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Bible Society meets needs
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| Anna Ivanavna, a resident of the home for the elderly and disabled in Lasnaya, Belarus. This home receives biblical materials from the Bible Society of the Republic of Belarus. Photo: UBS/Dag Smemo (BYE05DJ-23.JPG) |
The home is one of eight in the Brest region of Belarus. Its 300 residents, who range in age from 68 to 103, do not enjoy many luxuries, but they are very well cared for by the staff and all their basic physical needs are fully met: there is even space set aside in the garden for growing herbs for making natural medicines. A lot of consideration is given to their spiritual needs, too. An Orthodox priest and a Protestant pastor hold services, and some young evangelical Christians come to sing songs and talk to the residents. There is also a simple room set aside for individual or group prayer. This is where 51-year-old Mr Shemchuk has been leading prayers and discussions every day for more than 20 years. A Christian before he came to live here in 1983, he quickly found other Christians and set up a group which usually consists of around 10 people.
“Most Christian families care for their elderly or disabled relatives
at home,” he explains, “so there are not many Christians here.
It’s important for us to stick together and help each other. Through
our group, some people have returned to faith and others have found
faith.”
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| Yeugeny Nickolayevich Shemchuk (51), a resident of the home for the elderly and disabled in Lasnaya, Belarus. This home receives biblical materials from the Bible Society of the Republic of Belarus. Photo: UBS/Dag Smemo (BYE05DJ-41.JPG) |
Most of the group’s members find it difficult to read a standard- size Bible, so the large-print Book of Psalms that the Bible Society donated to the home two years ago has proved very popular. Now they are looking forward to receiving more Portions in large print, and are also keen to know more about the work of the Bible Society.
Purposeful
As the Bible Society visitors go around the home talking to the residents and handing Bibles and Portions to those who wish to receive them, they are greeted enthusiastically.
Fjodor Prokopovitch, 87, approaches General Secretary Igor Mikhailov very purposefully to request a Portion. He receives the Gospel of John and retires immediately to his room to begin reading it. In contrast, Nina Fjodorovna, 77, is bed-ridden because of a broken leg and has to wait for the visitors to come to her in the room she shares with two others. Nevertheless, she is full of joy.
Read together
“I thrive here. I am so well taken care of,” she tells them as she gratefully receives a Bible.
In another room, 83-year-old Barbara Aleksandrova sits on the arm
of the chair of her close friend Praskovja Jakovlevna, 85, as they read
to each other from the books they have just received from the Bible
Society and talk about what they have found in them.
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| Barbara Aleksandrova (83) sits on the arm of the chair of her close friend Praskovja Jakovlevna (85) at the home for the elderly and disabled in Lasnaya, Belarus. This home receives biblical materials from the Bible Society of the Republic of Belarus. Photo: UBS/Dag Smemo (BYE05DJ-24.JPG) |
The staff, too, are very interested in the Bible Society’s materials. 25-year-old Tatiana, one of 14 nurses at the home, eagerly accepts a children’s Bible story book as a gift for her four-year-old son. Soon she is reading it herself.
Grateful
“We are grateful for the assistance given us by the Bible Society, with both humanitarian help in many forms and for Bibles and Portions,” says Dmitry Ivanovich, deputy director of the home.
This report refers to projects BYE003 and 73205. A previous article about the Bible Society’s work with handicapped people can be found in World Report 389/9. (WR 401/2 - 04/05.06) [6 photos]
