We recently received news of the deaht of Sergei Ilyichev. He lived in the Grace Home Vladimir, a small cottage-style home outside the city of Vladimir. It is supported by Grace Episcopal Church in St. Helena, CA. The church helped us purchase the cottage, and now helps sustain its operations.
After we informed Norm, the leader of Grace Episcopal's outreach to Grace Home Vladimir, about Sergei’s death, he wrote this back to us:
Sergei was truly a boy of our hearts, since he was a part of our St Helena family for many years at the summer camps. Of all of the boys at our camps, he was the one who was continually running up to me to say, "Horochaya programa, Dyadya Norm" ("Great program, Uncle Norm.")-- he was always wanting to assure us that he and the other kids were enjoying our program. He was a grateful boy. We pray that his soul is at peace in the hands of our Lord. I also remember when we walked around the outside of your Grace Home with Papa Sergei and discussed the things that should be done to make the home nicer and prettier for you. He made a point of telling me, "Uncle Norm, not to worry. I will work with Papa Sergei, and everything will be just the way you want it to be.”
It’s often in times of great joy and great tragedy that we’re able to see the depth of connection that this ministry can make. When you’re in the day-to-day, it’s hard to see what’s really going on. Hearts are being filled with hope again. Relationships are being repaired by love and concern. When these terrible events happen, we get to see a little bit more of God’s promises for orphans.
In their letter back to Norm and the team, the kids from Grace Home Vladimir wrote this:
Thank you for being our family and for sharing our sorrows! Family support is very important especially in difficult times. Sergei was our dear friend and we will never forget him. Three of us were able to go to the cemetery last week to say our last goodbyes to Sergei. It was very hard. Then in the evening, as we all gathered for dinner, we talked about Sergei and the time that we had spent together. Everything is going well here. We work in the garden almost every day, we planted a lot of vegetables already. We also planted flower seeds that you had brought to us. We believe they will grow into beautiful flowers. We are always looking forward to hearing from you and to seeing you. Thank you very much for loving us and caring for us.
I bolded that sentence because it is again one of those times when the kids are poetic and prophetic. The second, and deeper meaning here is that the children are themselves the flowers, blooming into a beautiful and unique creation. Through the tender care of sponsors and friends along with the nutrients provided by the Holy Spirit—the children blossom and grow into beautiful flowers.
As Katya Celenina, National Director of Fund Nadezhda, the Russian arm of Children's HopeChest, says often, “that is worth everything.”
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