Being consistently present changes lives.
It did for Sasha. She spent most of her young life in the orphanages in Russia. She was quiet, reserved, and seemed to be content with just one or two friends. One day, a group of Russian adults showed up to her orphanage on a Saturday to play some games, hand out candy, and tell some stories. Little did Sasha know, her life would be forever changed by this group that showed up from one of our Communitas churches.
Over several years of weekly visits, Sasha came out of her shell and became a part of the weekly group’s ministry. She learned lots of games, enjoyed all the new friends, and heard stories about Jesus. Leaders in the ministry took notice of the change: the joy and happiness they saw in Sasha. As time passed, she grew closer with those in the ministry and time came for her to graduate from the orphanage. She had some big decisions to make: should she put her trust in the institutional system that she knew or trust God and apply to join the graduate ministry program provided by these wonderful young Russian leaders? Sasha chose to apply and was accepted into the orphan graduate program.
Through the orphan graduate program, Sasha learned how to thrive as a young adult. The one-on-one mentoring and group meetings taught Sasha so much about life as an adult that she would never have otherwise learned. During the program, she enrolled in culinary school, and, after two years, became a sous chef. She found a great job with the assistance of the leaders in the ministry program. After graduating the program, she got her own apartment. Within the last year, she got married, and the newlywed couple welcomed their first child into their family, a boy. Sasha remains committed to attending activities offered by the ministry and, most importantly, to her relationship with the Lord.
This type of life change is possible because of the people who shared Jesus with Sasha week after week. Like many other Communitas churches around the world—this ministry in Russia is demonstrating that the sacrificial love of Christ is what motivates Christians to show up consistently.
“And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up,” (Galatians 6:9).
