Blog
By Tanya
We have information about 5 children who have Cerebral Palsy are in big need of surgery and aftercare treatment. Andrew, Dmitry, Vitaly, Anastasia and Eugeniy need surgeries, then — aftercare time with some individual assistance and finally — for many months these kids would have to wear special equipment to let the body heal properly.
The director made a very careful pricing of the equipment, found the most affordable, so more children can have a chance to get it.
The surgeries are provided by the government funding, but unless there are funds for an aftercare program, the director is not starting this long and painful process. Each part is equally important to reach the final goal — a different life quality for these little ones who only start their life journey.
Each of the 5 children needs 59 116 rubles per person or $2112 (at 28 rub per dollar exchange rate) for the special equipment to be built.
We already have donations from “Love Russia” Charity for two children: Andrew and Dmitry – they both have Cerebral Palsy.
At this moment we are still looking for funds for other children who need surgery and aftercare equipment soon.
They need help get on their feet!
If you would like to support these children, we have two ways:
1) By check to our US partner; make payable to:
Stoneworks International
PO Box 464839
Lawrenceville, GA 30042
write ‘MIR’ and the purpose of the gift on the memo line
2) Visit the Stoneworks website to make a donation using PayPal.
Filed in: News
By Katya
Last week we were visiting Red Sunset Internat School (Krasniye Zori). We have delivered two wheelchairs and children’s clothes to «Red Sunset» Internat School for disabled orphans and home kids at Peterhoff. Love Russia pays special attention on disabled kids and this place is in big need of such care. There are 165 children at the internat, 57 of them have physical disability.
The school director Olga Nickolaevna and the chief doctor Nickolay Victorovich were so glad to greet us. They have received the wheelchairs and distributed the clothes to the children with alot of gratitude. The kids enjoy these nice and colourful socks so much — so different from what they usually get in the school. The children sent over a hand-made gift — a painted cutting board.
Recently the orphanage invoiced us for a set of 2 walkers and wheel chairs.
But the biggest need of the school for disabled will relate to transportation and remains to be the purchase of mini bus. The school owns a large 50 seat bus, but is able to use it only several times a year, since it is very expensive. They are currently using a Gazel mini-bus for hospital visits, small field-trips and running the arrances. The orphanage needs to replace it badly
Here is a picture of a group of kids from a fieldtrip.
The size of the world for these disabled kids is very often what they are able to see and where they can get to.
If you would like to support these children, we have two ways:
1) By check to our US partner; make payable to:
Stoneworks International
PO Box 464839
Lawrenceville, GA 30042
write ‘MIR’ and the purpose of the gift on the memo line
2) Visit the Stoneworks website to make a donation using PayPal.
Filed in: News
By Masha
The northen part of Russia and Estonia is covered with thick layer of snow and ice, but spring is very near and before you know it, summer is here.
The British crew is visiting Russia, Estonia and other parts of Europe in preparation for the summer fun. First, the motorcycle ride will take place in June. It’s a fundraising event to collect funds for the orphan graduate program.Then in July and August British teams will do camp work in Volkhov and later will bring foster family children to Camp Gideon in Estonia.
On the picture above Simon Young, a Love Russia volunteer and a great ecology specialist, is checking the camp ground anticipating all the eco-studies he’ll do with the children. Thankfully, floura and fauna will fully awake to life in the summer.
Johvi Methodist Church has become a place where many people all over the world can give and receive. Camp Gideon, being a natural extension of Estonian beleivers sharing their hope with multiple children all over the world, will host 53 host children and 13 adults from Russia this August. Love Russia will bring the volunteer team, will create program and provide funds for the children to travel and spend time at the camp.
MIR is orginizing the trip on the Russian end. We are so exited to be able to continue ministering to Russian children and families through the opportunity like this.
Filed in: News
By Tanya
A few days ago the director’s assistant Elena told me that children really like to watch a 3D movies.
Charlene Fryou’s donation made it possible for these children to have some fun during the spring break.
So we bought the tickets and yesterday we watched “The mystery of the red planet” movie in the Cinema.
It was a good movie, but I could see that most of the children were sad – they know that their orphanage is closing soon and they will move to others orphanages in Saint Petersburg. At this moment the orphanage has only 24 children (it’s a really small) and Kronshtadt’s Administration decided to close it.
The orphanage has been a really good place for the children, some of them spent there many years and became their home.
Anyway we hope to find some ways to serve them in the future, and we know that children are open for that.
Please keep them in your prayers!
Filed in: Orphans
By Mike
MIR is helping Alina as she becomes a foster parent.
Alina participated in MIR’s New Family program a few years ago. Alina is partially supported by donors in the US, a family that hosted these children as part of MIR’s hosting program.
This is one example of how we help others do what they are called to do.
From Alina:
My name is Alina. I work at a movie animation studio. I’m a Christian. God put on my heart to take part in the lives of orphans.
In 2008 I met three children (two brothers and a sister) and I began to take them on weekends and holidays from the orphanage to my home. [The picture at top left is from one of their first meetings.]
They have a mother, but she has a schizophrenia; she visits them, but they cannot live together. Also for some reasons, they cannot be adopted by a foreign family.
I want to arrange care for the two younger children, to take them into my home. The older boy turns 18 soon and it isn’t possible for him legally to be a foster child.
We have become very close to each other and now we are like family. God blesses me so and gives insight into how to build relationships with teenagers and how to help them in the process to growing up. We love each other.
I believe it’s a miracle and a great blessing from God that the staff of the orphanage opened their heart for these relationships, they did not hinder our acquaintance and they support our fellowship for these past three years.
With the children we attend a church, go to movies, go boating, learn to cook, do homework, read the Bible and much more.
This gives children a sense of family life, that they are loved and cared for.
Nastia was born in 1998. She is a very nice and talented girl. She loves to draw, sing and dance. My friend gives her piano lessons at the church we attend.
Daniel was born 1996. He’s a very sweet boy. He studies physics and mathematics, almost perfectly. He loves the Lord. When we first met, he repeatedly told me that they have didn’t have any relationship with God, so I began to take him to church. I feel a special anointing on it. Now he tells his friends about God. He, like Nastia, draws very well and sings, and loves pets.
Nikita is the eldest, born in 1993. He attends the same physico-mathematical lyceum, preparing to go to university to study physics. He loves to play sports. I pray for his spiritual growth, and that God would give him faithful friends.
Filed in: Hosting, Orphans
By Mike
We are looking forward to helping Love Russia UK run a camp in Estonia this summer. We will send about 55 foster children and orphans to the camp in August.
Alex, Jacqui and camp leader Debbie are visiting Estonia at the end of March to look at the site and make some decisions prior to the preparation weekend with the team which takes place in the UK at the beginning of April. (Love Russia team members are shown above at a fund raiser in England.)
This time a mixture of children with different age groups will come from Russia to the camp. In the past Love Russia team have not ministered to older teens, so they look forward to a new challenge with these young people.
Is it possible to get another 10-15 children age 7-14 so that the number of children will be between 50 – 55 overall.
This is the first time we’ll help with a camp for Russian children in Estonia for the first time; it is very exiting for us.
Filed in: Camp, Orphans
By Masha
I had a chance to visit the children from the orphanage with volunteers that came from the States.
We had a cold winter with lots of snow, so these distant orphanages had very few visitors. But Karen Jones and her team remains very faithful to visiting those who are dear to her.
Karen gives the kids clothes, but what’s more important, she shares herself and the smile.
The kids are really looking forward to her visits and even the concelors are inviting Karen back.
Filed in: News
By Masha
MIR started out 2011 with a closer partnership with a British Charity Love Russia. We have been learning about each other all through last year. Love Russia is a charity that is committed to improving the lives of thousands of orphaned and abandoned children and young people living in deprived areas in Russia.
Alex and Jaquie Cooke has been commited to regular visits to central Russia for almost 18 years now. Their focus was always in the «oblast» – in the areas around the cities like Saint Petersburg, Ryazan and Moscow. They started out their work in Leningrad area from ministry in Volkhov the last few years.
Love Russia’s focus is to stay in the oblast area in Saint Petersburg. Our oblast still carries the old Leningrad word in it’s name and is known to be more conservative to partnership with foriegners. Meeting with chief specialist of Leningrad Oblast Education Commitee arranged by the veteran of human rights defence Alexander Rodin, proved this image to be wrong. A long term partnership is what we are trying to achive with the oblast administration.
So this January Alex Cooke, his ministry partner and I did several orphange visits and as a result humanitarian aid will be provided to 2 facilities for disabled children: orphanage #61 in Pesochnoe and «Krasnie Zori» internat school at Peterhoff.
#61 has been on our hearts a lot since Tanya Zaikina and I has been travelling with 9 orphans from #61 this winter and they have become very dear to us. Now that children can’t travel to families any more, these children’s future will depend even more on what the orphanage staff and doctors can do for them. 15 children with most severe disability need an advanced testing from the Turner Clinic to identify what aids and appliances will help improve the condition of their growing body this year. They will depend on private sponsors to complete testing and purchase of appliences that will be made individually to suit each child. This is a big project, and we are looking for additional funds to provide help to as many of the children in the list as we can.
The internat status of «Krasnie Zori» facility at Peterhoff means family kids from the oblast, social orphns and true orphans live in this school. It’s been our first visit to the place and the director’s assitant went from very formal to tear sheding, playing jukebox and taking us to every corner of the huge internat. This place needs very much anything from new socks, personal hygene items to new wheel chairs, walkers and replacement of a Gazel mini-bus, that’s running on it’s last legs.
An opportunity of a personal visit to the orphanages and foster families gives us a very clear understanding of their day-to-day needs. You can join us in helping those in need like orphans and disabled family children.
Filed in: Humanitarian Aid, News, Orphans
