What do you see in the photo above?
Perhaps a teenager watching a sleeping baby. But there’s so much more! The girl is Ksenya, and her parents are staff members Sasha and Yuliana.
When Yulia was nine years old, she went to live at an orphanage. She and the other children were neglected and mistreated. Their food was taken away. They were punished in ways that could be called torture.
We began mentoring Yulia when she was a teenager. She became a Christian; she studied well and found a good job as a nurse. Then in 2012, Ksenya was born. After such a terrible childhood, how could Yulia learn to be a good parent?
Family camps meant the world to Yulia. After camp in 2014 she wrote, “At just that moment in my life when it was very difficult to take care of my child, I learned the right methods.”
Last Bell’s leaders and volunteers played with little Ksenya while Yulia soaked up the parenting classes. Nine years later, Ksenya is a volunteer. “She’s so grown up,” Yuliana wrote, “and understands that she isn’t just playing with children, but serving God with her help.” While Ksenya watches babies, her mom is teaching the next generation how to raise children with love.
YOU provided for camp all those years ago, and again in 2023. Thank you! Your generosity ripples out into our community, changing family after family. Who knows if Last Bell’s next leader will come from this year’s campers?
Bonus Photos: A Loving Community
At camp, orphaned parents don’t just take classes. They’re woven into a big extended family full of aunts, uncles, and grandparents who pay attention to their needs and walk beside them.
Left: Lonya fell in love with this scooter during camp. Afterwards his dream came true – the scooter went home with him! Right: Staff member Sergei spent a lot of time babysitting Kiril. His mom would say, “Go to grandpa!”