2011 Stuff A Stocking Trip Report

Stuff a Stocking 2011 trip report  by Jan Barclay

 Some new faces and new places; some familiar faces and familiar places…the January 2011 Stuff a Stocking trip again provided encouragement to pastors, local officials and children’s home directors and staff as we ministered to Russia’s needy children.  We brought Bibles, gifts, fun times and the message of salvation through Jesus Christ to over 1100 children as we visited Kaluga, Tula, Vladimir, Yaroslavl, Ivanovo and St. Petersburg.

In Kaluga, a city of about 750,000, we worshipped with a body of local believers led by Pastor Albert before the distribution at the orphanage.  His church has a puppet ministry to the local youth prison, helps at this orphanage, and also runs one of only 15 Christian schools available in Russia.  This was SOAR’s first time to Kaluga.

In Tula we visited two orphanages that we have ministered to many times.  At the home for the younger children we met nine year old Filip who had just been returned to the orphanage after two years of being adopted into the home of a successful surgeon in Moscow.  The tears of the director as she told us his story were evidence of the concern these workers have for their charges.  As Andre, the oldest boy in this home, read the letter from his sponsor encouraging him to ask Jesus into his heart, he could hardly wait for the interpreter to come to a pause before praying for that very thing! Little Anya had been looking through her Bible with one of our staff when the teacher told her it was time to go.  When asked if she wanted to carry her new toys or her Bible, she clutched the Bible tight and answered “Biblia!”

Vladimir is also an area we visit regularly but this was the first time the bus got stuck in the snow. The team and our escorts from local government and media worked together to push it out.  In Ivanovo and Yaroslavl we visited a place that had been in existence for 90 years and housed children from ages four to nineteen, a special needs center, and an orphanage for the learning impaired. 

Then it was on the train for the ride to St. Petersburg.  At the first stop, a hospital/home for children who are HIV-positive, we recognized some children from our visit two years ago.  It was with mixed feelings that we realized they are living longer due to better medical care and yet that means they must still stay at this facility. The bus broke down and most of the team missed the first half of the evening’s Russian Folk Show.  We rejoiced, though, that the bus problem only inconvenienced us and did not cause us to miss any time with the children. 

The pastor here has an extensive, multi-faceted outreach to orphanages and shelters.  One of the orphanages we visited his group had only recently “found”.  While looking at some prospective property to build a church building they saw an orphanage across the street that they had not even known existed.  They now minister to the children there; truly an example of God’s leading and directing. It was here that one little boy, after reading his letter and John 3:16, kept asking the translator “But why would God love me? Why me?”  Please join us in keeping all these children before the Lord in prayer.

At our evening meal before boarding the train to Moscow and heading on home, each team member shared their own personal highlight of the trip and how God had most touched their hearts.  We all returned more than ever aware of the plight of the many needy children in Russia and rejoicing in God’s love for “even the least of these.”