Introduction

Fifty years from now it will not matter what kind of car you drove, what kind of house you lived in, how much you had in your bank account, nor what your clothes looked like. But the World may be a little better because you were important in the life of a child.

We give Belarussian children six weeks of good food, clean air, and high-quality medical treatment mixed with a healthy dose of tender loving care given in the name of Christ. Youngsters who make the 30-hour journey to Hickory this June will receive help that is designed to have a long-lasting impact. David Propst, ABRO coordinator for the Hickory area, said that "getting them out of there for six weeks can add two years to their life."
ABRO began at St. Stephens in 1994 when 13 Belarussian children were hosted for 6 weeks. Since then over 125 young people have made the trip to Hickory for rest and medical evaluation. This past year ABRO families from St. Stephens hosted 21 children ages 7 to 16.
David has seen children go from "helpless" when they arrived in the US, to having "smiles on their face, seeing the love that they receive," he said.
Much needed medical services are donated by a group such as Frye Regional Medical Center and by local physicians.
Area churches sometimes help with expenses that are not covered, such as the cost of a child's transportation which is nearly $1000.
But ABRO volunteers are also concerned with the spiritual needs of the Belarussian children. St. Stephens will show the Russian language version of the Jesus Film. "So they're able to hear and know what Jesus Christ has done for them," David said. "Also, the host families are encouraged and expected to take their children to church with them."
Often the same children, who are chosen by workers in Belarus come back year after year. And it's not just the children who benefit from the experience. "It teaches children to reach out beyond what they have, to realize how much they're blessed and what they have," David said. Language is not a major problem for the Belarussian kids, since they may have learned some English in school or they may pick up words and phrases once they are immersed in the language in the US.

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