News

Mariupol good changes on the Equator
In January 2012 took place, the third trip of the team of volunteers at the equator in Kenya. Thirteen people from Ukraine, Russia and the U.S.for10 days worked in the poorest areas of Kenya, helping children to survive in conditions of total poverty.

“New Beginning” for the German drug addicts
Employees Charity Fund “Pilgrim”, now the citizens of Germany, Alexander and Catherine Hesse now leading a rehabilitation service in the city Shyuttorf . They obtaned some experience of drug and alcohol rehabilitation in Mariupol, Alexander sure could use it in European terms.

The election took place; the new president takes the office
Recently, in the “Republic Pilgrim” took place the election of a new government. The race was quite tense. A few new guys have declared themselves as strong candidates and presidential elections were difficult.

Pastor’s “Gvardia” expands
Adoptive father of 32 children, pastor -pilgrim Gennady Mokhnenko and his family live today in a fairly cramped conditions. The house they live in consists of two rooms for 13 people. Recently, the adoptive family, with a charitable donation, was able to purchase another small house. Both houses need a lot of repairs, however, both parents and children are happy – they are now having more space where they can live.

A couple of years ago on Christmas Eve a very strange story happened to me …
I was holding my little young son, rocking him and singing a tune. In this sweet, wonderful time inside me clearly and distinctly sounded a verse from the Gospel, which you probably know:

On a Day of Prayer for Orphans Pastor Gennadiy Mokhneneko presented a new project “World without Orphans”
On a day of prayer for the orphans in the “Church of Good Changes” pastor Gennadiy Mokhnenko presented a new project- of bikes cycling action “World without orphans.” Pastor Gennady along with former street children, his adoptive sons and children from rehabilitation center “Republic Pilgrim” is going to go around the globe by bicycle.

Adventure of faith on the Equator
Pastor- pilgrim Gennady Mokhnenko going into another trip to Africa, Kenya, scheduled for mid-January of 2012. Pastor has a desire to see the same desperately dedicated travelers, who will spend 10 days of the mission in one of the poorest regions in the world.

Future social workers came to practice in the “Pilgrim”
In the mid-October, center of children’s rehabilitation “Republic Pilgrim” was visited by a group of students from Zaporozhye. Students from Zaporizhzhya National Technical University, who are training to become social workers: “We learned about the “Pilgrim Republic,” thanks to the film, “Makarenko from Mariupol.” Their teachers found it necessary to ensure that future social workers met in practice work with a complex category of children and have experience in dealing with street children.

Do not let children to be killed by loneliness
About a year ago in the charity fund “Pilgrim” started a new ministry, that helps abandoned children in hospitals , boarding schools and orphanages in Mariupol and Horlivka.

Pastor-pilgrim in Germany.
Pastor Gennadiy had an extensive program of ministries in Germany. In a short period of time he and his team of ministers visited several cities, where he participated in conferences, youth ministries, spoke with Russian Christians living in Germany.

The refugee kids in “Pilgrim”
Due to the war conflict going on in the east of Ukraine, many people lost their homes, lost their dear people and had to leave their places. Mariupol as a city by the frontline has received many displaced people. A lot of families with kids started to settle there from zero and it is an incredibly hard task. The center of children’s rehabilitation “Republic Pilgrim” has also got into gear with the displaced people.

The state of former street kids is in Odessa
After winter camp in Odessa the pilgrims made good friends there – the Prilutsky family from the Victory Church. And now they have helped to organize the summer recreation for the children of the center of children’s rehabilitation “Republic Pilgrim”. The kids could enjoy Odessa and the shore of the Black sea for 2 weeks. Beside the goal to temper and to improve health of the kids there was an important goal to obtain some tourist skills and to learn to survive in extreme conditions. Such rehab tourism is an important part of restoration of a person’s identity.

Pet therapy for the kids with special needs
The Vasilenko family serves children with special needs. They have been living in their new house in The Pilgrim Village for the second summer now. Now they have the opportunity to be engaged in farming and to arrange well life and this is what greatly improved the psychological state of the children and in general impacted the lifestyle of the adoptive family.

The adoptive family Kovalenko is renovating their house.
2 years after the purchase of the house in “Pilgrim village” the adoptive family Kovalenko could finally move in. The family has 4 kids, 2 of them have finished 1 st grade in school this year. The youngest daughter is still in the nursery school. In their garden they have a special playground and even their own small house and a tiny vegetable garden.

The Voice of Ukraine 2015 has become former Mariupolite, a minister of “Pilgrim” Anton Kopytin.
Anton Kopytin, a famous classic singer in Mariupol and Donetsk, has become famous all around the country. The Ukrainians in their vote of the project “The Voice” gave their preference to Anton – a Christian with three kids.

The pilgrims at the datcha.
The holiday house project “Datcha” of Republic Pilgrim had started only 1 year ago but within this year so much was done. The house itself and the front yard were significantly improved, the vegetable garden is ennobled, they planted fruit trees and bushes and made a flower-bed. And special reason to be proud of is “the banya” (sauna) which is being built.