is your love in action, inside the former Soviet Union

A report from Doug Brendel to all who support or follow our New Thing ministry in Belarus...

True Story

The “driving” question

Sometimes you just feel like God is really there, and really doing some stuff.

In the summer of 2011, in Shklov, in the east of Belarus, a school for the blind had a crisis: their water pump died.

101 blind or visually impaired children, 80+ staff members — and no water.

Friends of our “New Thing” ministry responded: Within about 10 days, they had a new pump purchased, installed, and working.

Director Vladimir and his staff were absolutely overjoyed, flowing with gratitude.

Last year we visited Shklov for the first time, and had a good time with director Vladimir.

Then — suddenly — he was gone.

Promoted to an office job in the Minsk Regional government.

I was bummed. I felt we had lost a friend.

Not so.

A couple weeks ago, “The Great Kozovaya” (leader of our Belarus “Response of the Heart” team) received an invitation from Vladimir.

He wanted her to bring me to his new office — as a Deputy of the Department of Education of the Minsk Regional Executive Committee.

There, in a meeting with the Deputies, I was humbled to receive an official commendation for New Thing’s support of the people of Belarus.

But another surprise was in the works.

The Deputies turned to Kozovaya — and presented “Response of the Heart” with an achievement award.

She was so shocked, she kissed the senior Deputy!

Then she couldn’t stop looking at the certificate!

This is definitely a case of “friends in high places.”

We could not have hoped for (nor engineered) New Thing and Response of the Heart gaining this kind of influence in “the system.”

I think God pulled some strings for us.

After the awards, according to Belarusian custom, we sat down to tea.

In the course of the conversation, the senior Deputy asked me, very sincerely, “What drives you to do this kind of work?”

It was an extraordinary open-door moment.

Here’s what I told them:

I used to be a clergyman, and during those years, I came to two conclusions:

1. We human beings are designed by God to be at our best, to be the most satisfied, to really thrive, when we’re “being Jesus,” when we’re doing the work of Christ, meeting people’s needs.

2. The real work of Christ happens as much outside the church building as inside it, maybe even more so.

This is not about religious activity. This is just how people are wired.

Then I told them this true story:

A few years ago we wanted to build a “Domik,” an after-school center, on one end of the children’s shelter at Zhodino.

It would take way more money than we had ever raised for a single project.

When we had taken in half the money, we were dead in the water.

Out of the blue, I got an email from someone I had never met. He had given just one small gift, many months earlier.

He wanted to know how the Domik project was coming along. I told him the truth.

Wham! He sent an immediate online donation for the entire balance of the need.

I was stunned and grateful. I emailed him a message of effusive thanks.

Months later, we were trying to build a children’s wing on one end of the Ushachi Regional Hospital.

It was an even bigger project, and we were even further away from the goal when the money stopped coming in.

I knew we had simply “tapped out” all our friends, and I couldn’t blame them. They had given all they could.

Then came an email from this same guy. How’s that Ushachi project coming? he asked.

I told him the truth. Wham! He sent an immediate online donation for the entire balance.

In a state of shock, I emailed him. I’m coming to see you, this Sunday afternoon, to thank you in person.

He lived about 4 hours away. On the road, I imagined what I would find: a fabulous house on a fabulous estate in a fabulous neighborhood.

But instead, the neighborhoods became more and more ordinary — until finally I pulled up in front of his address.

Simple house on a simple street.

A regular-looking guy came out to greet me. Pleasant wife. Two energetic little boys.

We had a good home-cooked meal. Fun conversation.

And finally, I had to ask him:

How in the world did you give these two great gifts?

He smiled, and his eyes gleamed.

My mother died, he said.

She left me her house. The market was low. We didn’t make much on the sale.

But we wanted her life to count for something.

So we sent you the proceeds. For the children.

This is why I do what I do. This is why anyone gets involved like this.

Because there’s something inside us that’s wired for love. Wired to make a difference.

And when we connect with that, whatever it is, we feel a passion unlike anything else in the world.

It’s the passion God designed us to feel.

The three Deputies’ eyes were wet. Their noses were red.

I don’t think the Minsk Regional Executive Committee expected to hear about God’s design for life.

I sure didn’t expect to be talking about it.

But see?

God is really there, and really doing some stuff.

Much love,

Doug Brendel

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