The Mission of Heart for Russia
Exploring
Serve the people of Russia by listening and learning, in order to create understanding and appreciation of their culture.
Experiencing
Humble ourselves to serve the Russian orphans, orphan graduates, students at local tech schools and all staff who are involved in the daily lives of these children.
Expressing
Show the love of Christ through our actions and words, being led by the Spirit, so the people of Russia will know and serve Christ.
Heart for Russia
Heart for Russia, formerly Friends of Mstyora, was founded to help raise support and awareness for the orphans of Mstyora and graduate orphans in the Vladimir region.
Since 1995 Children's HopeChest (CHC) has worked closely with the Mstyora Orphanage. In 1997 Woodmen Valley Chapel joined with CHC and together we have been able to provide a media center, craft workshop, kitchen workshop, playground equipment, small gymnasium, and many much-needed repairs. Today the orphanage houses 50+ children from 6 through 16 years of age and teams visit annually to show them God’s love.
Over the years we also supported programs at the Vladimir Ministry Center such as The Young Mothers Program and the Independent Living Program. In 2011, we expanded our ministry in Russia into tech schools in Vladimir and sent a team to invest in the lives of girls between 16 and 22 years of age at the school. On their first day a team member commented, “I will never forget arriving at the school and looking up to the second floor and seeing the windows lined with girls faces.” It was in that moment she realized she could offer them the gift of hope in their brokenness.
The Lord continues to provide more opportunities to impact lives in Russia. A team will return in 2012 to love on children at the Mstyora Orphanage and reach out to teen girls and boys at the tech school.
More important than any workshops or physical improvements at the orphanage or the ministry center are the changes we can see in the hearts of the children and teens. Valuable relationships have developed as a result of our years in Russia and lives have been changed.
If you have a heart for Russia and would like to learn more about our ministry, contact Matt Capo at capomr@gmail.com.
