Russia (MNN) — While the western world is gearing up for Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Christians are getting ready for a new milestone in the former Soviet Union. Russian Ministries Gift of Hope program serves Russia, Ukraine, Moldova and other nations. This year, they need you to help reach their new goal, and you don't have to leave the comfort of your own home.
Wally Kulakoff with Russian Ministries says, "The Gift of Hope is about the size of a shoe box. It's printed within the former Soviet Union…. Then it takes about $25 to fill one." The boxes are filled with gifts, personal care items, and either "The Story of Jesus" or "My First Bible."
Kulakoff says these books serve two purposes. "English is probably the most desired language around the world, including in Russia. 'The Story of Jesus' has a story in Russian and in English, and it's become a very popular tool not only to learn the English language, but an evangelistic tool."
What's the goal? "God has laid it on our hearts to provide 70,000." That's 5,000 more than last year.
Kulakoff says as children come to Christ, the goal is to get them involved in children's Bible clubs taught by young people trained in Russian Ministries School without Walls program. Kulakoff says the Gift of Hope boxes are stepping stones. "The child–when he or she comes to know Jesus Christ–is the future of Russia. The foundation of the pure conscience, the foundation of the love that is based on Christian principles, is what Russia lacks."
Russian Christmas is celebrated January 7, so you have even more time to help support this ministry. It takes just $25 to provide a Gift of Hope to a child.
The Gift of Hope program is expanding into Irkutsk. That's the birthplace of Greg Yoder's daughter. God has placed on her heart a goal of raising $4,000 to send gifts to the orphanage that she lived in prior to her adoption by the Yoders. Yoder is the executive director of Mission Network News.
If you'd like to help the Yoder family reach this goal, make checks payable to "Russian Ministries" and send them to:
Mission Network News
1159 East Beltline NE
Grand Rapids, MI 49525
