Our goal was to bring the kids at Barskoe Gorodische to a reasonable standard of living, but never to become a maintenance program. The conditions for kids with less than "normal" abilities are now equal to a super boarding school. So much so, even local families have tried to place their children in the school, as it is better than the local schools.

We believe God has ordained each step we have taken, along with you as our partners. When we first arrived at Barskoe, they were only warehoused until their 16th birthday. At 16 + 1 day, the streets became their home, and a life of crime to survive.

A long time dream was to give them a carpentry workshop to learn a trade. Finally, the dream has been realized, as they now have a shop fully equipped with commercial grade tools. We were encouraged to find the government is sending the teacher to training so he can be licensed. The kids will now be kept until they are 17, and will receive a certificate of trade when they complete the course.

Additionally, we have provided the means to a future by giving them more options to learn other trades, sewing, cooking, farming, and computer skills. Now, instead of a dead-end future, they have opportunities to prepare them for when their time at Barskoe has passed.

As it turns out, we are silent partners with the Russian government. To be recognized, all organizations have to be registered with the government. However, we have never done that. They have a habit of making life impossible for some organizations.

The bureaucracy breeds obstacles, bribes, political correctness, and such things. Interestingly enough, no one “pays attention” to this group of Christians from America. The local governments know we are operating. They just act like we aren’t there. They take what we do, then, sometimes, build upon it, sometimes literally, sometimes supplementing it.

We have made improvements, only to actually walk up and find government mouthpieces being interviewed by local TV, showing how “we are taking care of our children.” We don’t care. We aren’t there for glory. We just have a job to do.

After nine years (can you believe it) at Barskoe, we have made pretty much all the improvements to the physical plant that were needed. We have many projects flourishing and providing a future for the orphans. Now we wait upon the Lord for directions. We are now seeking His plan for Barskoe.

At this point, we have accomplished: View some of the finished projects

 Click to view some of the finished projects

• Warm, clean bedrooms
• New beds and linens
• Little kid playrooms
• Big kid rec rooms
• TV’s, DVD players, CD players, movies
• Toilets
• Re-piped the water supply
• New water heaters
• Roofed the kitchen and dining room
• Raised and stabilized the sinking kitchen floor and wall
• Restaurant grade kitchen equipment
• Tiled dining room floor
• Entry hall is updated with new drywall, lighting, and tile
• Fully remodeled the shower and laundry rooms
• Commercial washer and dryer
• New electrical service for the laundry room
• Apple orchard and bee hives
• New windows and outside doors in all the buildings
• Sewing rooms
• Complete working/teaching woodshop
• Tractor
• Covered the food storage rooms and bins with metal to keep rats out
• Computer lab
• 20+ bicycles
• Playground equipment
• Livestock
• In memory of Erma Wilson, a children's library was started. Her heart’s desire was the kids having a library.
• The list goes on and on

Click the buttons below to read about each part of the story.