Yura's Story

Yura's Story

Here is a story from the city of Almaty in Kazakhstan (map), where Young Life has been reaching kids for Jesus for over 20 years.

For the past 18 years, Yura, a young man from Almaty, has been a volunteer at one of the Capernaum clubs.

If you are not familiar with Capernaum, it is a Young Life ministry for kids with special needs. A Capernaum club is a weekly gathering where such kids get to play games, sing and hear stories about Jesus.

In May of this year Yura met Misha, a special 14-year-old boy who came to the club in a wheelchair. Misha loved coming to the club. To show his joy and friendliness he would often lean on those around him asking for hugs and handshakes.

During that particular club, Yura was responsible for taking care of Misha. As usual, Misha was full of joy leaning on Yura and hugging him.

When the program began everyone was invited to take part in a talent show, and Misha asked Yura to dance with him.

Yura readily agreed. As a volunteer, he learned that very few things were more rewarding than seeing these precious kids smile.

So Yura and Misha danced. In the meantime, one of the leaders at the club caught that moment on video.

A day later that video showed up on Instagram.

When Yura went to work later that week, one of his long-time colleagues, Dima, approached him with a peculiar look on his face. In his hand was a phone, and on the phone there was the video of Yura and Misha dancing.

“Is this some sort of a montage? This can’t be real!”, Dima blurted out with a sardonic look on his face.

Yura seemed surprised.

“Why not? It’s me and a boy, named Misha, who comes to the youth meetings I usually help out at”, he replied.

“This can’t be”, gulped Dima. “That kid is my son!”

Both went silent. ​ ​

A moment later, Yura uttered: “I didn’t know you had a son”.

“I have never told anyone. I was too ashamed.”

As they kept talking, Yura learned that Dima left Misha when the boy was just a year old and he never wanted anyone to know about him.

Nothing about Dima’s story was a surprise to Yura. In his years of volunteering with Capernaum, he has seen family after family plagued with the shame and stigma attached to kids born with special needs.

After all, in Muslim culture, a child with a disability is considered to be a punishment from above, leaving the family ostracized from the rest of the world.

Fathers often choose to abandon such families, leaving mothers to carry the load.

But God didn’t choose to abandon Dima.

As he watched the video over and over again, his heart melted. How could someone be kind enough to take care of his handicapped son?

What did Yura know that he didn’t?

Over the next few days, Yura had a chance to share with Dima about Jesus and His relentless grace. ​ ​

I’m absolutely convinced that nothing - nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable – absolutely nothing can get between us and God’s love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us.” Romans 8:38-39 MSG

The conversations between the two men continue to go on.

Yura keeps seeing Misha at the club and continues making him smile.

And the Lord keeps making all things possible.

Because His story is so much bigger than you and I can imagine.

I hope this story blesses you, and I pray that in the coming days you will sense the closeness of Jesus and His gentle yet firm and reassuring embrace.