SGA Encountering Hope

Pavel, a faithful pastor in a Muslim-majority country, ministers to children who have been through terrible trials. Pavel finds inspiration from the joy he sees when the orphans come to realize the love of the Lord.

Many of the orphans Pastor Vitaly meets in Siberia have experienced suffering at the hands of others. Through the help of the believers at the Crisis Center, a young woman named Katya, learns about God’s redeeming love and healing power. 

Pastor Mikhailo has been sharing the Gospel and much-needed aid with thankful refugee families in Ukraine. In a recent report, he shares how the gift of food and shelter—combined with the lovingkindness of God—dropped healing balm into wounded lives. 

Pavel is a faithful SGA-supported missionary pastor in Belarus who has a heart for the overlooked, the forgotten, the abandoned, and the mistreated. He was recently blessed to baptize Sveta, who was born disabled and abandoned by her parents.

Many orphan children in the former Soviet Union have endured incredible pain. To one teen, the concept of forgiveness wasn’t even a consideration. But that didn’t stop Pastor Sergei from faithfully ministering to a broken and hurting heart. 

Vycheslav is a faithful missionary pastor in Russia. One place he loves to visit and share the Gospel is an orphanage. When COVID blocked him from visiting there for a long time, Vycheslav thought he would lose contact with the children. But God . . .

When we “see” each life as God does, we see them as potential vessels of His grace and purpose, and worthy of our love. There’s a beautiful story like that which shows us the fruit of an SGA-supported Summer Camp for children with special needs.

It’s almost unthinkable that a little girl would suffer so she could comfort others. But so it is in war-torn Ukraine, where Marina lost her leg under a collapsing wall after an explosion. Now she’s caring for other victims of this tragic conflict. 

Issachar was a proud and faithful Jew who thought he had honored God with his life. He met many Christians who came to Israel to observe history—which to Issachar seemed like a waste of money. But our sovereign God had other plans for him.

Ever tried to be kind to a person who is not very nice? It’s hard! But your love—a long-suffering love—might be just what they need. Sasha and Diana are faithful servants who tirelessly reach out to orphan children who can be quite unlovable. 

Facing the world without a support system is hard, and so we praise God for the fellowship of a local church. Pastor Alexei has seen the strength of the body of believers in action in Belarus—even younger ones encouraging and blessing one another! 

When a shell exploded next to the home where Pastor Sergei’s granddaughter Marina lived in Ukraine, the wall collapsed and she lost her leg. Sergei and Marina are back in their village today. And even after all the hardship, they still help others.

When one spouse comes to faith in Christ, and the other remains worldly, this creates both challenge and opportunity in marriage. But the opportunity is even greater! Pastor Yuri has seen this firsthand in the lives of several couples in Belarus. 

In the remote region of Yakutia, Yegori and his youth ministry team visit villages scattered about for the sake of the Gospel. Most communities are steeped in shamanism and have never heard of Christ. So how do you open the door? You pick up garbage. 

It would be easy to look at a church that was ready to shut its doors or an overwhelmed village official as people who were facing great difficulties in life. But Pastor Artem shares how each trial was part of God’s better plan in Far Eastern Russia.

Pastor Alexander recently saw the transformation of several lives at his church in Belarus. One man named Arthur didn’t comprehend anything he’d heard about Christ after several visits to the worship service. But one day, that began to change. 

SGA-supported missionary pastors like Vasily in Belarus bathe their ministries in prayer. They continually ask the Lord to send people with whom they can share the Gospel. And recently, Vasily shared that God answered his prayer in a very direct way.

Pastor Serik didn’t want to travel 311 miles from his home in Central Asia to share the Gospel. “It was so far,” Serik says. “I was looking for reasons not to go.” But God used his wife to tell him to go! Find out what happened when Serik obeyed.

When our plans go awry, it’s easy to get discouraged. But we must realize that God has a better plan. Pastor Pavel recently told us about his summer camp and Vacation Bible School outreach where he encountered frustrating problems right at the start. 

Many refugees have fled to Belarus during the war in Ukraine. But each one has offered an opportunity for pastors like Viktor to reach out with aid and the Gospel. Here’s how providing food packages to Tatiana and her family is already bearing fruit. 

Little Igor lives with his grandparents in Russian-occupied eastern Ukraine. Pastor Vladimir shares Igor’s story and tells us how the boy learned about the love of family after experiencing heartbreaking abandonment. 

The Orphans Reborn teams sees many children who struggle with the loneliness of constant change. Listen as they share the story of Diana, who like the bent woman, learned how to place her trust in God and let Him be the change-maker she needed. 

Pastor Vladimir tells the story of three Christian sisters and the difference between how each prepared for their final days. Listen as he shares how each of these ladies professed their love for God up to their last breath. 

After a week of Summer Bible Camp in Belarus, Pastor Andrei saw 97 campers respond to the truth of the Gospel! Kids like Tanya and Artem were removed from the pressures of the world. And at camp, they found hope in Jesus and unexpected joy. 

Just as God sent Jesus to us gentle and lowly with a message of love and grace, so He sends His people today. A small church in Siberia is wonderful example. They’re poor, but rich in love for Christ and others. And God is blessing their ministry.