by SASHA OSIPOV
Street Patrol Leader

Day activity center was opened!
Children already taken off the streets

The day activity center in Odessa has finally been opened! The remodeling was a lengthy project, work was accomplished through our own resources.

Now we have a heated location, where we can bring the children to eat, clean up, be treated for lice, to change clothes, and where we can arrange Sunday School and other activities, as well as to discuss with them about their problems.

Young Runaways in Trouble
On the opening day, we brought two boys we found on the streets into our center: Vanja, 12, and Slavik, 11. They were extremely filthy, and their clothing reeked. Slavik had a high fever, he was trembling. Y

he boys were from the same area six hours away from Odessa. They had decided to go to Odessa but were unable to return. The runaways ended up sleeping in the park in the foundation of the statue of the Eternal Fire.

"Oh, My Son!"

When we were able to call Vanya's parents, they were extremely relieved that he was found! They traveled to Odessa right away to pick him up. We drank tea while we were discussing with the family how God took care of their son.

"Oh my son, we love you so much!" Vanya's mother says through the tears.

The Return Was an Event in the Village
Slavik was in the hospital for a week because of a throat infection, and we took him food and clothing. (In Ukraine, the family has to provide all the supplies for the patients.)

We were able to inform Slavik's single-parent mother about finding her son through a congregation in the village. The mother took turns in crying for joy and promising to give her runaway a good spanking!

When Slavik was released from the hospital, he was more than eager to return home. However, during the long drive home he was quiet, fearing the admonishing from the mother.

The mother and grandparents wondered who we were, that we helped people like this. We told them about our work and about our calling to help the children on the streets. We donated the family a Bible and encouraged them to take Slavik to the youth activities in their local congregation, where he would be in good and safe company!

Slavik's return was a great event in the village, everybody talked about it.

Translated by Jari Vesterinen, Jamtrex Language Services