Gift of Life to Reach Thousands During Easter Season
Khristos voskres! Voistinu voskres!
Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!
This ancient Russian Orthodox Easter greeting takes on its true meaning as Next Generation Christians across the former Soviet Union bring Resurrection hope and new life to at-risk children through a variety of Easter outreach events in places like a nearly forgotten orphanage in Pology, Ukraine.
All 40 children at the small orphanage are either from the streets or troubled families. But this orphanage is only a temporary stop for these children, who will soon move to a permanent orphanage or return to their families.
These lost and drifting children—and thousands of others like them all across the former Soviet Union—are trapped in a system that can’t offer them the security they need now or the hope they need for the future.
Tatyana, a young Next Generation Christian, recalls her visit to the orphanage last spring. “After our play about the Resurrection, we distributed the gifts, and the children’s joy was never-ending. They showed us their gifts and asked us to come more often and stay longer. We would like to participate in events like this more often, and bigger and better.”
This spring, God has given Russian Ministries an opportunity for “bigger and better” Easter evangelistic events that will reach even more children and young people in more countries of the former Soviet Union.
Local School Without Walls ministry teams of Next Generation Christians plan to distribute 10,000 Gift of Life boxes. Each Gift of Life box has Easter candy, toys, clothing and a copy of My First Bible, or other age-appropriate Bible or Scripture books geared for children. In addition, ministry teams plan to 
distribute 5,000 Gospels of Mark to students at higher educational institutions along with a specially designed insert that will explain the resurrection of Christ. Local outreach teams estimate that the impact will double to 30,000 as each child/student who receives the gift/Christian literature is expected to share it with one other person.
The gift boxes are distributed to children who live in
•orphanages or even on the streets,
•shelters,
•and families with great material need.
This year’s Gift of Life outreach will be coordinated through the Christian Youth Center in Ukraine through which young potential leaders will work to mobilize their churches, participate in the outreach program as well as in follow-up programs and events.
Russian Ministries is grateful to God to see that, as a result of its efforts to train the Next Generation through School Without Walls, these young Christians are now creating innovative ways to bring hope to these hurting children.
Support the gift of Life outreach this Easter, and help young Next Generation Christians in the former Soviet Union give the gift of eternal life and Resurrection hope to needy children and young people for whom Jesus came.
