June-July 2011 Update

St. Isaac's Cathedral.

The Battle

This has been a difficult summer due to numerous attacks on The Harbor. My plea is for prayer support. This trip has been one of the hardest transitions for me personally in 16 years traveling between two countries, as well as a difficult season for The Harbor. As I shared on Facebook recently, the Committee for Social Politics inspected us about a month ago. We are grateful to God because everything went well and we were notified that we could keep doing our mission work. However, a couple weeks ago Luba received a call from one of the orphanages that we work with calling her into the prosecutor’s office for questioning. Supposedly there is a rumor that The Harbor Vocational Training Center is being used to bring orphans from orphanages so that we can match them with potential adoptive families in the states. This was a shocker to all of us and we all know that this is not true. Recently the prosecuting attorney came to The Harbor residential apartment and we were questioned. Then we ended up going to the city prosecutor’s office to submit the paper work. However, now the investigation has been completed and The Harbor is fine. The Harbor covets your prayers as we face trials. Ask the Lord to put a hedge of protection from evil around The Harbor in the midst of struggles. Lives are being transformed; thus the devil must be defeated.

The Harbor Residents

What is happening in the lives of some of our current residents? I have changed their names for the sake of privacy while they are still in the program.

Masha

Masha has been at The Harbor for almost two years now. She came to our program along with her sister. About two months ago when we hosted a special conference on spiritual warfare she was prayed over. Ever since we have noticed a tremendous change in her. She has become a happier and brighter person. She has become more focused and joyful, especially when her sister received her Russian citizenship passport. This has been a major accomplishment, not only for the sisters, but also for The Harbor and other ministries that had been involved in this long and challenging journey. Masha also now has a job, an accomplishment in itself because she still does not have her Russian citizenship passport. It is very difficult to find a job without one. We praise the Lord for Masha’s sister’s citizenship and praise the Lord for Masha’s job and internal transformation since she was prayed over. She will be transitioning into the post adaptation program this August where she will stay for another year living with our new mentor Sveta.

Nastya

Nastya has been with us for the past eight months and she is currently working as a salesperson in the market. Mentors have been trying to help her to find something better, but it is hard because she cannot stay on one job for a long time. However, she worked for three days distributing flyers and did an outstanding job. She got paid more than $200 in three days, which is very good. I talked to my friend trying to arrange something through his construction company. We have also filed numerous applications for a merchandise position so will see what comes through. Pray that God would help Nastya find a job that she likes and that she would stick to it. She will be transitioning into the post adaptation program this August where she will stay for another year living with our new mentor Sveta.

Lena

Lena came to us about six months ago from the Astrakhan region. She had a terrible childhood especially after her mother tried, but failed, to kill her. When she graduated from the orphanage a Christian family took her in where she stayed for three years. Living with a family and their unconditional love showed her that God is real. There she went into a college, but due to making poor choices she quit and came to St. Pete. Through a mutual friend she ended up at The Harbor. She is a Christian, which makes her only the second person in over 10 years who came to The Harbor already a believer. However, there is a deep wound in her heart, which is understandable and we are trying to help her. Recently she found a job at a salon working as an administrative assistant. She works long hours, from 9 a.m. until 10 p.m., so a new challenge is ahead of her. This fall she will study at a college to become a hairstylist. Her goal is to use her hairstylist degree to earn money in order to attend St. Petersburg Christian University. Her desire is to major in missions that she might minister in the orphanages by cutting hair and sharing the gospel. Pray for Lena’s ambitious plans and the desire of her heart. Pray that she would stay on target. Pray that she would not be so concerned about what others think, but about what God thinks of her.

Sonya

Sonya is Masha’s sister. As I had mentioned above, she has received her Russian citizenship passport. She was accepted into trade school #70. She is working as a secretary and this is what she is studying at the trade school. This year she has grown a lot and we are grateful to God for how she is being transformed. Pray for her continuous growth, inner healing, success at the trade school and her walk with the Lord.

Katya

Katya came to The Harbor family recently. She has not determined if she will stay with us for the full term residential program. Right now she is finishing her major at a trade school and supposed to receive her diploma. Katya had a very difficult childhood. She was adopted at the age of two, but at age 14 she found out that she was adopted and that led to major problems. Sadly at age 16 she ended up in the orphanage, but she does keep in touch with her adoptive family. She is a quiet person and has internal aggression, but she is very friendly with other girls in the apartment. Her adoptive family bought her a room in a communal apartment, where Katya really wants to live. Pray that God would direct her, heal her heart, show her the future path and bring her to Him.

New Mentor

Sveta came to The Harbor a few months ago. She is a former drug addict. She became a Christian, successfully completed a rehab program and came to minister at The Harbor. She has a nine-year-old son and the girls love her. We are grateful to God for Sveta. She will not only fulfill the position as the girl’s mentor, but also live with, and minister to Masha and Nastya in the post adaptation apartment.

Note: Sveta is in the white t-shirt

Highlights of the Graduates

Danya’s adoption by a Russian family did not work out. He ran away, living on the streets for eight years. Last year he came to us through an organization that we partner with and stayed with us for six months or so. Unfortunately he did not stay with us long either and ran away as well. It has been a year since we have seen or heard anything about or from him. Recently when I was walking on the streets I heard Danya calling my name. It comforted my heart because now I at least know that he is alive and not in some trouble. He is living in a dormitory not too far from The Harbor residential apartments and at work doing odd jobs. Unfortunately, he lives with other guys, many who are alcoholics. That day Danya was with one of his buddies and he was laughing how they drank four liters (one gallon) of alcohol in one night. It almost killed my heart to know what bad choices Danya is making. Please lift Danya in your prayers so that God would take him out of this dormitory and that he will make life-giving, not life-destroying choices. Give praise to the Lord that Danya was found and he is ok. Pray to God that He would restore and heal his heart.

Recently I got together with Zina. She became a Christian last year. She studied at the university to become a history teacher for two years, but now realized that this is not who she wants to be. Plus she stopped going to church because she was going through some rough times in her life. I thank the Lord for the progress and change that I am noticing this year. She went back to the church and is doing quite well. She passed state exams and has determined to pursue what her heart really desires, which is logistics. She has applied to one of the finest universities in the country and her prayer is to be accepted. Please give praise for the growth and change in her life. Pray that God would open the door wide-open school-wise, and give her determination and commitment to pursue the desire of her heart.

Conclusion

As always there is so much to share, but I realize that this update is quite long already.

We praise the Lord that The Harbor Kursk is doing very well. Two of their girls were baptized and they are launching a boys program this fall.

We are in the process of selecting new residents for the next two years and graduating some of our residents into post adaptation for another year.

We have found an apartment that we want to buy for the boys and now will begin to process the paper work for the purchase. We need your prayers for smooth transaction and your special gifts to help us cover the cost. We need to raise around $50,000 for that purpose. This will be our second owned apartment, and will accommodate five to eight boys depending on what mentor will live there.

We do realize that America is facing some major challenges and entering into an unknown future. Yet we trust that these challenges will not stop your partnership with us so that we may continue to be the hands and feet of Christ in reaching out to orphans. Thank you so much for your faithfulness and please know that you are playing a super vital role in The Harbor mission and that we could not do without you.

Blessings,
The Harbor & Alex