Beyond the Barriers
Even though Christians in Kabardino-Balkaria live in a Muslim-dominated region in the Northern Caucasus, they have established a good working relationship with a local orphanage. The orphanage director is Muslim and many of the children are from Muslim backgrounds.

But this hasn’t stopped this team of young Next Generation Christians from glorifying God through its puppet ministry.

As one puppet team member observes, “The kids eagerly watch our shows and even participate with us as we stage new stories.” She goes on to explain that children at the orphanage have either lost both parents or are so-called “social orphans”, whose parents have lost their parental rights due to alcohol abuse or other serious issues.

“My own family had an opportunity to invite one of the children to stay with us for a couple of days. Her name was Anya, and she was a very sweet and talkative little girl,” this national worker shares.

Anya, however, provided a hint of what her home life was like when a neighbor, who had too much to drink, began talking to the puppet team member and Anya. “She immediately hid behind my back and wrapped her arms around my legs,” describes our worker. “From her reaction, I figured that Anya came from a family of alcoholics who often mistreated her when they were drunk. As soon as my neighbor left, she became her usual cheerful self.”

A Father to the Fatherless
While the orphanage provides its young charges with food, clothing and even entertainment, the children still have a gaping need for love and kindness.

“We show them a lot of affection when we visit,” explains one national worker. “We repeatedly tell them that they are not alone, that they have a Heavenly Father who loves them much more than any earthly parents could.”

The puppet ministry team tries to visit the orphanage at least once or twice a month, but even that doesn’t seem enough time to tell the children about the wonders of God’s love and care for the fatherless.

“Once, as we put on an Easter performance for the children, we were so thrilled to hear the children comment about Christ’s crucifixion throughout the show. We are hoping that not only will the children know Bible stories through the [puppet] performances and skits, but they will also begin to live out the Word of God,” explains a young Next Generation Christian.

From July 24-30, the sixth annual Puppet Festival is taking place outside of Zaporozhye, Ukraine. Thirty-nine puppet ministry teams, representing some 300 people, traveled from Ukraine, Russia, Estonia, Belarus and Azerbaijan to attend the festival.

Throughout the year, Russian Ministries’ puppet teams present puppet shows at a variety of locales: evangelistic summer camps, outdoor festivals, orphanages, children’s hospitals, holiday programs and churches. Russian Ministries estimates that 220,000 children and their caregivers are exposed to the gospel each year through this ministry.

This summer, young Next Generation Christian leaders will hold evangelistic summer camps for children and young people such as Sasha, and give them hope for the future.

Sasha’s father and grandfather shared a common bond: They were both alcoholics. As a child, Sasha was often the target of his father’s drunken rages. As a young teenager, Sasha became involved in an evangelical church in Chishinau, Moldova.

Life continued to be hard for Sasha, especially when his much-loved older brother began drinking heavily. “When he got drunk he always said that life made no sense,” Sasha remembers; then two years ago, Sasha’s brother committed suicide.

Despondent over his brother’s death, Sasha turned his back on God.

When some Next Generation Christians from the church found out about his situation, they invited Sasha to one of Russian Ministries’ evangelistic summer camps.

The camp staff was aware of Sasha’s unhappiness and gave him extra care and attention, but Sasha was fighting an internal, spiritual battle.

One day, Sasha told his counselor that his family was cursed, and all of them were meant to die. He also said that he did not see the way out. Sasha had contemplated suicide, and even had gone as far as to choose when and how he would kill himself.

At the same time, Sasha longed to turn to the Lord, but had convinced himself that God wouldn’t forgive or accept him. His counselor gently asked if he and Sasha could pray together. Sasha quietly confessed that no, he couldn’t pray, but would his counselor pray for him.

As his counselor prayed, Sasha began his journey back to God, and promised to start attending church and youth meetings again.

One child + one week of summer camp = one changed life. It’s a simple equation with eternal results—as Sasha discovered.

This summer, Russian Ministries has the opportunity to reach 5,000 children and young people like Sasha with the good news of Jesus.

You can be a part of the equation and help send children and young people to a life-changing week of summer camp.

This summer, Russian Ministries has the opportunity to reach 5,000 children and young people like Sasha with the good news of Jesus, but your support is needed.

Click here for a recent interview Sergey Rakhuba, senior vice-president, did with Mission Network News (MNN): www.mnnonline.org/article/11433

“YOU +” CONFERENCE ATTRACTS 800 CHRISTIAN YOUTH

On May 30, approximately 800 young national Christians gathered in Chisinau, the capital city of Moldova, for “You +”—a special event that was part of a “Time to Live!” rally sponsored by Russian Ministries in the former Soviet Union. About 100 young people from non-Christian backgrounds also participated in the event.

The conference was designed for youth to look at themselves from a positive perspective—no small feat in a country where young people face unemployment, alcohol and drug abuse and even human trafficking. Moldova ranks first in human trafficking in Europe.

However, through the redemptive work of Christ, God has a positive perspective on these young national believers. The conference zeroed in on 2 Peter 1:13, which states that God has blessed His followers with the gift of righteousness, and in Him they are strong. Young people are already a “plus” in God’s eyes, in church and in society.

This theme was emphasized by local Pastors Peter Litnevsky and Viktor Myrza, who are passionate about reaching out to youth, along with Michael Cherenkov, vice-president of Russian Ministries’ in-country affiliate, the Association of Spiritual Renewal. (Cherenkov traveled from Kiev, Ukraine to attend the event.)

Three local churches in Chisinau participated in the conference, with the support of 15 other local congregations. The three main churches were Agape Church, Light to the World, and the Veritas church—a church “without walls.” The Association for Spiritual Renewal/Russian Ministries initiated and funded this rally that motivated and mobilized the Next Generation to be proactive in their Christian walk and witness.

Along with the seminars, “You +” also featured Sergei Briksa, a popular musician and the band “Sons of Day,” from the U.S. They filled the meeting with music and their positive attitudes toward their faith. The musicians also talked about their return to Jesus after a period of meaningless wanderings. They are now using their talents in evangelizing this young generation.

About 20 students from Chisinau’s School Without Walls volunteered at the meeting, and passed out fliers, greeted and seated participants, maintained order in the facility, and put into practice some of the training they received in the classroom.

Near the end of the conference, participants were challenged to renew their commitment for ministry. A sea of hands went up in the packed community center as an affirmation that God is at work, and that “YOU+” is in fact God working through them.

“Each time I see young people who are being inspired for the ministry and rejoicing in Jesus, I realize that all of our efforts were not in vain. It’s worth the risk to give ourselves for their sake, for the sake of the Kingdom in their hearts, and for the One who saved us all,” declared Vladimir Ubeyvolk, director of Russian Ministries’ ministry center in Moldova.

Many young people came that night with intention only to listen to the music and left with their hearts changed for deeper commitment and ready to spread His Kingdom. As the young people left the conference, hundreds of excited voices echoed, “You are a plus.” And indeed this Next Generation is a plus to God, their churches and society—a positive force poised to bring Jesus to their generation.

Conference organizers were pleased to see a group of 20 teenagers from an orphanage at the event. Afterwards, they connected with Christian youth, and asked all s orts of questins about the issues the “You +” conference addressed.

Here are some comments from participants.

“Thank you very much for setting up the festival. These days we hear so much about what we should do, and so little about who we are.”—Inna

“We had a blast! Briksa and our pastors explored and showed to us the other side of our minds—the positive one.”—Sergei

“Before this event I just couldn’t visualize how people from various denominations could simply be together, vibrantly rejoicing in God, and not blaming one another.”—Pavel

“I was pleasantly surprised that no one at the meeting attempted to advertise their own church, instead the organizers would encourage us to stick to our churches and inspired us to live out a ‘plus’ lifestyle.”—Anya