is your love in action, inside the former Soviet Union
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A report from Doug Brendel to all who support or follow our New Thing ministry in Belarus...
Now hereÕs something you donÕt see every day...
Compassion ÒTo GoÓ!
WhatÕs wrong with this picture?
We have the joy of serving lunch to as many as 140 homeless and poor in Minsk every day, but not like this.
Homeless people in Belarus normally donÕt eat out of restaurant Òto goÓ boxes.
But last week, it happened. Why?
It started with a famous Belarusian singer, Alexander Tikhanovich, who died a couple years ago.
He was committed to compassionate work among the needy in Belarus.
The celebrityÕs daughter Anastasia, a singer and producer, observed this yearÕs anniversary of his passing through a ÒLove as a GiftÓ campaign—
collecting enormous quantities of food, medicine, and other aid for people in need.
The Day & Night CafŽ in Minsk participated — and delivered 120 entrees and salads to our soup kitchen for the homeless!
The helpings were so big, it turned out to be almost a weekÕs worth of food!
We are truly grateful for the amazing support of the Day & Night CafŽ!
I canÕt tell you how strange it is to see Òto goÓ boxes in the kitchen of the facility where Pastor SashaÕs team feeds the homeless and poor every day!
In 20 years of feeding the homeless, I donÕt think SashaÕs assistant Viktor has ever handled Òto goÓ boxes or plastic containers!
ThereÕs a chance our head chef Valery is familiar with Òto go boxes.Ó
He was a millionaire once. Fell on hard times, had to flee his homeland, came back homeless.
Today he devotes his life to providing nutritious meals every day for his Òbrothers and sisters of the streetÓ in Minsk.
Meanwhile,
ÒThe Great KozovayaÓ and our ÒResponse of the HeartÓ team are working more
intensively than ever to help the homeless in other ways:
getting them passports, helping them pass medical testing in order to get jobs,
and more.
All made possible by caring friends supporting New Thing!
More adventures to come!
Thanks for journeying with us!
Much love,
Doug Brendel
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Thanks again!