From Threats to Collaboration
Our patrol to help street children started in 1995, twenty-five years ago.
What has changed since then?
By ALBERT DOKTER, MP's Vice President, Director of MP Netherlands
Russia, early 90s.
As a result of the fall of the Soviet Union, there were enormous socio-economic problems. The country had tens of thousands of children living on the streets trying to survive by begging, stealing, and prostitution.
Mission Possible decided to do something about that great crisis.
It all started with a street patrol in Moscow.
Every day a team went to the streets and metro stations with thermoses of soup. Street children were fed warm meals and were taken to a bathhouse once a week.
Local residents did not like this activity,
which drew large numbers of street children together,
so they called the police.
The authorities threatened to accuse us of
“possessing drugs in our van” if we came again.
Our patrol brought relief to the children’s dark existence but did not solve their problems. This is why we opened our first shelter home. Later, a rehabilitation center for parents was created because in nearly every case, the problems with the children can be traced back to home.
Now, twenty-five years later,
the work has grown immensely;
Not only in quantity,
but also in quality.
We not only provide temporary solutions but also permanent ones.
Thousands of people have come to know God and have begun new lives.
Today you don’t often see homeless children on the streets as they were twenty-five years ago, but serious problems still exist within the walls of people’s homes.
Domestic violence is a huge issue.
This gives us reason to focus more and more
on supporting the whole family.
Our work in Russia now extends to the Urals and Siberia. We have projects in Albania, Bulgaria, the Ukraine, and now in Armenia (operated by Mission Possible Netherlands) also. Today we receive much cooperation from local authorities.
We no longer receive threats from the police,
but rather, the opposite.
They now bring children who are
victims of domestic violence to our shelter.
Mission Possible is now accepted. The local residents, churches, and companies show their support by volunteering, giving monetarily, and donating goods.
They recognize the change being made.
Did you know that more than 45% of our operations budget is collected locally?
Also, more than 400 local volunteers regularly help us free of charge!
God has richly blessed this work!
