Belarus. Music on a Mission
My Connection
Long time friends, Doug & Kristina Brendel became involved with Belarus after the nuclear explosion at Chernobyl 1986. Kristina was hired to photograph the damage for an American charitable organization after they discovered that the Soviet government refused to help its own people (over 25% of the country was destroyed and uninhabitable).
With their homes, livestock, and schools destroyed, these people who were seriously ill had nowhere to go. The Brendels committed to finding a way to bring ongoing help and hope to these resilient hard working people. Over time I heard the stories about Belarus and helped a bit here and there. After joining MSW I was given the opportunity to make my first trip in 2011. I know God connected me with the Brendels all those years ago for this present time and purpose.
Why Belarus? Watch Video
Causes
We strive to be the hands and feet of Jesus and to leave a footprint of justice and mercy wherever we go. Updates for our current projects will be emailed to our friends periodically and posted in my Blog. We would love to keep you informed, please CONTACT me and request to be included in periodic Belarus updates so you won't miss your opportunity to pray, give and rejoice with us as we bring God's love in this region of the world. (Never fear, we won't bombard your email box)
Our Work With Individuals
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Olga & Yuri and their foster-children
Our On-Going Projects
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The Church Of St Nikolis
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The Ushachi Hospital (Dr. Sergei)
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Sasha’s Soup Kitchen (Sasha Chernitsky)
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Small projects upon request ie Minsk juvenile detention center, Chekhovshinskya orphanage
Little Bits About Belarus
“Where Is Belarus?”
Polatsk, Belarus is the actual geographical center of all of Europe. Polatsk is a small city a couple of hours drive north of Minsk. Minsk sits in the middle of the country and is its capital. Russia borders Belarus to the north and east, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the southwest, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Who knew! Little Belarus is the center of Europe!
Is Belarus' National Religion Russian Orthodox?
There are no reliable statistics. More than half of the Belarusian population identify with the Russian Orthodox Church, although many do not participate with any regularity. About a third of the population are Roman Catholics. Protestants make up about 25% of the population. However, the government refuses to register many Protestant communities, which makes their activities illegal from the official viewpoint of the Belarusian state.
Child Welfare Services in Belarus
Currently, more than 1.7 million children live in Belarus and about 25,000 among them do so without parents.That number stays relatively stable with predictable peaks in times of crises. In the 1990's the number of orphaned children tripled and resources were scarce.About 80% of children in state custody are Social Orphans. This term describes children who live in orphanages or foster care and have living biological parents. Foster care is relatively new to Belarus and is probably the biggest improvement in the child welfare system to date.
