  |
|
| •
|
|
|
|
| •
|
|
|
|
Missions
Over one million Russian children live in state run institutions. Mostly they are “social orphans” in that their parents are alive, but unable to care for them due to alcohol and drug abuse. Poor federal funding results in orphanages that are substandard even by non-western standards and children often go without basic needs like clothing, hygiene products, and medical supplies. At age 15 or 16 these children are forced out of the orphanage to fend for themselves with no job training or basic knowledge of daily living skills like doing laundry, shopping, or preparing food. Russia for Christ is developing a center to transition older children out of the orphanage with job and life skills training, as well as spiritual development through bible study and worship. Travel is tentatively planned for 10 – 14 days in mid to late June, 2008. Team members wanting to travel and/or those willing to work on the organization and fundraising aspects of this trip are needed. Check future Sunday Bulletins for Clipboard sign-up opportunities. For more immediate information, email Pate Cagle at pcagle@cinci.rr.com. Highlights on the ministries of Russia For Christ can be found at www.russia4christ.org.
Russia For Christ The purpose of this trip would be to bring support for the Kotchans and their ministry through the participation of the mission team in various work projects related to the Center and the Ivanovo orphans. The lasting contribution to the ministry would result from the mission team sharing their experiences here in the U.S. about what God is doing through this ministry to Russian orphans and leading others to contribute to its support. A sampling of activities for the mission team includes: - Christian based interaction with the children of a local orphanage that could include games, crafts, teaching, etc. The message being God loves you and cares for you in many ways, including sending people from different countries to share His love. - Improvement projects at the orphanage that could range from cleaning and painting, to bathroom remodeling, depending on the needs of the orphanage and the funding and expertise of the mission team. - Construction projects at the Center for Orphans. - Participation in Christian family value seminars with students from the local university. - Home improvement projects at the Kotchan home that also serves as their church and often provides housing for visiting mission teams and parents from the U.S. adopting children in the Ivanovo region. The Ivanovo Region is nearly a third world country given the extent of economic poverty in this very large area. The orphanages are typically in poor repair and under funded. Further, this is a formerly atheistic country, so many are without the knowledge of the love of God. The message of salvation is not reaching the Russian people through the government “sanctioned” Russian Orthodox Church. True Jesus based churches are a rarity and are often ostracized by Orthodox Church and government officials. Pastor Kotchan has shared that long term foreign missionaries struggle to reach the Russian people because they lack an understanding of Russian culture. More success is being realized by the training and support of Russian pastors by foreign groups and by the goodwill spread through short-term mission trips. Russian
Mission Trip Estimated Costs In Country Transportation (buses from Moscow to Ivanovo and back and in the Ivanovo Region Itself) - $2500.00 (for group) Visa - $150.00 Hotel in Ivanovo - $60.00/day
double occupancy Food in Ivanovo - $30.00/day Hotel in Moscow - $200.00/day
double occupancy Food in Moscow - $75.00/day All costs are per person other than the in country transportation. |
A
new international mission team is being formed. Led by Pate Cagle,
the team will travel to Ivanovo, Russia (190 miles northeast of
Moscow) where they will partner with the Russia For Christ ministry
to perform outreach and work projects at a nearby orphanage, a local
university and within their local church.
Region,
northeast of Moscow. Its founders and administrators Alexei and
Tanya Kotchan operate the only Christian Bookstore in the area, hold
church services for their congregation in their home, bring help and
hope to children in a nearby orphanage and present anti-abortion and
family value seminars at the local university. A huge planned
project for the ministry is the Center for Orphans. In Russia, due
primarily to financial reasons, children are forced out of the
orphanages at fifteen and left to survive on their own without any
real training on how to live in the world. These children have
little or no job training, no experience handling money, and lack
even the basic skills of grocery shopping, cooking, and doing
laundry. The Center for Orphans would be a residence where some of
these children could learn the skills they need to survive outside
of the orphanage. Counselors would live with the children at the
Center and teach job and life skills, as well as Christian truths.
The Center will also house a worship center. More can be learned
about the Kotchans and their ministry at
Currently
Life Fellowship International in Covington, TN, coordinates
contributions to Russia For Christ.