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Continuing the Story of Khabarovsk, Russia

Tuesday, 20 March 2007

January 2007 KEEPING IN TOUCH: A letter from Charlene Reitz...

KEEPING IN TOUCH

Continuing the Story of Khabarovsk, Russia

A letter from Charlene Reitz

...The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest field."

Matthew 9:37,38

January 2007

Dear Friends and Family,

I'm writing from my home in Muir, Pennsylvania on a very cold and windy day. We have had a very mild winter in Central Pennsylvania this year. This home is nestled in the mountains and so it is more protected from the winds than the beach house. But, I can still hear the wind whistling around the house today.

Again, I apologize for taking so long to write. As you can imagine, the Christmas Season is a very busy one in the life of the church. Time flies by so quickly for me. It is hard for me to adjust to writing 2007 on my notes and letters. But, a new year has begun! I pray that you had a very blessed Christmas Season and that you will have a wonderful 2007.

I heard from Lena and from Yuri since I wrote you last. Here's the news from their ministries - Yuri writes:

December 31, 2006

Hello, dear Charlene!

I am sorry for such a long silence. Of course I am not too busy to say, "Thank you for your help."

Yuri and Jenya have five children now. To support his family, he has taken a secular job as well as continuing to pastor the church. He writes:

The children are growing and need more. I started to work for money. I work the whole week except Sunday and sometimes Saturday. So I needed time to adjust to this new responsibility. My job is to deliver medicine to the pharmacies of the city of Khabarovsk, surrounding villages and other cities of the region.

We continue our ministry. We had a nice celebration of Christmas last Sunday. Today the greatest holiday in our country is the New Year's Day. The whole country celebrates 9 days of vacation. I think it is too much. I will go back to work on the 2nd of January.

Tonight we will go out to the dump to say congratulations on the New Year's Day to those people who live there. We spent some money you sent to buy some food for them.

As the winter came many people died outside because of cold. Our strategy is to make them trust us first and then pray with them and give them the Gospel.

Olya, Lyosha's wife, is with us tonight. She has become a great support for the church. Lyosha works much and I cannot ask him for translation often. He is a great father and worship leader.

Tatyana makes repairs at her apartment and feels uncomfortable a little. I think it is because she never did something for herself.

This week we gave money for the rent of church hall and we saved some money for the next month. We didn't send money to the Union this month but decided to give it to people on the street.

I always write this letter to you in my mind when I drive to another city. I am very grateful to you Charlene that you have strength for all of us. I ask God to give you health and I join my heart to all of my prayers. I wish you to be happy, healthy, anointed and joyful in the New Year. I wish you more of deep meetings with Jesus.

Thanks to all who support our ministry, we see God's hand in you.

Lyosha, Olga, Tatyana and Jenya say, "Hi" to you.

With love,

pastor Yuri.

P.S. Sometimes I don't know what to do and what to write, but I come through such periods of life and then I find words. I need to learn to write you in such times.

Lena continues her ministry to the orphan children of Khabarovsk and surrounding villages. God continues to bless the work she does in Christ's name. She writes:

November 5, 2007

Hello, Charlene

How are you? Are you OK?

I am doing well. I am recovering after my strong weakness and stomach problems. I had infusion treatment at the hospital.

This week the school vacations started. I have less work as a tutor. The orphans have vacations too.

Only four girls from the program got best grades at school for the fall term. I was at the meeting at Orphanage #8 to reward the orphans. The meeting went well. The children sang songs and danced.

Tonya's sister is a good singer and dancer. This year is her last year at the orphanage. She is going to pass her exams to enter Drama College. It is difficult to enter the college and be accepted there because we are not sure if she is talented for drama or not. I remember how Tonya (art student) was crying when she failed her exams to enter the University. I plan to talk about this with the orphanage caretaker who is in charge of the orphans who graduate each year.

This year there is a new doctor at the orphanage. She prescribed medication for some of the children who have stomach problems. The orphanage director asked me to buy this medication because they can't afford it. I agreed to do this.

The doctor also recommended that three children get a health examination at the hospital. They have neurological problems. I regularly make arrangements at the hospital to do this examination. It is not free of charge.

Three girls from Orphanage #8 attend language school to learn English. I started helping these girls to do their English homework. This help is very important for them. I help them to understand the need to work hard and achieve something with their own labor.

On November 13^th, I am going to the village orphanage with my husband. He will examine a girl with a tumor.

I will reward the best students and bring them a treat. I also am going to bring some boxes left from the Shoebox Project of 2006. There are 4 boxes left in my home with art supplies and clothing in them. The Shoebox Project is a program begun by Jeanette Dubanoski. She is an American woman who has been shipping the boxes to Khabarovsk and its area orphanages for three years. This project provides the orphans with the most needed items (art and school supplies) She is working now on Shoebox Project 2007.

I am also going to provide Orphanage #2 with money to vaccinate the children for hepatitis B. This is possible with your help and Jeanette's help. She was the first who suggested this help. I am very thankful to her for being willing to do it.

One of the orphans at Orphanage #8 is going to attend extra classes at the Railway College. I am going to pay 8000 rubles for that. Her name is Yana and I think she deserves help. She works hard at school. She earned a reward at the end of the school fall term. This help is possible due to Janette Rallison. She is another American woman who sends support to help Yana.

Svetlana Peregudova started teaching boys Math and Russian. She also organizes parties for birthday celebration for the boys at the Orphanage #8. The boys are very happy about that. They do not expect to get a present. They are looking forward to try a nice cake.

Natalie is tutoring Anna Larva to pass her school exams so she will be able to enter Technical School next year.

Not only Americans are now helping me to provide the orphans with clothes and shoes. Anna Vladimirovna (music teacher) and my student also donated used clothes for orphans.

More news next time

Love, Lena

November 11, 2007

Dear Charlene

On Monday I traveled to the village orphanage to reward the best students and to talk with the director. The roads now are very slippery for long trips. I prayed for God to arrange this trip for me. I planned this visit a week ago, hoping to talk with the director. Unfortunately, she was not in the boarding school that day. I wish I had seen her to talk about the boarding school.

I brought some money; 50 rubles (26 rubles equals $1) to give the best students as a reward. I bring this reward once a term. I have been giving this reward for the last three years. I also brought some gifts left from Shoebox Project. There were also clothes that my students had donated for the orphans.

It has become a tradition that the children choose the best students for a reward. Ten students were chosen this time (4 girls and 6 boys). Some of the faces I do remember from last year.

Everything went well. The children were waiting for me in the teacher's room. They were dressed up and looked very well. They looked happy but shy. I gave the rewards and the caretaker took pictures.

Besides the money, the students got three gel pens and a pencil. I decided this to be the school supplies gift this time. All children like to write using gel pens. They are more expensive then ordinary ball pens.

The children told me that they want to use the money they earned to buy sweets; chocolate. This is what the children usually do.

The next trip to the village will be in December or in January.

Love, Lena

As always, it is a privilege for me to send the good news of the work God is doing in the Khabarovsk region of Russia through his servants, Pastor Yuri Stadnik and Elena Kosykh. If you are moved to send support for this work, please make your check payable to Fishburn UMC, clearly mark the memo line for Yuri or Lena, and send the support to:

Fishburn UMC

1215 Fishburn Road

Hershey, PA 17033

In His Love,