News from Hope Center - March

Here is the most recent installment of our News from Hope Center Newsletter....

Belarus Missions Trip

This month the Hope Center embarked upon a seminal project. Camp staff and volunteers traveled to the city of Gomel in the south of Belarus, Ukraine’s northern neighbor. The team was lead by Tanya Shpigunova along with staff members Jenya Petekhin and Matt and Sarah Gaw. With a focus on our volunteers, the team was bolstered by our perennial summer camp volunteers Olga (ward 2), Natasha (ward 4), Tanya (ward 3) and Angela.

The original plan was to hold full-day camps at a children’s home during the school’s spring break, but this was turned on its head when an outbreak of the flu in Gomel schools forced the city to reschedule this vacation. On late notice we changed our plans to accommodate an afternoon and evening program. Our team adjusted to this change admirably and developed a program that fit well to the time allowed.

They were aided in all these preparations and plans by our Belorussian contacts Vera, Pastor Igor and his wife Svetlana who all went above and beyond in their accommodations for us - including providing warm clothes to help our Mediterranean-minded team cope with the cold spring weather. We were also joined by Igor’s friend Victor from Minsk who chauffeured us around with his personal van.

The Facility

The children’s home is a very unique facility. It sees roughly 200 kids per year who have been removed by the state from very difficult family circumstances. They come to this home temporarily as the director and children’s services of Gomel work with the parents and determine if a lifestyle change can be made create a home atmosphere suitable for the children to return. If it’s determined that this is impossible they attempt to put the children into loving foster care or adoptive families. Only after all other options are exhausted will the children be transferred to the city internat (orphanage/school combo). Amazingly the center has a greater than 50% success rate with rehabilitating families and has had nearly 200 of their former children either adopted or in foster care.

The Program

Since our staff and volunteers have no lack of experience with Christian camps, they transplanted many aspect of Hope Center life into our program at the children’s home. They taught the kids our standard camps songs - complete with hand signals - did interesting crafts and activities and taught well straight from the scriptures.

The Children

At the beginning of the week nearly all had been taken from their families for poor parenting stemming from alcohol abuse but we had some very sad cases who came in later.

One group of siblings arrived after their mother had been once again caught involved in prostitution. Their father was already in prison for possession of illegal guns. Olia, Sergey, Marina and Katya were very reluctant to get involved but by week’s end they were enjoying the time with the team.

Erica, 10 years old, and her younger sisters arrived on the next to last day. They had been found at home where they had been alone for three days. Though there was little time to invest in them, the attention they received made them blossom

The Results

The team began the trip by praying that we would be aware and vigilant in looking for how the spirit was working and expect the Lord to work in miraculous ways. They were not disappointed. From the first day the leadership at the center was supportive and encouraging. They were blessed to see the kids become committed and involved almost immediately. And when some of the supplies which were shipped to Gomel were lost in transit, the Lord brought them to us literally the same hour that they were needed.

The hardest part of the week came when Pastor Igor was put out of commission by an emergency appendectomy. He had played the part of guide, counselor and comic relief and was much missed the last few days.