After a year of planning, the visit to Belarus is here at last. Although we’ve done our best to anticipate as many details as we can and keep everyone informed, the situation has been changing around us as the year has gone on and we’ve had to develop a very flexible approach to what we’re hoping to do when we get to Borisov.
The emphasis has shifted from carrying out as much building work as we can on Peter House, to spending as much “quality time” as we can with the children who live in the shelter. As the Project is firmly in God’s hands, we are sure that this is what He wants us to do during our visit and we thank Him for His continuing guidance.
“Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and all your plans will succeed” Proverbs 16.3
Oleg, our contact in Borisov has been working exceptionally hard to organise the practical aspects of our visit. The first group of 19 volunteers are due to fly out to Minsk on Saturday 13th August and a second group of 17 are flying out on Saturday 20th August. Everyone should be home again by Sunday, 28th August.
A week before the first group flies out, Paul Weepman, who went out last year to help to plan the mission, is going out with some members of the Lancashire Fire Brigade, at the invitation of the Fire Service in Belarus. This will give Paul a chance to finalise the details of the church mission with Oleg and make sure that everything is ready for the first group when they arrive. The Fire Service has kindly offered to pay for the coach that will be used to transport the children from Peter House, which is very encouraging.
Despite working fulltime, caring for his own son who has special needs and supporting other families with children with disabilities, Oleg has managed to arrange a packed programme for both groups while they are in Belarus. A draft programme for the visit is set out below:
Saturday 13th August
Arrival of first group at Minsk Airport First flight arrives 15.50, Second flight arrives 21.55
Travel to Borisov.
Settle into the Hotel
Visiting Peter House.
Sunday, 14th August
Meet the Pastor at the Baptist Church
Excursion with children from Peter House to the “Berezinsky National Park”
Supper at Peter House
Monday, 15th August
Visit to Peter House/Neil meets the Mayor of Borisov
Guided tour of Borisov with the children from Peter House
Lunch at Peter House
Excursion to a nature area with the children from Peter House
Tuesday, 16th August
Breakfast with the children at Peter House
Excursion to the memorial village of “Khatyn” and the “Memorial Barrow of Glory”
Lunch at Peter House
Crafts and entertainment with the children from Peter House
Supper
Wednesday, 17th August
Breakfast at Peter House
Excursion to Minsk (Capital City)
Neil to meet Bishop of Orthodox Church
Visit to a Centre for Disabled Children, with tea with the children at McDonalds in Minsk
Supper at Peter House
Thursday, 18th August
Breakfast at Peter House
Visit to Minsk Cathedral
Crafts and entertainment with the children at Peter House
Visit to the Baptist Church
Supper at Peter House
Friday, 19th August
Breakfast at Peter House
Excursion to “Bruly Field” with the children from Peter House
Excursion to “Studionka” with the children from Peter House
Supper at Peter House
Saturday, 20th August
Breakfast at Peter House
Arrival of second Group
Supper together at Peter House
Sunday, 21st August
Breakfast followed by departure of first Group
Excursion for second group to “Berezinsky” National Park with children from Peter House
Visit to the Baptist Church
Supper at Peter House
Monday, 22nd August
Guided tour of Borisov with the children from Peter House
Lunch
Excursion to a nature reserve with the children
Supper at the hotel
Tuesday, 23rd August
Breakfast at Peter House
Excursion to the memorial village of “Khatyn” and the “Memorial Barrow of Glory” with the children from Peter House
Lunch
Supper at the hotel
Wednesday, 24th August
Breakfast at Peter House
Excursion to Minsk
Meeting the Bishop
Visit to a Centre for Disabled Children
Lunch at McDonalds with the children
Supper at Peter House
Thursday, 25th August
Breakfast at Peter House
Visit to the Cathedral at Minsk
Lunch at Peter House
Crafts and entertainment with the children
Visit to the Baptist Church
Supper at Peter House
Friday, 26th August
Breakfast at Peter House
Excursion to “Bruly field” with the children
Lunch at Peter House
Excursion to “Studionka” with the children
Supper at Peter House
Saturday, 27th August
Breakfast at Peter House
Crafts and entertainment with the children
Farewell Party
Sunday, 28th August
Breakfast at Peter House
Departure from Minsk
Although we’re all very excited and looking forward to going, we’re all feeling a little apprehensive about leaving our families and travelling to somewhere where the language etc is very different from our own. We’re also keen to make sure that whatever we do during our visit to Belarus, we are able to show the children that we meet the very real love that Christ has for each and every one of them. We would be very grateful for your prayers throughout the visit.
We are hoping to provide a day to day diary of our activities on the Church website so that those who are supporting us in prayer can keep up to date with what we are doing and also respond to specific prayer requests we may discover while we are with the children.
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