is your love in action, inside the former Soviet Union

A report from Doug Brendel to all who support or follow our New Thing ministry in Belarus...

Where disabled people are often hidden from view...

MOM Power, Part 2

My last visit to Belarus ended with an introduction to the “Belarusian Association for Support of Disabled Children and Young People” — 42 families with disabled children from 3 to 35.

I was so impressed, on this visit I insisted on making this our first stop: I wanted Kristina to meet these moms and kids.

Alla, mother of a grown son who is disabled, founded the association.

In a culture where the disabled are somewhat unwelcome, the Association promotes one key message:

Our kids are human beings too. Equal. Part of your world.

In an extremely cramped community center building, center director Tatiana welcomed us formally (and promised that on my next visit, I’ll be “family”).

The children presented a concert — vocal solos by (left to right) Eugenia and Valeria, and an original poem by Irochka, plus a solo by a mom (with enthusiastic dancing by some of the children).

(You may remember Valeria singing “Don’t Worry Be Happy” from my previous visit: 3:45 iPhone video.)

Then came the awful surprise. Zhenya, an accomplished artist, would teach me his painting technique — in front of the entire crowd.

As I am the world’s worst with a brush, my stress level shot up.

The art teacher places the brush in his hand, and he spatters various colors in strategic positions on the paper.

Then he blows through a narrow plastic straw, moving the paint around as desired.

I am a lame painter under the best of circumstances, but I was ridiculously bad at this.

Crowd reactions were, uh, mixed.

But Zhenya’s work is so impressive that Prodigal’s Home, a ministry to the urban poor where I served some years ago, sent us with funds to purchase two of his paintings, which they’ll display permanently in their Arizona facility.

“The Great Kozovaya,” who heads our Response of the Heart team in Belarus, had the privilege of announcing to the families that this purchase would make their impossible dream come true:

They will all travel in a rented bus to Minsk — for a day at the Dolphinarium! They could hardly believe it. They cheered!

Irochka’s mother happened to turn 50 that very day.

As a guest of honor, I was selected to present her an official memento.

The Association also presented Kristina with a handmade paper flower arrangement.

Kristina has been serving faithfully in Belarus for 22 years (she started 8 years before me).

To close the concert: a traditional Belarusian folk song. Masha and I danced.

My dancing is even worse than my painting. But Masha was a most forgiving partner.

The Association operates on a shoestring. But we will now have the privilege of helping them, through Kozovaya’s “Response of the Heart” team.

Thanks for journeying with us!

(Next up: photos from the Zhodino shelter for abused and abandoned children.)

Much love,

Doug Brendel

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