LOVE FOR THE LOST
The Lord has put a deep desire into Yan and Nadya’s hearts to serve orphans and spread the Gospel. Pioneering a ‘New Start’ programme for orphan girls who prematurely find themselves pregnant, they understand the need for the body of Christ to take responsibility for the orphans.
Sveta’s Story Yan and Nadya met Sveta in her orphanage 10 years ago. They were there visiting all the children with the aim of building friendships and sharing the Bible with them. Sveta is now 22 and a young mother of two girls who are now five and two years old. Life has been hard for Sveta since she left the orphanage. Desperate for someone to love her and not be left alone and homeless, knowing nothing about loving relationships, she married the first man to take an interest in her. Straight away she was pregnant and soon her husband was both neglectful and aggressive; causing both physical and emotional damage to her. After her second child, unable to bear it any longer, she decided to leave him. Feeling lost and overwhelmed with difficulties; poverty, imminent homelessness and the constant threat of losing her children, she sought help from the Mentors who years before had promised they would help. Sveta started going to Yan and Nadya’s church support group for orphan mums, meeting others in similar circumstances where Nadya is teaching them all about being mums. Sveta is eager to learn everything from play, health and hygiene to preparing meals and desperately wants to be the mum she never had herself. Last month Sveta needed to go to hospital but was frightened because she had no-one to look after her children. With the very real possibility the authorities would place them in an orphanage or hand them over to their alcoholic and abusive father, Yan and Nadya offered to have the children live with them in their tiny, 4th floor, two-room flat.
With two daughters of their own it was a squeeze. And, because she still waiting to be issued a government room (which all orphans are entitled to, but don’t always get), Sveta also had to stay with them when she came out of hospital. It was an extremely stressful month. Sveta and her girls at last have a government room. It was in a terrible condition so Yan is helping to decorate it and make it comfortable as he does for so many other orphans and orphan mums. Sveta’s elderly neighbour passed away and, with no living relatives, left instructions that Sveta could help herself to whatever furniture she needed; a real blessing because Sveta and her girls had nothing.
If you like to know more about our latest appeal that will help vulnerable orphanage leavers and destitute young families like Sveta's read about our