When the boy met me in the internat, his first question was "What do you have in your bag?" I had nothing in my bag at that moment, nothing to give him - better to say so. That's why he ran away to 'do his job'. But the next time I came with some candy. It seemed that Artyem was slow to understand something so we started witnessing with a very simple phrase: "God loves you". Of course he was given a candy, and the other leaders did the same. Not only did he become our favorite but he loved us as well. He entertains everybody in the internat and became an object of ridicule, (even his appearance makes such an impression.) They ask him to dance, for example and then have a good laugh at him, and it seems he doesn't understand that. I am sorry for Artyem but can do nothing. He is into the rotation of orphanage life, and has to obey those 'special rules'. It is now a year since he entered the orphanage and he curses very badly. Foul language entered his life from his parents. Nobody stops him. They just think it's fun to hear such language from one so young. I do ask the Lord to protect him from anyone giving him alcohol and cigarettes. Anything can and does happen in an orphanage.
We started going to the internat every Saturday. Artyem was there every time, but when we came for the Bible study last Saturday, he wasn't there. The deputy director said he was in a sanatorium. The sanatorium is not far from Cherkassy. We bought some apples and sweets, took some clothes and went to search for Artyem. We found him there in isolation. They told us he was ill, but he didn't have any warm clothes on. When they asked how were we related to him, Artyem shouted: "My Christians came!!! " They didn't ask us any more questions. We clothed Arthem, put warm socks on and gave him apples and candies. There were no limits for joy. That evening Arthem told us about God, and not only because we told him that, but also because of a Christian lady, who is working in the sanatorium. It is so nice when one plants, and another waters (1 Cor. 3:8). Our God is so great; He never leaves our dear children. Pray for Artyem so that he would grow and become a Christian. Anastasia Vovk
It was our privilege to see how wonderfully God blessed the Kompas Park
Summer 2008 Program. Throughout the summer, Kompas Park welcomed over
600 children, teenagers and adults for camps.
The statue of Lenin has dominated the main square of Cherkassy for many years and even in the initial foment of the newly independent Ukraine back in the early 1990's, only a few of the Soviet icons were destroyed.
Imagine driving over 2,000 miles zigzagging across the country, over a 3 week period - complete with 5 teenagers and …Vic! This year's Hope Now USA Tour will be here before I know it.
