Winter … It is cold and snowy … It is cold in the apartments. Front-line town Krasnogorovka is without heating and gas already for the second winter. But the people think differently now because they were taught by the trouble. Now, however, those people do not – the trouble a lot. There are stoves in the apartments. Firewood is in the entrance halls and corridors. But how much warmth will the stove give? It can heat the room in which it was installed. It is cold in the next room anyway. Therefore, the children sleep with their mother in the room where the firewood is cracking in the stove. The father does his best to keep an eye on fire but falls asleep in the early morning. He doesn’t sleep for a long time. His wife will awake him a couple hours later and say: “It is cold. You need to make a fire again to heat the room.”

It is good that municipal power line was repaired. Voltage is bad and it works not properly but electric heaters help anyway.

The people of Krasnogorovka live in winter in such way. They have icy roads and frozen five-story buildings. Here and there the smoke is going from a pipe that sticks straight out the window. The people – elderly, mothers, kids – are behind the walls…

It’s hard to look into the eyes of these children. The little girl is about five years old, but she looks at you and you see the woman who already saw much in her life. The boys are the same. Little elders. They look as if they see through you and think if you are worth of trusting.
Employees of “Emmanuel” Association came to arrange Christmas holiday for these children.  There was performance, songs, contests, gifts … All this is very similar to the stove in the kingdom of the Snow Queen. It is a stove for the frozen small hearts. The actors tell about the birth of the Baby Jesus, the children listen to, and it seems like Jesus Himself is walking along the hall. He is approaching every girl and boy. He is cuddling them, taking their little hearts in His hands and warming them by His breath. These are the minutes when there is no war, no winter and no fear. There are tears in the mother’s eyes but the child realizes that she is crying not because she feels bad. These are some other tears. The mother wipes them, kisses you and smiles, helps to sing a song or guess riddles…

Only God can do that. He comes to those who are freezing. He brings pasta and oil to those who are starving. He is crying with those who are screaming in pain and crying. He is standing at the bedside of a dying person, listening to almost whisper of repentance and taking soul to Heaven…

There is so much God in the small hall of Krasnogorovka church … There is so much God in blue, brown, green eyes of the children… There is so much God in the hearts of people who were far away behind the ocean – in the “Spring” church of Aloha city and gave the money to Galina Kucher with the words: “This is for the Christmas gifts for the children – the kids going through the war…”
“Emmanuel” Association and Galina Kucher are in Krasnogorovka again. The children are cuddling their gifts. They will drink tea with chocolates at home. They will ask the parents about Jesus. When they grow up, they realize that Jesus is more precious than all the sweets in the world, and most important gift for Christmas is not sweets and tangerines. And yet … It is so important that the Lord is walking along the hall filled with children and warming their hearts.

– What is your name? – I ask the red head boy.

– Ilia …

– Did you enjoy the party?

The boy is silent … He looks at his mother, then back at me. Instead of answering, he asks:

– Will you come again?

It means everything is fine. So Jesus really warms Ilia’s little heart in His hands. It is so important. Look into the eyes of these kids and you will understand why.

Gennady Novikov, the press-center of “Emmanuel” Association.

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