Beautiful? Depends on my definition. Lovable? That depends on me, too. We all draw circles of love. You’re inside, I love you. You’re outside, well then, not so much. Friends of New Thing have been drawing great big love circles for a long, long time. Whoever needs love in Belarus — regardless of how they’re “defined” — we love them. The child with “deformities.” The old person. The woman with one leg. The man without a home, who’s made lots of mistakes, and looks 20 years

A truck from Germany pulled up at our “Response of the Heart” warehouse on Shuadrina Street in Minsk. Inside, 11 tons of donated humanitarian aid: boxes and bags, wheelchairs (a prized commodity), medical equipment, and on and on. Electric radiators. These would be priceless come winter. A support group for the blind needed chairs for their meeting place. Problem solved. A family couldn't afford a mattress for their child’s bed. Prayers answered. How long will this aid help p

A child says, “Gimme a hug.“ Of course. That’s what kids say. Your arms go around them. That’s first. ”What’s up?" you ask. Maybe it’s something big. Probably something small. Maybe it’s nothing at all. Just wanted a hug? Friends of New Thing have been doing "hug first" for 20+ years. Give a little love ... then see if there’s more we need to do. Thanks for journeying with New Thing. More adventures to come! Much love, Doug Brendel (Photos from the Children’s Village orphanag

Ten years ago tomorrow, I visited the boarding school for 80+ children with physical and mental disabilities at Osipovichi, Belarus. When a child is hurting, you don't want to tell them no. So every Thanksgiving, friends of New Thing provide a year's worth of medicine cabinet meds and supplies to make sure the caregivers are able to meet the children's basic needs: a headache, a scraped knee, whatever. Some of these kids are grownups now! But I bet they remember the love they

First things first: I’m delighted to report that 32 households gave generously to provide Life Starter Kits for all 14 of the graduating orphans at the Children’s Village in Kobryn, Belarus. God bless all who gave, and thanks to all who have journeyed with the orphans on this adventure! And now, from our hardworking ”Response of the Heart” team this week.... It may not look like much, but a semi-truck arriving from Mogilev, near the Russian border in the east of Belarus, is c

The orphans about to graduate have come a long way they first arrived at the Children’s Village in Kobryn, Belarus. Now, they’re about to step into adulthood! We’d like to give each of them a Life Starter Kit. We’ve come a long way, too. To provide bedsheets, pillowcases, blanket, pillow, towels, dishes, frying pan, saucepan, electric kettle, iron, table lamp, and more for each graduating orphan, plus a laptop for those heading to university, will take a total of $6972. As I

Graduation. Salute the accomplishment! A day of pride. Of joy. Even laughter. Then, of course, a lump in the throat. Maybe some tears. Maybe lots of tears. The graduating orphans will soon leave home. Their house-parents will feel all the emotions of biological parents. Their siblings, too — including biological siblings. Some of these kids have been living at the Children’s Village since they were tiny. It’s the only home they can remember. But technically, this is a state i

Ordinary kids in an ordinary school, in the Belarusian village of Ilyushyna, near the Russian border. This was the motherland of Liudmila Kozovaya, the co-founder of our “Response of the Heart” team. Such a humble woman, I jokingly called her “The Great Kozovaya.” Members of our team were there in Ilyushyna to honor Kozovaya’s memory; she died 6 years ago, in the first wave of Covid. (Here are my photos from the last day I spent with her, at a shelter for abused and abandoned

Kids grow up. Orphans are kids. Friends of New Thing have been helping the orphans at Children’s Village for 10 full years. Our dear friend Oleg Yarovenko took this photo at the orphanage long ago. Which of this year’s graduating orphans left their shoes here that day? Today, they’re on the verge of becoming young adults. Before they leave home, we hope to give each one a Life Starter Kit: Blanket, pillow, towels, linens, dishes, electric kettle, saucepan, frying pan, table

Maybe your little brother makes you crazy ... your little sister annoys you... But when it comes time to head off to college, something changes. Orphans at Children’s Village in Kobryn, Belarus, are counting the days till graduation: Some will leave, some will stay behind. So these days, they’re all making memories. We hope to send off all 14 graduates with Life Starter Kits ...so they’ll be on a level playing field with the young people who come from their own biological fam