By Lena Voznyuk
Voluntary work probably requires the highest level of dedication. Tired after a work day or a day at the university, a volunteer is still ready to serve others. Sometimes, instead of resting on the weekend or having a dinner with loved ones another day, a volunteer dedicates his own time for ministry to orphan kids.
Volunteers do their ministry from the bottom of their hearts, filled with love for God. Love is moving in them and through them, and they serve not for personal benefit, or just because they have to, but simply answering the call of their hearts.
I know this for sure. Before my part-time job at Last Bell, I was a volunteer for more than a year and a half. My desire to serve to orphan kids inspired my friends and they joined me in this hard but very God-pleasing voluntary work.
Thanks to each of them we provide a variety of projects for our kids. I see that the volunteers’ mission is in answering children’s needs: moral, physical and spiritual.
Every Thursday I lead youth club for our children, a meeting where we build relationships through playing games and discussing important topics, praying and learning, having fun, and getting inspired. I have a team of volunteers who help me: Nastya L., Nikita, Nastya K., Vanya, Vadya, Angelina, and Val. All of them dedicate their time to our children. Volunteers are involved in developing the meeting plan, leading games, and discussions. But most important is the ministering heart of every volunteer. They spend lots of time with kids at the Shelter (visiting them also on days other than Thursday), know their needs, and with God’s assistance try to cover those needs, giving their love and support.
Volunteers are always ready to help. The only problem is a free time, which is limited because of jobs all of them have.
During warm and hot weather we’ve organized different outdoor activities: roller-skating, going to city beach, swimming in boats, games outdoors, and picnics.
During the autumn holidays, I decided to fulfill my life’s little dream of organizing workshops/master classes for our children – so they could spend their free time usefully but in a very interesting way. Our volunteers supported my intentions with enthusiasm and we made it possible to have the following workshops:
–Cooking master class: “Make sushi by yourself”
–Handcraft master class: “Notebooks”
–Master class: “Basic concepts of art and painting”
–Master class: “Financial literacy and money management”
–Master class: “Make-up and self-care for girls”
–Photo shoot for girls
It would be hard to measure all the volunteers’ work on this number of projects. It’s all about a sincere desire to help and serve children, supporting them and sharing love received from God, spending time, and using God-given skills. I strongly believe that God is using the hearts of our volunteers and He will bless them abundantly one day.
The only thing I would ask you is to pray for each of our volunteers: for God continue to give them the desire to serve, and fill them with Holy Spirit, with His power. You know, sometimes without receiving a fast and satisfying result in ministry, we meet with disappointment. It happens so often and probably everyone knows from the personal experience how easily the motivation, sense and aim, can be lost. So, they totally need your prayers and encouragement.
My volunteers’ team and I would like to say THANK YOU for your care and open hearts to our children. ONLY together we CAN fulfill the main commandment of our Lord – to love our neighbors, especially those who radically need our love, care, and support.
May God abundantly bless you, your families and people around you.
I believe that all those seeds of our cooperative efforts sowed into hearts and souls of our children won’t be in vain, and with God’s help someday those seeds will become a rich harvest in the Kingdom of God!
Lena