A beautiful, large building… everything around it very well kept and uncommonly pretty… we slowly turned in the direction of the front entrance and I was immediately struck by the incredibly beautiful snowflakes and characters from various stories, cartoons, and fairy tales, all carefully cut out from snow-white paper, that decorated the windows. It seemed as though some skilled artist had carefully drawn out each intricate element of this window masterpiece. Despite the rainy weather outside, it appeared as though through the windows there was another world, one in which everything was covered with white fluffy snow; a world in which everyone was busy preparing for the most important holiday of the year—Christmas.

As we entered the building, we saw that all of the corridors were decorated just as beautifully as the windows. We were warmly greeted and led into the auditorium, where we were to put on our Christmas play and program. We quickly settled down and waited for our listeners to arrive.

My heart contracted when the children who lived in this establishment began to enter the auditorium. Some of them were unable to walk on their own, others were led by their caregivers, and there were those who needed the assistance of wheelchairs to get about.

We don’t often stop to think about how happy we are—that we have hands and feet, that we are able to reason and do what ever we want, whenever we want. Emotions began to run through me… an internal heaviness… sadness… empathy… a lack of words. But we had to smile… for them… for those little boys and girls, abandoned by their parents. More than anyone else, they are in need of this small sliver of radiant joy. They were so happy to hear our songs; it seemed that they might get up from their wheelchairs at any moment and stand up to sing alongside us.

We visited many childrens’ homes and orphanages in three short weeks, and it would seem that they were all different from one another… but there is something that unites them all: the fate of hundreds of disadvantaged children, abandoned by their parents. And all of them are in need of love and care. How close they pressed up against us, just to feel for a short time what it means to not be alone, and how full of sorrow their eyes became when it was time for us to leave. Not wanting us to leave, they stood outside in the freezing cold until our cars disappeared over the horizon.

Looking back, I never cease to thank God for the opportunity that I was given in Belarus, to tell hundreds of children and their caregivers of the birth of Christ. We were able to hand out small bits of joy in the form of bags of Christmas candy, and to show them God’s love while realizing ourselves how much God loves and blesses us.

…And I firmly believe that God is able to bring forth the seeds that were sown this past Christmas.

-Julia G.

The 2011 winter trip to Belarus was one of the most unforgettable experiences of my life. There were many memorable events that occurred in Belarus—including but not limited to what seemed to be the longest flight ever, a lengthy recovery time after the flight, the distance traveled by car, the food we ate, the places that we slept… but the most important part of the trip involved the places that we visited, the people we met, and the lives that were touched during this past holiday season.

Visiting several places a day and sometimes driving for more than two hours to get from one orphanage to another, repeating the same play, and singing the same songs, we quickly became exhausted; this was especially the case toward the end of the trip. Day after day we were reminded to not forget that it could be our 20^th visit, but for the children it would be their first one! Each day we asked God in prayer for strength and His blessing to be poured out onto our group, so that we in turn could be a blessing for the children we were about to visit.

I was amazed at how impatient and excited the children were for our arrival. Some of them were even counting down the days! I did not realize how much joy and excitement our program and the gifts that we distributed would bring to the children. Their eyes would light up with excitement and their faces were full of smiles as soon as small gift was placed in their hands.

Although much money and effort were spent to get to Belarus and to reach each child, seeing the joy and thankfulness in return was truly the most amazing and memorable experience. It was worth it to spend the money and time to go and visit those who are forgotten and hurt: the children who have do not have parents to care for them or a home of their own. I saw how just a small Christmas gift could change a life!

If you in some way, either financially or in prayer, participated in this past winter trip to Belarus– please know that you have made a difference!

-Natalie V.

Every day of our lives we learn or discover something new. I am very grateful to God for this life changing experience I had to visit Belarus this winter. The whole trip was a lesson on life to me. I was able to see adults and children that were less fortunate than I am, and realized in the process how much God has blessed me in my life.

I didn’t know what to expect from this trip because it was my first; first time leaving America in sixteen years, first time being fully immersed in the Russian culture, first time meeting so many orphans. I would have to say that it is definitely a different story when you meet these children and actually see their faces in real life. Even though our Christmas program was only about an hour long, you still notice the sadness in their eyes. We went to so many places that it’s kind of hard to remember everything that happened, but what sticks out in my mind the most are the handicapped children we met. Not only have their parents left them, but they are also deprived of the chance to live normal, capable lives.

We traveled across all of Belarus in the three weeks that we were there. I do not regret a single minute of our trip. The Christmas program that we had for the children was great, and the music was good. The message of salvation was given, and presents were distributed. It was definitely the highlight of the trip to see the smiles of the children after they received their presents. They were so happy to receive some simple candy; they knew that someone cared for them at Christmas time.

We visited fifty-three places and gave out almost 4,000 Christmas presents. It was quite an adventure, and we were able to show these children love and care. It was also an eye opener for me on how much God really loves us, and how much He has blessed us.

I am grateful to all of the people who participated in this mission—whether it was financially or in prayer. To God be the glory! Hopefully one day we will see the fruit of this work… I have faith that God will and can change the lives of those who had the opportunity to hear about Him this past Christmas.

-Tim G.