It was a cold day, but the children were so excited for the Allies volunteers to come. Two boys were waiting outside–without coats. “When we asked them why they are outside without the coats, they said they were waiting for us,” a volunteer reported.

Visits from the Allies mean a lot to the children. They are always happy to learn new things and play games, but more importantly, experience the belonging and love they don’t get anywhere else.

That day, Ruslan told the story of David and Goliath from the Bible. “They listened with much attention. And after the story, they were all in a hurry to answer our questions,” the volunteer said. The children also received treats, school supplies and clothes. The volunteer recalls, “It was interesting how the children started to try on the clothes right there. Even when we said that some clothes wouldn’t fit them, they still wanted to try on everything. Then they ran to their rooms to put the clothes in their wardrobes and change into one of the new items we brought.”

It was practically enough to write off the day as a successful one, but there was one last surprise for Allies volunteers. “One of the teachers came up to Vasiliy and asked many personal questions about God, faith, and the Bible. It was a very open and sincere talk in which we tried to answer all her questions. When it was time to leave, we told this teacher that we would help her to study the Bible and would be happy to see her in church,” the volunteer said.

“We are very thankful to God that thanks to Allies, we have an opportunity to minister not only to these children but also to their teachers.”