“We are Bapaevs-Elzada, Gulnura, Elchi, & Omush.
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We lived with our parents good from the beginning, but then they began to drink & fought with each other. They didn’t take care of us. We lived in really bad conditions. We had a ruined & deserted house. There were no floors, no windows, no doors, even no tea pot for drinking tea. We had nothing. We slept on a pile of trash in the house. There were no clothes, we lived in rags, lousy & dirty. Our father drank & died from alcohol. Our mother left us for several days at a time. We were hungry & went begging. Sometimes our relatives brought us food. One of our mother’s sisters, out of sympathy gave us to the Children’s Home. Our relatives couldn’t help us. We loved being here, we have come to know Jesus, learned to live the Christian life, went to school. Can you imagine, I went to school when I was 14 years old & was only in 2 nd grade & studied with 8 year old kids. My brothers also studied the way I did. It was a shame for me, I cried but they made me study. I am grateful to the teachers that they helped me because we can’t do anything without education. It is a great joy that now I study in 9 th grade. Even if it were so, I had to finish school long ago, because I am 18 years old. We didn’t know where our mother lived but she came to the Children’s Home to visit us even if she was drunk. One day we heard our mother had died. It was hurtful for us because we became orphans. Praise God, we have Him. He is our mother & our father. Sometimes we went to relatives but only for 2-3 hours. On holidays we went to Gulnara Kumunanovna’s, Dinara’s and other teacher’s homes. Praise God, He changed our lives. Hallelluyah!” |
“We are Potapova Nastya, Birukov Jenya, & Efimenko Masha. We are all brother & sisters, just our fathers are different, that’s why our last names are different. Before the Children’s Home we lived with our mother & father. They drank alcohol & father beat Jenya. He was selling everything that was in our house. We didn’t have our own house so we lived in cottages. There was no peace at our house, so my mom gave us to the orphanage. I really liked it. I was so little when I came. But Jenya ran away from here 3 times. The teachers looked for him & made him come back. But now he doesn’t think about it, because now he knows God & his life has changed. If we would with our parents we wouldn’t know God. Even we wouldn’t be able to go to school, because our mother can’t send us. Recently before the camp our mother gave our youngest sister Masha. She has to go to school this year & they cannot let her go because they live in poverty. I’m grateful to God that He gave us such sponsors, teachers, & brothers & sisters. Sometimes mom takes us on holidays, but she can’t take us forever because she has a difficult time. But we love her & forgive her & are praying for them.”
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“My name is Shevchenko Pasha. When I was born my parents left me. My grandmother cared for me from when I was 3 months old until I was 13 years old. I went to kindergarten and then to school. When I was in the 5th grade my grandmother died. She was 86 years old. As I had no relatives I was given to the orphanage. Here I began my new life, I found new friends. I continued to study at school & became interested in learning foreign languages. I accepted Jesus & visited church. I will finish school this year. Now I have more goals for the future than before. I’d like to thank sponsors for their support & for all the things they’re doing for me. Also I appreciate their work how I’ve matured, & how they’ve shown me the right way. Although I don’t have a close family, God gave me a lot of brothers & sisters.” |
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“My name is Tereshenko Alona. I’m 9 years old. My mother lived with a strange man, & they drank a lot. So I lived with my grandmother. I was afraid of her because she beat me. I ran away from her house but I was found & returned back to my grandmother. Her health is bad. She is blind. She didn’t have enough money to take care of me & send me to school so she gave me to the orphanage. When I was first there I felt really bad. I didn’t want to live there. I thought that people would beat me. But here we have such kind tutors, a nice director & children. Here I learned about Jesus. I couldn’t pray but when our sponsors came here they showed us how to pray, & I became able to speak with our Father. I love God & thank Him for my life & that He changed me. Now my mom lives in the country. She is married but she doesn’t have opportunity to get me back. I pray for her & forgive here & I want to go to my grandmother’s on holidays.” |
“I’m Ulia Verkhovskaya. My mom died when I was a child. I didn’t have a father. I grew up in different places. I lived in some people’s houses & in Ak-Suu orphanage. Before I moved to this Children’s Home I lived with one woman for 7 years. This woman became a mom for me. This woman brought me to the Children’s Home because I was behaving badly. I’d lived in the Children’s Home for one year then my mom took me back for 5 months & now I’m here at the camp. My mom brought me here. She doesn’t want to take me back. The Children’s Home is the only place I can stay.” |
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We are Beregovaya Dasha & Beregovoy Vasya. We are 8 & 10 years old. Before getting into the Children’s Home we lived with our parents. They worked & provided us with food. Sometimes they drank. One day our mother got sick. The ambulance was called. At the hospital she died from a heart attack. I was 5 years old at that time & Vasya was 4 years old. We were left without our mother. It was difficult for us to live. Our father had to work but we couldn’t be alone. One lady advised to give us to the orphanage. Our father didn’t want to but she said it was a really good Children’s Home & she trusted them. Our father made the documents & we went to the Children’s Home. We felt warmth & love there. We had many brothers & sisters. We came to know God & fell in love with Him. Also we me our sponsors & we love them. We always look forward to seeing them. We would like to thank our teachers, cooks, director & other workers. We have a father & sister. They take us for holidays & on Sundays but they have no opportunity to take us forever from the Children’s Home but we love them & pray for them.” |
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“I am Juleve Mihail (Misha). At first our family lived in our own house but then my brother Danil was in an accident & my mom had to be with him in the hospital. When our mom came back from the hospital she was fighting with our father & she left our house. Our Dad began to drink a lot. All of u s lived on the streets. We sniffed glue, smoked cigarettes, drank alcohol, fought with street boys, stole things, got in trouble with the police. Our mom took us in her house but we ran away. Christian people invited us to them & we ate there sometimes. Then my brother got in the orphanage & took me with him but I ran away from there a lot of times. I didn’t want to live there because I was used to life on the street but the police took me back to the orphanage. Then I became a believer. God gave me a new life. I began to live by God’s grace. Thanks to Jesus that He forgave my sins & changed me. I am grateful to God for the sponsors & for the orphanage staff. Amen.” |
 “My name is Timur. I’m 15 years old. I was born in the village Pokrovka in a farming family. We were poor. There were 4 of us: mom, dad, brother & me, but my brother died. After this my7 dad began to drink & beat my mom. I was 5 years old. Besides being drunk a lot, my father smoked marijuana, stole everything from our house. After endless fighting, my parents broke up. I went with my mom & lived with my grandmother in Seishin village. My mom got married. They had a daughter. She is 5 years old now. I didn’t want to live with a step-father. My grand mother couldn’t take care of me & my acquaintance, Kemil gave me to the orphanage. I was missing part of my arm from birth. I don’t have a forearm & hand. I got accustomed to dress, to wash myself & fix my clothes by one arm. I finished 8 th grade. I found a new family at the orphanage. We have good tutors. They love us. They teach us to be honest, neat, respectful to elders, kind to young children, & to study good. We play different games, prepare concerts & I sing sometimes. I have a sponsor, Joy & Adrian. I appreciate them for their care-that I have everything to eat & to wear. Everything is clean & beautiful in the orphanage. I believe in Jesus Christ. I’ve heard about Him from children in the orphanage. I saw how their lives. When God began to answer my prayer I became a witness of Him. I could be a singer in the future. I’d like to have a hand like others. I can’t live at home because my parents can’t feed me. I love my orphanage.”
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“I’m Jumakeeva Albina. I’m 12 years old. When I was little my parents drank alcohol, fought with each other then beat me. When they drank I used to hide knives & be afraid to fall asleep before everyone else. When I was 4 years old my step-dad brought me to the Children’s Home. In 2 years came here my sister Nargiza & about 6 months later God brought also my other sister Madina. I didn’t know that I had sisters. During that time when we lived at the orphanage our parents couldn’t take us home. For that moment I was already a powerful believer & prayed a lot for our parents & God made a miracle. This year my parents live together. My father doesn’t drink vodka anymore but it’s a little difficult for them because they have not home & besides us 3 they have 2 other children. That’s why they can’t take us. But when I grow up I will buy them a house & will take care of them! Thank God for our sponsors & for my changed life. I forgive my parents for our hard childhood, I love them very much & pray for them. Amen!” |
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“Hello. My name is Rahat. I am 17 years old. I have lived in the Children’s Home for almost 8 years. Before the Children’s Home my life was really horrible. We lived with my grandmother & mom & they used to drink a lot. They used to fight a lot & my mo & I would run away. We would spend tour nights in the streets, the outdoor markets & in people’s basements. My life was like…I can’t even describe it. Now it is good to live at the Children’s Home. Before the Children’s Home when I was 7 years old I used to go to Spring of Life church. I didn’t know anything about God. I was just really interested to visit this place. I did not know if God was real. People in this church helped me. There was on occasion when we were walking in the market & we me one old lady. Her name was Salem & she said her children were at this Children’s Home & I really wanted to go to that Children’s Home because I was tired of living on the streets & having people yell at me. I wanted to live a normal good life & go to school. I came to this Children’s Home on May 30 & they took me right away. My mom was against me going there & she did not want to sign the papers for me to go to this Children’s Home. My grandmother persuaded her to say yes & I stayed at the Children’s Home. It was good at the Children’s Home & I came to know God deeper. I came to love God & now I have my ministry & I’m on the worship team & my goal is to serve God I am very glad to see our children growing & maturing in God. I went to school very late. When I was 10 I was only in 2 nd grade. But God helped me to move up grades & I was also trying to study hard. Praise God I got to my right grade level & now I finished my second year of technical school. God is so wonderful. He took me out from the dirt & brought me here. I love God very much & I don’t want to live without Him. I really like living in the Children’s Home. I love you all. Thank you.” |
 “My name is Kadyr. I was born in Karakol, My dad fought in Afghanistan. As soon as my dad left my mom got married. I lived with my grandmother but then she started drinking a lot. She sold almost everything at home to buy vodka. We had nothing to eat. I began living in the streets & stealing things from people. One Christina man, Anarbek took me to his house & then later brought me to the Children’s Home. I sued to run away a lot from there but one day they put me in the middle of a circle & were telling about God. I realized it was a prayer. Since that I began to believe God & to go to church. Here at the Children’s Home teacher have taught me how to read, how to be kind, how to be clean. Both of my parents died, I’m an orphan. The Children’s Home became a safe place because I have nowhere else to go. My relatives don’t want to take me to live with them. Thank God, thank our sponsors, thank our teachers!” |
“My name is Noskov Artem Ivanovich. I was born in 1992 in Kyrgyzstan. I lived in Karakol on Krupskaya Street # 80. My mom used to work in the hospital as a nurse. My dad used to work as a driver at a mine. He used to carry coal from the mining place into town. When I was 3 years old I got a bike from my dad for my birthday. After that he left for 3 moths to the mountains to gather wood. Both of my parents were working hard & earning enough money for us to live. We had 2 cows, 6 pigs, 57 chickens & 3 goats. When I was 5 years old my dad quit his job & so did my mom. My dad started drinking & smoking. He used to fight with my mom a lot. When I was 6 years old my dad got put in jail for stealing. Then my mom started drinking & smoking. My parents sold our cattle. They used to send me to buy vodka. When I was 8 years old I went to school. I had bad friends. We used to steal things. Almost all of my friends got put in jail & half of them died. I used to do a lot of bad things. I even started drinking vodka. I stole things to buy cigarettes. When I was 9 the police brought me to the Children’s Home. At first we didn’t have enough food to eat. I ran away but several weeks later they brought me back. I was taught how to pray. We were all praying for a bigger building. I have believed in God for 8 years now. He answers my prayers. After I got to the Children’s Home 3 years later my dad died. A year after that my mom passed away too. This is the story of my childhood. I thank God for bringing me to this Children’s Home. I have learned a lot of things about life here. I have come to know God. I was also taught how to read, how to clean, how to wash my clothes. I thank God for everything.”
“I am Tabaldieve Isken. I’m 15 years old. Before the Children’s Home I lived with my mom in Kant. My mother is disabled. She couldn’t walk at that time. My father was in prison. It was too hard for me & my mom to live. We were hungry, my mom was sick, I was too little, I was 5 years old. I began to gather bottles, steal, beg, ran away from home & became homeless. I slept in the street, in entrances & everywhere. My mom somewhere heard that there was a Children’s Home in Karakol & brought me here. I didn’t like it. I ran away 5 times, but I am grateful for our teachers that they brought me back again. They were looking for us days & nights. They made me a real man. Here I met with Jesus, at the beginning I refused to accept Him, but God is so amazing, a while ago I understood that He is alive. He is grace & love & always patient. I love Him so much. Thank God for everyone who takes part in this project, beginning from the sponsors ending with the workers. My mom is in Kant now. She couldn’t walk before but now she is making a little progress because I am praying for her. She has no opportunity to take me home for summer holidays, but I will take care of here when I grow up & can go to her to help her.”
“I am Slava Mikhalkin. I was born in 2002. I’m 6 years old. I have my father only. I have a cleft palate. My mother left us & I do not remember her. Now I live in the Children’s Home. I like it & everybody likes me there.”
“I’m Toktobek kyzy Jazgul. I used to live in Balykchy. There were 4 of us in our family. It was hard for us, me & my brother Baktiyar. We used to sell oil but our parents stayed at home while we were working. My father drank a lot & used to beat my mom. After a while they got divorced. We moved to Karakol & my mom got married again. He was drinking man also. We didn’t start going to school when it was time because we didn’t have clothes to go to school. Because of so many difficulties our mom brought all 4 of us to the Children’s Home. Then later our grandmother took 2 of us. When she died my mom took care of them. My brother had graduated from the Children’s Home and is working now. Now I’m alone. I can’t live with my mom because she’s taking care of my younger sisters. I need to be in school. I thank God for everything He has done for me! I really like living in the Children’s Home.”
“My name is Kuzmichev Andre. I was born in 1993. Before the orphanage I lived with my mom. We lived very bad because my had drank a lot & didn’t work. One day my mother beat one person & was put in prison. I was alone. I didn’t have a house so I began to live as a street child, gathering food scraps & begging. I spent the night anywhere. Then I came to “ Arizona” shelter where there were children like me. There I was beaten. Then one person spoke to a tutor of the orphanage & got me there. At that place I was washed & fed. They gave me a place to sleep. I really liked that. I was glad. Here I accepted Jesus & learned how to pray. God always answered my prayers. I’d like to thank sponsors for their support. If God would have never given us our sponsors nobody knows what would have happened with us. But now I have eternal life, God’s grace & a lot of brothers & sisters. I have a house & good clothes. I go to school now & I live like a normal person. I have a lot of moms. I love them very much. Thanks to God for everything. I don’t want to remember my last life. At this time my mom came back from prison & has a job. There is no chance for her to get me back. But when I will get older I will have my own house & I will take my mom there.”
“My name is Pavlova Katya. I am 12 years old. When I was small I lived with my parents. There were a lot fights. My grandmother beat my head with a pan. I ran away from our house a lot of times. We lived very badly. Often we didn’t have anything to eat & I would go to the neighbor’s house & she fed me. I didn’t have good clothes. When my mom came back from prison we slept on the ground in the street. Sometimes some people let us spend the night in their sheds. We gathered bottles, sold them & bought bread. Our mom drank a lot & our father left us. In my childhood I saw only fighting, drunkenness, fear, hunger, & poverty. I had nothing & that always hurt me. Adults treated me cruelly. Then I was given to the orphanage. Everything changed my life. Although my mom doesn’t come to see me I am not upset with her. I would like to thank God, the orphanage & all the people there. Thanks to sponsors. At this time my mom got married. They have a child & I feel they don’t need me but I forgive her & love her. When I will get older I will help her.”
“My name is Joldubai. I’m 16 years old. We (my brothers Ak-Tilek, Akusya, Iliyaz, my sister Aijan & me) lived with our parents. My mom didn’t drink at that time but my father & our relatives did. My father always beat my mom & tried to make her leave. When I was 5 years old my dad took all our documents & lost them. Then we left our father. We had a small business. At the beginning everything was good. But then our father came to us & our former life returned. Father beat us, drank, didn’t work, borrowed money, sold stuff from our house, stole a cow in the village & he was put in prison for 10 years. We came to Karakol to our grandfather & lived there about 2 months until our uncle came back form prison. He beat my grandfather & he died. Our uncle lived with us. He drank & beat us. My & my little brother went to the market, gathered bottles, food scraps & begged. Then me, my 3 brothers & sister ran away & lived as street children with one strange woman. Her son forced us to beg & bring home 100 soms every day. So we lived there, began to smoke, to steal, spent the night anywhere we could: with strangers, in furnace rooms, under trees, in parks, etc. At that time Spring of Life church fed street people 3 times a day. We went there & people there washed us in a shower, gave us clothes & food & treated our sicknesses. Then we started to study at the Red Cross. One teacher gathered us & led us to the orphanage. There were many things there for us. We washed there, they fed us & gave us a place to sleep. We really liked that place. There were kind tutors who cared for us. At that time our mom worked as a loader as the market & she visited us but she drank a lot. We loved her. She was everything for us. It was hard to see her but we couldn’t help her. But anyway we loved her. Unfortunately our mom died this year. We miss her very much. I’d like to thank our favorite tutors, pastor, cooks & others. They’re helping us to realize ourselves in life. They’re like mothers & fathers to us. We love them very much. We don’t even try to remember our last life. This orphanage is a safe island for us.”
“My name is Myktybek. I was born in Toguz Bulak in 1995. We lived there, but I couldn’t remember how. I just remember how well we lived in Karakol. At first my parents were doing well, they began to drink alcohol badly. My father was angry with us & put us out of the house. We slept at our neighbor’s barn. There was no bread at our house, we were hungry. We were homeless at that time, stole things & that’s why we were brought to the police station. When our father drank alcohol, he beat us unmercifully also my mom was beaten until she bled. He told us offensive words. We had a neighbor, her name is Shaku, she used to feed us when our parents were drunk or were out. She brought us to the Children’s Home where we became believers. But we still did foolish things at the orphanage. I ran away from the orphanage. It was so hard for the teachers with us because we didn’t leave our habits from our past life. But Jesus loves us so much that He changed us. Now I forgave our parents because they are believers no & stopped drinking. Right now we do not have our own house so we can’t live together with our parents. Also it is hard fro them to feed us. I would like to thank God for our sponsors. You are helping & feeding us. Praise Jesus. Amen.”
“I am Sadybakasheva Aizada. I’m 10 years old. I would like to tell you from my very birth my mom left me & wrote a letter to apologize. My father brought me up alone. He was feeding me. One day my mom came back. At that time we lived better but she drank alcohol (vodka) with friends & smoked when my father would go to work. My mother shut me in a room & wouldn’t feed me for 2-3 days. When my father came back he knew that my mom had drank & smoked but my mom forbid me to tell him & threatened me that she would beat me. I also remember how my mom tried to give my father poison. That’s why my father is sick now. When they had a fight I had hid a knife & used to yell “I will kill myself if they wouldn’t stop.” Finally she left us because she lied too much. I was a little bit upset but still I love her. My father is a believer whom I love. My life is full of testimonies. God has healed my father. I’m grateful to God that he brought me to the orphanage. Now I have a lot of mothers & fathers. Thanks to Gulnara Komunarovna (director) that she accepted me & brought me up for the 3 years already.”
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