Menu
They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations.
Four older street boys (Roman B., Sergei P., Roman S, Andrei A), aged 15-16, came to live in the basement of Peeteli church already in 1998 after the end of the summer camp in Saaremaa. Their experience of street life was longer than for other children. It was much harder for them to follow the rules, and they were not ready to start attending school again. However, they also needed help and support. The agreement was that they would help us prepare the church for renovation, and in return, we would provide them with food and the opportunity to live in the church. Although the basement was cold, damp, and dark, the boys were grateful for this opportunity and said it was a very good place to live.
Upon returning from the camp, the boys immediately started opening the church’s bricked-up windows. Their tools included crowbars, large hammers, picks, and shovels. They were also helped by day center’s children, the youngest of them was 11 years old. Sometimes they stayed overnight in the church hall to guard the windowless church. Along with the boys, there was also one homeless man, Sergei Korobkin, who had been released from prison, living in the church basement. He helped prepare meals for the boys and was also a great help to us in preparing the church for renovation.
