Ukraine (MNN) — In the last 4 years, church partners of Slavic Gospel Association have tripled the number of orphans they support.
Eric Mock says that’s largely due to the pandemic: “Maybe a parent’s been lost due to the pandemic. Parents have lost jobs due to the pandemic, as a whole range of complications have affected these kids. In fact, some of the kids that are in orphanages have actually said they are the lucky ones since they got into the orphanage. Because a lot of the kids that are in these homes suffer incredibly.”
Mock calls these kids “social orphans.” Many live in single-parent homes, typically with the mother. But even the parents these kids do have may not care for them well, due to alcoholism or drug use.
The love of the local churches
The government has no support for these kids, so local churches often provide the only help. You can help this work by supporting SGA’s Orphans Reborn program.
Mock says, “I was just in Ukraine in the war zone. One thing that I noticed was the women. It was these widows or single moms raising children, who are in this arduous journey of providing when the man’s
not around.”
Ask God to strengthen and comfort these women. And pray these families will find hope in Jesus as the local churches care for them.
Life won’t return to normal in these areas any time soon. COVID-19 case numbers remain high in many parts of the former Soviet Union.
Mock says, “Be praying for the churches as they also are at risk. But they seem to labor with no fear. They know the pandemic is there. They know that COVID-19 could take their lives. But much like in the
years of communism, and the threat against them advancing the Gospel, they see it as just one more enemy that they have to fight.”
Photo courtesy of Slavic Gospel Association.
