Greetings!
3 quick news flashes from Belarus:
1. In our campaign to provide new sewing machines and weather-tight windows at the boarding school for hearing-impaired children at Babruisk: 7 generous friends have donated a total of $915.86 toward the $2,210 we need.
We’re more than 40% of the way there! (If 20 friends can give $64.71 each, we’ll make it ... Just an idea!)
2. Our dear Lydia Danielevna (pictured in our Zoom conference with her) LOVED her surprise birthday gift, and sends her heartfelt thanks to all who gave so generously. She has decided to put the whole $1,500 into the boarding school for mentally and physically disabled children at Osipovichi:
A projection system for their auditorium,
plus replacement lamps for the projectors in the classrooms,
and new cabinet stands for the marker boards in 10 classrooms (the old stands literally rotted away and had to be tossed).
Director Larisa is thrilled, and sends her thanks! (I’ll send photos when the new equipment and furniture arrive.)
3. This is the coolest!
If a person with disabilities needs a specialized cycle, and someone in another country is willing to donate it, how do you get it into Belarus?
This is where our “Response of the Heart” team comes in — the biggest humanitarian aid operation in the country — thanks to the generous support of caring friends like you.
Case in point: Our “Response of the Heart” team brought in a 3-wheeled cycle for Viktor, whose disabilities make it impossible for him to walk. He’s mobile again! Here’s a little video.
It was such a heartwarming story, it made the Baranovichi News (read it in Russian here; or read Google Chrome’s English translation here).
Very cool, what you’re doing by giving to New Thing!
Thanks for journeying with us!
Much love,
Doug Brendel