BEYOND THE ORPHANAGE

Editor's Note: Sergey and Angelica Zelenov serve the orphans and transitional youth of Penza, Russia in partnership with Spoken For International Youth Outreach. The following article is their June '07 ministry update. The term "Fireworks" in the article refers to the young people transitioning from life in the orphanage to life on their own. Please visit the Fireworks page on the Spoken For website for more information on this program.

A Game of Apartment Musical Chairs – Fireworks Style

We have wonderful news for you – more young people have been moved into Fireworks apartments as the ministry continues to expand. We are excited about the new youth God is bringing our way. As directors of orphanages begin to see the positive results of participation in Fireworks, they are asking us to help more graduates by bringing them into the program. Natasha is a gentle, shy young woman who now attends the cooking trade school. She recently moved into the apartment next door to ours, joining Lena and Yulia. She is not yet comfortable sharing at small group and we pray her fears would disappear and that she would trust others and feel God's presence. Two girls from Lapukhovka orphanage, Masha and Natasha, have also joined Fireworks. Masha is just 16 years old, but she has already graduated. Because she is so young, the law requires that she live in a dorm or with a foster care family. She will be staying with Sergey's mother (aka “Mama Tanya”) during the summer. Please pray for guidance for us and for Mama Tanya as we pray about Mama Tanya becoming her official foster mother. Natasha is moving into the other Fireworks girls' apartment to live with Rita, Dasha and Yulia (the chaperone from the church). Two more young men from Lapukhovka, Slava and Kolya, have also moved into apartments. Rather than an additional apartment, God provided a new large apartment that accommodates six people – and it's in the same building we live in! So, Slava and Kolya moved in there along with four guys from a different apartment. We spent a lot of time moving this month between that big move and moving the girls' apartment that had a lease expire. As part of the move, some furnishings had to be purchased. The former director of Lapukhovka, Nina Sergeevna, donated two beds and some bed linens to help the guys set up household. At this point, the guys have beds and kitchen cabinets, but no other furnishings.  We are praying for funds to buy closets, tables, and other furniture for them.

Many people have joined in to serve as Fireworks grows. As we wrote to you earlier, several Bethany/Revelation church members have begun helping the young men and women in the program. It is a huge blessing to see the church welcoming the youth into the community as they invest in their lives by praying, visiting them, and helping with their needs. We are also grateful for all the people at 121 Community Church who are supporting the ministry spiritually and financially. It is exciting that God has not only called us to this ministry, but many others in the church Body, both in Russia and America.

S'Dniom Razhdjenia!

Or, should we say, Happy Birthday! We had four Fireworks birthdays this month. Try to imagine turning 20 and for the first time in your life you have a birthday party, complete with a birthday cake made just for you. That is the case for most of the Fireworks youth when we throw them a birthday party. Occasionally, an orphanage director may have a small birthday celebration for one or two children, but not often. We threw a combined party for some of the young people. We had a home-cooked dinner, went bowling, and topped off the night with birthday cake. For some, it was their first time to bowl. For example, Lena had never been bowling and was not excited at first because she does not quickly embrace new experiences. Once she tried it, however, she beat everyone in her lane and then she was very excited! Afterwards, we all came home, had cake, talked and laughed until about 11:00 that night. When we asked Lena how she has celebrated her birthday in the past, she said that every once in awhile at the orphanage, the director would gather all the kids who had a birthday in a certain season and give them a small pie to share. As a teenager and young adult, she usually just bought some alcohol then drank and slept all day to “celebrate”. Several of the Fireworks youth have told us that they dream of having a birthday cake for their birthday. It doesn't matter that they are “grown-up”; when we have Fireworks birthday parties, the child in each of them comes out laughing. Birthday parties are definitely extra special occasions in the Fireworks program.

Following His Command for Baptism

Praise God for the youth who have made a decision to be baptized! Baptism in our church is taken very seriously. Believers who want to be baptized must show a commitment to Christ through Bible study and church fellowship, as well as attending a special class. Five Fireworks youth will be baptized this summer – Dasha, Yulia, Rita, Larisa, Slava B., and Sasha T. Please pray for them as they start this new phase of their spiritual walk.

Summer Means Camp Time

We would like to say a special thank you to the kids from VBS at 121 Community Church who raised money to provide scholarships for dozens of youth for Fireworks camp. In addition, Bethany/Revelation Church is covering about 30% of the expenses. Youth who did not receive scholarships will pay around $15, which they have been saving since the camp was announced a couple of months ago. The adult leaders are paying their own way. It is great to see the various methods that God uses to provide funds for His projects.

During the second part of July, we will be conducting camps at special needs orphanages. Several Fireworks youth who have never been part of helping with the orphanage camps will be joining us this year. Please pray that being part of the “serving” team will cause them to become more mature in their faith as they see that they can serve others in the same way many people have served them. We are excited about this opportunity for them.

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.” 1 Peter 1:3-5

Thank you, brothers and sisters, for your faithfulness in partnering with us in ministry! We thank the Lord for the living hope and precious inheritance that is kept in heaven for all of us who love Christ. What a privilege to serve such an awesome God together with you.

::Sergey and Angelica Zelenov

<<Back to newsletter