One story of our outreach I want to share is that of two Methodist Sisters serving in the village of Ivanivka. The local Orthodox priest has refused to even talk to them during the six months they have lived in the village and has forbidden people to have anything to do with them because they are Protestant. Our first morning in Ivanivka no one showed up, and it was clear the influence of the Orthodox Priest was powerful. We decided to visit the village school and after much assurance that we were not a cult, or subversives, the school director agreed to let us give hygiene and dental talks at the school the following day to the kids who were continuing in a summer program. It was very well received and we felt a small victory for God.
We were even allowed to do crafts with the kids in their classrooms. We have been invited back and a teacher from the school told me that the kids now see there are people who do care. She would even like an English club to be established in her school. Later that day several of the teachers and children came to our clinic for care. The third day when we arrived in the village there was a line formed in front of the Sisters home. Praise God! Through the outreach God open many doors for the sisters. People in the village saw what the sisters are doing, learned more about their work and saw that the only thing the sisters brought to Ivanivka was love and a desire to help and serve the village.
