Beslan cancels holiday celebrations; believers bring hope.

Russia (MNN)–Today is Christmas Eve in Russia. But not everyone is celebrating.

Beslan, Russia, was the scene of a bloody school siege in September. The grieving city cancelled holiday celebrations this year in honor of the more than 330 people who died.

Families are facing their first Christmas since the loss of their children. The wounds are fresh, and yet, there are efforts promoting healing for the survivors.

That’s why Russian Ministries’ Sergey Rakhuba says they launched a new project as part of the ‘Project Hope’ outreach. “We call them the ‘Backpacks of Blessing’. We fill it with school supplies, and also we put a Christian value pack, including a nicely printed children’s Bible.”

Rakhuba says local believers will distribute these gifts to people in Beslan and in other parts of Russia where children are at risk. “It’s exciting to see when those kids that lived through that horrible thing now are getting their smiles back and their innocent faces, and go home, going through the pages of that wonderful Bible. We know that this Bible will give them hope in the future.”

Pray throughout the holiday season for the hurting children of Beslan and all of Russia–that they will know the joy of Christ at Christmas and throughout their lives.