Relationships with believers can be life-changing for these kids. (Slavic Gospel Association photo)
Former Soviet Union (MNN) ― We continue with our four part
series about the youth of the former Soviet Union.
When the Soviet Union dissolved almost 20 years ago, it left dissent and chaos in its wake, as the regions it once controlled split into 15 different countries. Though terribly weak, they set off on their own to create their own economies, governments, and societies.
However, Eric Mock of Slavic Gospel Association said when they did so, many abandoned the family unit, which had been strong during Communism, and turned their backs on God to plot their own course.
"Some of their great social tragedies of the day since the fall of the Soviet Union have really gripped the young people of Russia and the former Soviet Union. They're faced with a very high murder rate; they're faced with alcoholism," Mock said.
These ills are wiping out large numbers of the older generation, leaving scores of orphans behind. Yet, Mock said among these countries, only 30 percent of orphans are true orphans--without either parent, and the other 70 percent are social orphans--abandoned or separated from their parents. "These orphans often face a life of crime. The girls talk about facing opportunities in prostitution. And we see what we would call 'social ills of the day' become overwhelming facts of life for the youth. With the breakup of the family unit, with the ... effect of godlessness--a society founded on godlessness--we find that there are great tragedies in this."
However, "In the midst of this, there is also a young generation with a passion to serve that has come seeking answers of truth," he said.
Therefore, Slavic Gospel Association began Orphans Reborn in 2002 to connect these youth with the local church: "The Orphans Reborn program is a program where we are supporting and working and serving the local churches--the local Bible teaching churches of the former Soviet Union. As they reach out to young orphan children, [they help] these teenagers ... so they break this cycle and don't get caught up in the hopelessness of the social ills of the day. But they become passionate, faithful, fruitful followers of Jesus Christ," Mock said.
SGA has established this program with the local churches of Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Belarus and Armenia.
And though only fractions of the children make decisions for Christ, of the ones who do, many want to return to help out more orphans once they complete the program at 17 or 18-years-old.
"We see these orphan children that should have all the reason in the world to complain about what life has dealt them. Yet, a lot of them will come back and say they praise God that they were placed in the orphanage because it was there that they heard the life-saving, life-changing Gospel. They are sold out, and they live for God alone," Mock said.
Pray for these orphans and the local churches ministering to them. Pray for the orphans who have made decisions for Christ to protect their hearts from the pressures and distractions around them daily. Pray that they will lean on Christ for strength and not try to find resilience in themselves alone.
You can support SGA and their Orphans Reborn program by clicking here.
Join us tomorrow for Part 3 of this four part series on the pressures youth are facing in the FSU and what ministries are doing to combat this.
