Apr 27, 2022 Invisible Children, God Sees

It turns out that there are many things that unite us teenagers and parents. It’s sometimes difficult handling teenage rebellion. Hearing the experiences of other parents really helped. Olga

I really appreciated the openness and questions, a very sincere support group. Many thanks to the whole team both for the preparation and coordinating everything. Anonymous

We’ve discovered important things about our communication styles. It turns out that I communicate with my grandchildren through gifts and words of praise. My granddaughter responds through helping, and it’s not her âfriendship language’ to give compliments and or express thanks. Svetlana

Thanks to the organizers! We really enjoyed, âThe Real Nutcracker’ on iceÑmy daughter now wants to become a figure skater! Special thanks also for the gifts too! Dasha’s mom

Thank you all very much! Me and the kids really enjoyed everything. The activities really spoke to my soul. Anonymous

This is just some of the feedback received from the Invisible Children Project in Russia, a program supporting children and their families who are living with HIV and AIDS.

This project, supported by Quiet Hour Ministries in partnership with another ministry, offers psychological support, health education and family counseling. These offerings helped form a stronger bond between family members, as well as create a network of support between other families living with HIV and AIDS. Families also connected through the project creating a community of care. Here’s the report the project’s success.

The Invisible Children Project covered 7 regions in Russia, included 14 specialists, and had 161 youth participants. There were 72 individual consultations and 14 group classes for teens and their parents. There were 28 healthy lifestyle activities and 333 training participants. The project began in June 2021. July through August, instructors were trained. In September, all teams held group classes. By October, teams united children and adults for group activities.

Teams conducted group classes for children and parents. The classes focused on developing parental understanding, prevention of therapy failures in children, and removing stigma within the family regarding HIV. The activities focused on uniting children and adults, creating a friendly and trusting atmosphere in the group, forming a safe group space, and continuously improving group dynamics.

One of the goals was to involve the youth to work together to develop the ability to express their opinions and analyze their emotions. There were communication exercises for the teens to improve their skills. Assistance was provided in building new relationships because this is not easy, especially if there are social deficits. Fear of strangers and misunderstanding social signals can make communication stressful for teens. The groups played through different social scenarios to help the teens practice and feel more confident in starting conversations.

The project included leisure activities focusing on healthy lifestyles to broaden horizons of the youth, and to shift their focus away from a negative focus to a happier and more interesting focus. Parents expressed their gratitude for the events. Many children from low-income families were able to visit an ice rink or bowling alley for the first time, and they also visited a recreation center. Most importantly, activities were aimed at maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and also to strengthen the bond of a community between the families. Community helps us overcome the feelings of loneliness in difficult situations, and to find support beyond and outside of the program. According to the results of the first part of the project, the quality of life of adolescents with HIV and their parents has improved, the attitude of families to treatment has changed for the better.

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one anotherÑand all the more as you see the Day approaching. Hebrews 10:24-25

Please pray for families living with HIV and AIDS. Pray for their health, strength and support.