News
Purpose driven church on a visit to Republic Pilgrim
The leader of P.E.A.C.E. team to Ukraine from Saddleback church Carolyn Betts first time came to Mariupol accidentally and since then this place has become an oasis of her heart. As Pastor Steve Rutenbar shared he would never be able to do such trips to Ukraine and especially to bring big missionary teams here if not her faithful serving heart.
We’ve got summer vacations!
Summer holidays are a carefree and favorite time for the pilgrims. And now, just for some kind of training, the children retreat in the camp at the beach of Azov Sea.
Pilgrims meet summer
For several pilgrims this academic year is final. They have a difficult choice – the choice of future profession.
The case about the submachine gunners’ attack is closed. The Pilgrim has won the victory!
Two adolescents from Krivoi Rig whom they tried to take from the Mariupol children’s center “Pilgrim” on force in January were finally officially given back to their adoptive father. The official guardianship is restored and the children can be back to the family.
3-year-old wonder in “The House of Dream”
In the foster home for HIV positive kids there is a wonder – little Misha – a boy of 3. The boy answers the question “Where are you from?” with the words “I am from the store”.
The pilgrims paid tribute to the feats of veterans
On the eve of the 65th Anniversary of the victory over fascist Germany there was a whole bunch of various events in “Republic “Pilgrim”. The veterans who live nearby the children’s center were wiping their tears moved by the performance of the songs of war times by the pilgrims.
Evangelism on a soccer stadium in jails.
In early May in the colony of settlement for condemned in Mariupol the soccer match took place between the members of the Church of Good Changes and condemned. Crushing score 9:2 to the benefit of hosting team made pastor Gennadiy to demand revenge.
11 – year-old Roma Kim – a champion of Mariupol in boxing
Roma Kim ( 11 years old) from the center of children’s rehabilitation “Republic “ Pilgrim” has become a city champion in boxing. “ I was praying before going to the ring for God to give me will power and strength to win. He always answers my prayers”. – a young boxer assures.
Singing dolphins were dancing for the pilgrims.
At the spring break the citizens of “Republic “Pilgrim” didn’t have to get bored. The guys went to the theatre of Drama, movie theatre, historical museum, circus, but the most exciting was the trip to Donetsk dolphinarium.
Easter miracle
Educative story about good attitude to people was represented by the children of “Republic “Pilgrim” at the Easter break. It was a story about the mother who devoted herself fully to her kids as a prototype of Jesus Christ Who gave His life for all mankind.
The adoptive family – The Kovalenko – “children need family more than anything and no difficulties can compare with their eyes shining with joy and happiness!”
In 2008 Andrei and Larisa Kovalenko made a decision to adopt a child since they didn’t have their own kids. Presently, in 5 years after that, they are the large family where the parents raise 4 kids. They are not going to stop on this. They are convinced in heart that their family can be even larger.
The partakers of the bike action “Russia without orphans” have reached Kansk
Today Kansk was visited by the participants of the international bike trip “Russia and the world without orphans”. This action is unique because among 40 participants there are kids who used to be street kids and now they are adopted, and their adoptive parents ride the bikes alongside with their children. They have ridden 5000 miles by this time and they have the city of Baikalsk ahead of them! Their main purpose is to tell the entire world that it is not that difficult and scary to adopt a child.
Heart miles of the bike action “World without orphans”. Siberian stage.
Mariupol former street kids from the center of children’s rehabilitation “Republic Pilgrim” performed another feat: within 48 days they rode 3100 miles of Siberian roads taking along their dream and the call to not be scared of adoption but to adopt to go to orphanages and take kids from their into the families
My sons, I have written this letter to you, but I had no time to give it to you. But I know you are “Googles” so you will be able to find it and read it online….
Today, when everything is over for almost a year till next summer, when there are 6200 miles behind us, we rode this distance together on bikes along Ukraine and Russia, the Urals and Siberia, and now when I am sitting by the bank of the Baikal Lake and you are making yourselves comfortable in your sleeping bags.. I would like to tell you something important.
Gennadiy Mokhnenko “There is no such thing as bad genes”
Within 2 years of the worldwide bike action “Russia and the world without orphans” its participants rode a distance of 2 grand-tours. It’s 5000 miles through Ukraine and Russia. There are no professional bikers among them. There are adult men, teenagers and even younger boys who barely started reaching the pedals. But within each day they ride about the distance of tour de France – 62 miles, 93 miles, 127 miles per day. And more than that – within the nearest 5 years the bikers are planning to ride around the Globe and to come back to their native Mariupol. And in winter times they plan to “run” up to the mountain top of Jomolungma, to ride through Africa… The purpose of each of such trip according to the main initiator of the action, Gennadiy Mokhnenko< - is to motivate people around the world to adoption, orphans need families.
The participants of the bike action have arrived in Tyumen.
The worldwide bike trip “Russia and the world without orphans” has reached Tyumen. Over 30 bikers, most of them are former street kids, former drug addicts and street robbers; they came to this regional city and shared their marvelous stories of change in life and their credo.
