“Christ's method alone will give true success in reaching the people. The Savior mingled with men as one who desired their good. He showed His sympathy for them, ministered to their needs, and won their confidence. Then He bade them, "Follow Me." (The Ministry of Healing, p. 143). 

It is this principle that underlies the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) projects, many of which have been implemented in our territory of Belarus for several years.

To begin with, the ADRA Food project is now successfully developing in Grodno, and church members of all ages are involved. On a regular basis, food is collected in one of the shops in the city, then the community creates food packages and provides assistance to disabled children and adults. The food distribution takes place within the walls of the church, and along with physical bread, people receive spiritual bread in the form of missionary literature. Thanks to the project, friendly relations are being established with the residents of the city, and several families, to the great joy of the pastor and the congregation, have begun Bible studies.

Also, on December 26, the doors of the Vitebsk Church hospitably opened for guests. Friends and relatives of the community members came to a "Kindness Fair" and felt Christian love and care by receiving clothes and shoes, free haircuts, tasty and healthy treats. During the fair, everyone enjoyed live music: the saxophone played and songs of praise to God resounded. Those wishing to improve their well-being signed up for meetings of the Community Health Club.

The ADRA team also works in different areas of the Minsk region. In December and January, three Kindness Fairs were held: in Dzerzhinsk and in social services centers for the population of the Partizansky and Frunzensky districts of Minsk. 

The ADRA Mutual Assistance Center continuously works on different projects throughout the week. For example, together with the college of the service sector, from December 20 to 24, a student practice was organized, where 12 young people participated in charitable projects. By the new year, 150 gift sets were collected for children with disabilities in Minsk, Volozhin, Ivenets, and Rakov. On an ongoing basis, food is collected to help the socially vulnerable categories of the population. Volunteer assistance is regularly provided to care for the sick in one of the Minsk hospices.

In Borisov, the ADRA Food project is also gaining momentum. Assistance is received by families with children and/or families that have people with disabilities. In addition to food, each family receives the book, "The Great Controversy", and missionary newspapers as a gift. Through this process, people feel grateful for the kindness they encounter and feel open to share their needs and their problems, which allows for an opportunity for prayer and giving spiritual advice.

Since October, the ADRA Food project has been successfully implemented in Lida as well. Church members enthusiastically got involved in the project, and about 100 food packages have already been donated to the Society for the Disabled. Once a month, the community tries to invite people to the territory of the community in order to pay attention to spiritual values ​​through taking care of their needs. Among the regular visitors there are disabled children; one family has already begun to let their daughter go to church on Sabbath. The Lord blesses the efforts of the church and expands the geography of its ministry: the director of the Children's Center for Creativity in one of the villages of the Lida region invited the community to conduct a spiritual program for his students.

On December 19, the first “Kindness Fair” in this area was held, along with a health exhibition, in the Pinsk community on Zgody Street . Despite the bad weather, the project was visited by about 70 people of different ages and social status. Everyone who came could take what he needed: shoes and clothes, vegetables, and other items. An exhibition of handicrafts and hot tea with homemade cakes was also organized. Those who wished could measure their blood pressure and have a massage session. Large families received children's juice, puree, and muesli. 

In January, the community implemented the ADRA project, Dream in an Envelope. The day before, disabled adults wrote their wishes for the New Year and, with the help of community volunteers and caring people, the dreams of these people were brought to life. In the first days of January, caring members of the church visited the wards and presented them with gifts. A total of 21 disabled people participated in the project.

In Bobruisk, there is an ADRA Box project held every Sunday. From 12:00n to 4:00p.m., residents of the city bring second-hand clothes and shoes to a special room at the church, and those who need it can take whatever they need. The members of the church in Bobruisk have also collected gifts for disabled children and large families.

Thank God that there is so much love and kindness in the hearts of the brothers and sisters of our communities, paving the way for preaching the Gospel through the implementation of ADRA projects!

This article was originally published on the Euro-Asia Division’s news site.