I Had No One To Rely On, Except God

Moisei was born in 1997. His childhood was short: at the age of three, he was sent to an orphanage where he spent 12 years.

“I don’t remember what it was like to live in a family with parents. I had a brother and three sisters, and then another younger brother was born. But I never had a real home where we would all live together.”

Moisei never knew his father— he left the family before he was born. Even his mother didn’t talk about him. In 2012, she died of cancer, and then Moisei finally realized that he was alone. In 2020, he also lost his brother. Now, out of six children, only five are alive.

After graduating from the orphanage in 2013, Moisei entered college. At first, he chose the profession of a car mechanic but realized that this was not his path. He decided to study to become a veterinary laboratory technician. Life went on, but he always struggled with his orphan past.

“When you are from an orphanage, you don’t have a person who will say, ‘I am here, don’t be afraid.’ You are on your own. If you have problems, solve them yourself. But God does not abandon orphans, and I have seen this in my life.”

In 2019, a girl appeared in Moisei’s life and they married. A year later, she became pregnant, and in 2021, his daughter Lalisa was born. He always dreamed of a family, of a real home where there would be warmth and love.

“When I first held her in my arms, everything inside me turned upside down. I realized that now in this world there is a person who needs me just as much as I once needed someone.”

But the dream of a strong family quickly collapsed. Eleven months after Lalisa was born, his wife left, deciding that she wanted to live her own life. She barely participates in raising their daughter— she shows up a couple of times a year. All this time, Moisei has been raising Lalisa on his own.

“It was scary. I never knew what a family was, how to be a father. But I had no one to rely on except God. I just said to myself ‘You have no right to let her down.’”

The state provided him with rental housing under its Orphan Support program, but life for a single father without a permanent job is not easy. He took on any part-time job, as long as his daughter had everything she needed. But irregular earnings are constant stress. He recently enrolled Lalisa in a kindergarten to find a stable job. This was an important decision, because now he can spend more time looking for a reliable income.

Moisei is one of those who takes part in our meetings for graduates of orphanages. Such meetings have become a place where former pupils can not only communicate, but also receive support, mentorship, hear inspiration, and find new friends.

“When you are a graduate of an orphanage, you often feel that no one needs you. But when I started coming to these meetings, I realized that there are people who remember us, care for us, and support us. This is very important.”

This winter, we held a Christmas party for graduates and their children, and Moisei was there with Lalisa. It was a special time of joy and warmth, when everyone could feel that they were not alone. But the most valuable thing for Moses now is the course on raising children, which is taught by a person from our team.

I grew up without parents, no one explained to me how to be a dad. I just learn on my own, as best as I can. But this course is a really big blessing. It gives me an understanding of how to better raise my daughter, how to be a real father for her. It helps a lot. I am grateful for it!”

Today, Moisei is building his life, raising his daughter and believes that God is guiding him.

“I am grateful to God for the people who live with faith in my life. They help, support, pray for me. And most importantly, they do not abandon me. They showed me that God is always there.”

He does not give up because he knows that if God gave him a daughter, then He will also give him the strength to be a real father to her.

Although we pray to God that orphans do not give birth to orphans, we are happy to see how the Lord gathers orphans around us to hold their hands!

Central Asia

Orphans Reborn Ministry