Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Reaching Ukrainian Adoptive Families


I'd like to tell you about a growing movement among Christians in Ukraine. Today Ukrainian families are moving forward to solve the orphan crisis in their country and are facing the problem of 30,000 orphans head on through adoption!!



At Orphan's Promise we are excited to be part of the solution by advocating the adoption movement in Ukraine.  Through partnerships with local churches and ministries I have seen growth in adoptions in the time I've been here.  Whereas 7 years ago there were hardly any Christians adopting-- now there is an entire movement!! And the movement is growing.
The problem is that many families are stepping forward to adopt but are not equipped to handle the issues that adopted children face. With virtually no resources or counseling for adoptive parents in Ukraine, families have had nowhere to turn for help in their moments of crisis and often children are sent back to the orphanage.  If you are an adoptive parent-- you know what these moments of crisis can look like.
That is why Orphan's Promise is partnering with the Alliance Ukraine Without Orphans  and other local ministries to provide a national conference for Ukrainian adoptive families!
 Two years ago we had the opportunity to be the initiators of the first ever-national adoption conference, Strengthening Families, where we reached over 100 adoptive families who are parenting over 350 children combined!





This Ukrainian family adopted 7 kids!
The success was amazing as families shared it was the most encouragement and practical education they had ever received and the first time they had received resources in their native language!
So we are moving forward to reach more families this March with the second Strengthening Families Conference. Our goal is to equip another 100 parents to be able to provide healing homes for their adoptive children and that these families will be further advocates for adoption!


The thing I love about this conference is that it is pouring resources INTO the nation.  I love when kids are adopted to America, but I also know it is amazing when they are able to be adopted into Christian homes in Ukraine and when we can come along side that vision and pour our resources into a country whose resources are limited. 

Now here is where YOU come in!  We are have a little more money to raise to cover conference costs and airfare for speakers who will be flying in to take part.  Will you pray about making a contribution INTO the nation of Ukraine and the future of former orphans?



2 boys- HIV+ and adopted by a Ukrainian family that attended our conference in 2010
Your gift will enable low-income families in Ukraine to attend this once in a lifetime weekend conference where they will be encouraged and equipped. Families who currently are raising between 1-10 children
The cost of one American family to adopt one child from Ukraine can be around $40,000. For that same price we will be able to host a conference that will benefit over 100 families and over 300 children! Amazing what can be accomplished for the same price!

Please email me if you have questions- and to make a donation you can go to a special fundraising site I've set up through CBN:  http://my.cbn.com/familyconference
*All donations are tax deductible.

Thank you to those who have already given!


2 comments:

Phyllis said...

This is so, so, so exciting! I will be praying, for sure.

Christie M said...

I found your blog from Kelly's blog. We adopted two little girls from Ukraine.
I LOVE IT that families are adopting within Ukraine. That is AWESOME!

I help families in the U.S. who have adopted and are struggling.

We have been to Ukraine twice to visit orphanages in the Kharkiv region with Papa Dima..(uncle dima)
He is a believer in Kharkiv and travels to several orphanages each week and the TB Sanitarium.

God Bless the precious work you are doing. It would be my dream to someday join in that effort!

(we have 8 children. 4 grown and married and 4 girls...2 from Ukraine, one from America and one from Russia)