In the Tiniest of Hands

In many ways it feels like our team has been in Russia for just a few days. We are still learning many things about the culture, the people, and simply how to get from one place to the other.  Each day we are with the kids, they teach me something knew. But in just the two weeks we have been in Russia, the children have opened up their hearts to us.

I’ve learned to really treat every day like it is my last with the kids. Each morning we arrive at the center we can never be certain who will run up to greet us with open arms.  Just a few days ago, a boy’s father hustled into the orphanage late at night with all his documentation overjoyed to see his son again.  His father had worked hard to retrieve his son’s documentation and paperwork in under a week so that they could be reunited. This is unfortunately a story the orphanage staff rarely witnesses.  You can imagine our joy yet small bit of sadness when we heard the news the next morning.  It is true that we really don’t know what tomorrow holds for our or the children’s lives.

This past week our group of children has doubled in size.  With a large group of children who have not really experienced healthy discipline, things can get interesting.  We’ve had to discover new ways to keep the youth attentive and active.  As the days progress, they are respecting us more and becoming intrigued about the God we serve.  It has been truly amazing to see the small yet significant changes in the way they respond to our lessons and activities.  The relationships being built are simply beautiful.

As a staff member, this is somewhat of a team and business trip for me. I had the privilege of taking a day trip to the city of Novgorod and touring a few other ministry locations SunErgos partners with throughout the year.  I am constantly blown away by the staff’s dedication and love for the multitudes of children who walk through their doors.  My filming skills were put to work as we interviewed the directors, staff members and children.  Although I often had no clue what they were saying, I could feel their story through the way they spoke.   And when the staff spoke of the kids it was like a light went on in the room!

In the Bible, Jesus talks about loving children.  Loving them by embracing the beauty and knowledge they hold that sometimes even the greatest scholars lack to understand. He didn’t ask us to love the children tomorrow or next week. He asked us to love them now.  It has become apparent to me that Jesus resides strongly in some of the tiniest of hands.   

Written by Meaghan Frost, Team Leader and Marketing Director