Chernobyl helps the church see beauty from ashes.

By July 29, 2005

Belarus (MNN)–On April 25, 1986, the world’s worst nuclear power accident occurred at Soviet Chernobyl.

The blast unleashed a radioactive cloud over Ukraine, Russia, and Europe. Belarus was hit especially hard. It received 70% of the fallout, and the country now sees alarmingly high rates of radiation sickness.

It’s a deadly legacy, but the Global Aid Network wants to see that change.

GAiN-USA’s Rick Ragan says, “We’re told that there are approximately 28-hundred settlements located in the contaminated area with a population of more than 1.5 million people, including about 420-thousand children. Unfortunately, these are the poorest of the poor.”

Further economic burdens such as astronomical inflation rates and economic crisis spurred by two consecutive bad harvests in 1998 and 1999 have left many of the Belarussian people struggling to survive.

Ragan explains they want to use the 20th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster as a platform to help the local church minister in this hard-hit area. “We’re currently recruiting volunteers who want to lock arms with the local Bela-Russian churches to help with the distribution of Bibles, children’s Bible storybooks, food, clothing, all in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.”

There is no danger for short-term visitors. The first team leaves January 28, 2006. Click here to get more information.

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