Service Projects & Life Skills

Aren't these faces adorable?  Every time I'm in the gypsy communities in Western Ukraine I meet these darling faces-- kids that we have a team regularly serving through the work of Orphan's Promise.

Mukachevo is one of the locations in Ukraine where OP is doing the greatest amount of practical ministry.  Primarily we are working with the Gypsy (Roma) people to bring education, programs and assistance to their communities.  We have an amazing team on the ground regularly working with the children teaching them Life Skills, Reading, writing and Ukrainian language skills they lack and providing lunches 3 times a week for hungry kids.

I was blessed to bring a team from my Kiev church's youth group. I serve as a youth leader for our gathering of young people called 'The City' (primarily ex-pat kids) and was honored to be a part of a group of about 30 youth spending their spring break serving in a variety of facets in west Ukraine. My group consisted of about 8 young people and we served in one of the gypsy communities were OP is working.  The kids did crafts, a lesson and games and then we went to another location and spoke with youth studying English in Mukachevo.

Having visited this community several times it was a privilege to get to see it through the eyes of these youth as they were faced with the poverty and the need and asking themselves the same hard questions I have often asked-- 'What can I do to help?'  

Our team with the English club

All our youth at the Uzhgorod Castle. We were all divided into various ministry projects throughout the week.

Tonight I'm headed back to Mukachevo again. (Oh the joys of being on a train for 14 hours!)  I'll be traveling with two co-workers to bring our Life Skills Training and Curriculum to the staff we have working in Mukachevo so that they will be able to have more resources as they work with their youth.

Our training in Kiev last week

We held a training just a week ago in Kiev for another group of volunteers and I'm continually amazed by the need for this material.  We've been doing training for nearly 7 years now and have trained close to 1,000 people to work with teens.  Each time we put the training and resources into the hands of people working with at risk orphans and youth we are overwhelmed with the response.  Gratitude. 
 Always gratitude for being given new information and new strategies for working with youth.  It is very humbling to be a part of this work and to know that even 7 years later it is still so needed.


Please pray for our team as we'll be training about 30 staff and local people in Mukachevo to use this curriculum!  And pray I can get some sleep on the train and arrive ready to teach!

Adventures in Israel

So it seems like I have yet again gone on a hiatus from writing! And it isn't for lack of things to say...it is for knowing where to begin!

For those of you that are Facebook friends you know I had the amazing opportunity to venture to the Holy Land in March! Talk about the trip of a life time!  I have dreamed of going to Israel for quite some time-- I just always thought it would be something I'd have to plan well in advance-- not the spur of the moment, 'hey, let's go in 3 weeks' kinda trip that we ended up taking!

One of the pains of living in a foreign country is having to work on the documents to be able to live here legally.  However that pain brings with it an amazing perk! Travel!! In order to renew your visa to live in Ukraine, you have to leave Ukraine in order to do it and go to a Ukrainian consulate abroad.  I had planned for this to happen while I was in London...but long story short- it didn't work out, so thus the trip to Israel at the last minute with auntie and cousin in tow!

So while we waited the week for the visa to be processed we had a Holy Land adventure! We were able to go to Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Nazareth, Galilee, Tiberias, Bethlehem and Judean Samaria!  We were on our own for the first 4 days (adventures in rental car!) and part of a passover convocation with a ministry friend for the last 4 days.

I wrote in my journal quite a bit while in Jerusalem, and thought I might share some of those thoughts here...but I'll spare you the words and instead let the pictures speak for themselves.

On the Mt. of Olives over looking the old-city

wailing wall

the Sea of Galilee

on the Mt. of Beatitudes

The Dead Sea

Church in Bethlehem

my beautiful cousin Honnah

The Garden of Gethsemane

The Golden Gates

In front of the empty tomb

Our Passover meal

my prayer at the western wall.

a spectacular sunset in Samaria!

my lovely traveling companions

The boys on my mind...

When it comes to adoptions in Ukraine, girls always tend to be more 'desirable.'

I think there must seem to be something cuter, or sweeter or more 'manageable' about girls that draws adoptive families to statistically prefer girls over boys in adoption.  Although I get this concept in 'theory', I have to add my 2 cents and say that after years of working with teenage girls, and after being one myself I think the assumption is not very accurate :).  Girls are complicated and emotional...and well...you know....let's just say a lot of drama comes with the territory!

Now boys on the other hand....

The statistics point to there being more boys living in Ukrainian orphanages than girls--and from personal experience I would say I've observed this to be true in all locations we have worked.  There isn't really a good explanation for this statistic other then what was stated above-- more families (local and foreign) want to adopt girls than boys.

So the boys remain waiting.
Fatherless.
Without positive male influences in their lives to teach them.
And with 1/2 a dozen 'mamas' in the orphanage, none of which fill the void of a real mother.

So I want to use this post to advocate for the boys of Ukraine.
3 of them specifically.

There is one sweet boy I just can't get off of my mind no matter how hard I try. I don't know why it has taken me this long to post his picture and share his story.  Maybe it is because he is 12 going on 13 and I know that 12 year-old boys can be some of the hardest to place.  (he is blonde smiling face pictured on the left here)

 I met him in December in southern Ukraine and was so moved by his kind heart and his sweet smile.  He has a slight limp to his stride due to a bad leg.  He has faced a life of rejection and teasing because of his disability, and yet he was one of the most helpful children I met in the orphanage that day.  He was quiet and yet kind and won my heart in the short amount of time spent with him.   He is a smart kid, but because of his leg issue he is in an orphanage for kids with learning issues and as a result is not getting a good eduction.  He could thrive given the opportunity.

4 months later after meeting him I still can't stop thinking about him.  So I'm sharing his story here, in hopes it will resonate, in hopes that someone will hear.

He's available.  Will you pray for him to find a home?

And then there are these two boys that a good friend of mine is advocating for. Two boys that she knows very well and two boys that need a family.  They aren't brother's but they live in the same orphanage in the south.  Bogdan, on the right is an active 9-year-old little boy who loves to read the Bible and pray and talk with his care-givers for hours on end.  Daniel, on the left is 10-year's old and loves to play soccer and play and help around the house.  Both are sweet boys and both are ready for a family.

Will you share their story? 

 

 

I don't often use this blog to advocate for specific children, as I know it can be complicated.  For some reason, tonight, these three are weighing heavy on my heart-- knowing that their age and their gender are working against them.  

And to think that these are just three little snap shots to represent the thousands of waiting boys in Ukraine.

O Lord Jesus, in your mercy provide families for these boys, your precious sons.  May they be able to know the love of a father and mother and see your hand over each detail of their lives. Help them to know you and walk with you all their days.  Amen.

"But you, O God, do see trouble and grief; you consider it to take it in hand.  The victim commits himself to you; you are the helper of the fatherless." Psalm 10:14

**Feel free to send me a personal message if you'd like more information on these boys. My email link is under contact information on the side bar.

English Wedding

I had the joy to fly off for a week to London a couple weeks ago for my friend Jenny's wedding.  I've known Jenny for about 5 years or so, as she has made numerous short term trips to Ukraine working with orphans.  She has become a dear friend and I was thrilled to celebrate her special day with her. And it was the added bonus to be able to be in one of my favorite cities in the world.....

LONDON.

I love everything about London.  The buildings, the buses, the sights, the tube, the trains, the tea, the people.   Okay, I don't love the prices.  But other then that, I would love to live there.  For now, it will remain my favorite place to visit.

 The wedding was simply beautiful! Jenny is English and her now husband Rudi, is South African, so it was wonderful to be able to attend such an international wedding!  I arrived a few days early so I was able to help with some of the decorations and such. I love weddings-- and this one was lovely. So much honor and glory given to the Lord and so much LOVE just radiating between these two amazing individuals.

The bride and her mother with all the 'foreign' guests (I love her hat!!) 

I managed to see a little bit of the city while I was there....before I had to run back to Kiev! :)

Spirit of Adoption Sweeps across Ukraine

Here is a link to the story the CBN world news aired on our Orphan Summit.
It is a wonderful piece, so I'd encourage you take a few minutes to watch! :)



Spirit of Adoption Sweeps across Ukraine - World - CBN News - Christian News 24-7 - CBN.com

Rallying the Troops in Kiev

The Eastern European Summit on Defending the Orphan that took place last week was a huge success!  I would have written more about it last week, but between playing hostess to our wonderful foreign guests and catching an awful cold I was exhausted!  I'm just now stopping to reflect on what an amazing week it really was.

530 Christian pastors and ministry leaders from Ukraine, Russia, Moldova, Belarus, Romania and other nations were all in one room for 2 days hearing from a cross section of Baptist, Pentecostal, Evangelical, Catholic and Orthodox leaders.  If you know this country-- you know that this fact alone is no small feat!


A region that can often be so divided by denominational differences was instead united under one cause-- to see Eastern European Christians rise up and care for the fatherless in their land.

To see this cross section of leaders, all sharing the stage together on the opening day, sharing their heart for their nations and then together praying the Lord's prayer was a beautiful site to see.

We had the privilege of having some great leaders from the US share their hearts and experience as well, and from the response we received, we know that those who were listening were both challenged and encouraged.  Sometimes it is hard to evaluate a big event like a summit or a conference-- I think it takes time to see what God will do and how these leaders will go back to their churches and regions and influence the climate.  But I have no doubt that God is doing something.

And what would a big event like this be without a little bit of controversy??   Some fringe Catholic group (that the Catholic church doesn't recognize) from Russia decided they would come out to protest the event. Holding signs and passing out literature opposing the summit, a group of about 20 or so gathered outside the conference hall the first day-- saying our group was propagating child selling and worse. Another reminder about the war against children and the spiritual battle we are facing.

protestors being filmed by our CBN news team

sad that they didn't come and listen to the heart of our messages!

Wess Stafford giving a powerful message on the importance of one minute in the life of a child.

I left my camera at home the 2 days of the Summit- so these photos are all thanks to our awesome CBN News correspondent, George Thomas. George came to film a story surrounding the events of the summit and the movement taking place among Christian leaders in the realm of adoption and orphan care.  I'll look forward to sharing that piece with you once it is produced!

Now I'm off for a few days to take a break...and it involves tea, scones, the Queen and a wedding!  More on that later...

Defending the Orphan- Changing the Future: Summit in Ukraine

This week kicks off an amazing event in Ukraine-- the Eastern European Summit for Pastor's: Defending the Orphan- Changing the Future.  My team with Orphan's Promise has been privledged to be part of the organizational team for this great event that is being put on by the Alliance for Ukraine without Orphans and is being sponsored in part by Compassion International and Christian Vision.

The Summit is a 2 day event in Kiev where we are gathering pastors and major Christian leaders from Ukraine and neighboring countries to talk about the role of the local church in caring for the fatherless.

It is an exciting time for this event to be taking place in light of the recent ban on adoptions in Russia. All the more reason for nationals to be motivated to adopt!

There are many grass roots movements happening here in Ukraine and more and more national families are stepping out in faith to engage this topic through orphan care and adoption and I believe this summit will bring more encouragement to these efforts.

Tonight we had a gathering of about 45 special guests that are here for the event as speakers, workshop leaders and support staff.  We are honored to be hosting Wess Stafford from Compassion International who will be a keynote speaker and a team from FamilyLife's Hope for Orphans.  Looking around the room tonight you could clearly see the synergy (plus a little jet lag!) of those who are passionate about bringing change to this nation.  To see that Ukraine will become a nation without orphans.

We have 530 people registered to attend this amazing event and are excited for what God will do through this time as Pastor's are challenged and encouraged to become involved in caring for orphans.

To learn more about the summit and see who are the speakers and workshop leaders you can visit our website: http://www.summit2013.kiev.ua/en

I'll report back with more later in the week...