love of the Lord Jesus Christ! Praise God, our church in a local village held a Vacation Bible School (VBS) for children and teenagers. There were 29 children in attendance, and 17 of them were from unchurched families, mostly from large families. Each day we had general assemblies, Bible lessons with children divided up into squads, art lessons, camp sport games, and of course meals together. 

We prayed a lot in advance for this children’s ministry, because in the spring the local schools issued a negative testimony about Baptists and their influence on children. After this false information was released, some parents did not allow their children to attend Sunday school. But praise the Lord, there were more children in VBS this year than in previous years, and they were mostly from unbelieving families.

We distributed Christian literature on developing faith. The older children came out and took the book, and agreed that they needed to have a source of faith. All the children had positive feedback about their time in the VBS. Some children learned to pray to the Lord themselves and for their parents in their squads. 

We have the addresses of all the children, and we made home visits in September with small gifts to get to know the parents. It was a way to witness to the parents about Jesus Christ. As we visited the children and parents, we realized that for most, faith and spiritual life is in last place for their lives. They let their children go to the VBS due to the help and care for their children. However, we have new acquaintances and we pray for the children and their parents. 

Ministry in a Local Prison

I continue to visit the penal colony. Meetings are held every Wednesday, and it is a good spiritual school for me because each person I meet has needs for spiritual enlightenment, support, and prayer. I also communicate with relatives of convicts, and with those who have been released from prison, and want to start a new life. For example, Dima served 14 years in a penal colony. He had an alcohol addiction, basically did not work anywhere in life, his family was destroyed, and his children were placed in an orphanage for some time. After the last release, he had a desire to change his life and he came to the church for spiritual help. Now he has a regular job and visits the House of Prayer with his children. While visiting with this family, we can see that by the grace of the Lord, the ruins of Dima’s life are being rebuilt. While we meet together, we pray for repentance of the whole family.

Please pray for strength, and for our ongoing ministry. Pray especially for the children reached over the summer, that they will come to faith in Christ. Thank you for your prayers and concern for me and our ministry.