Returning to Ukraine

Eleven months since leaving Ukraine, Karina will return.  This time, not as an orphan but as an American citizen and a member of our family. Returning not as a tourist but in order to minister to the very children in the situation that she was once in.  As part of our family we have taught her that God blesses us so that we can glorify him and bless other people.  We are placed on earth to serve... just as Jesus did.
Karina will serve as the translator for our team as we visit southern and western Ukraine.

Will you consider partnering with us in prayer as we make this journey?

Our mission consists of the following:

1.  Visit orphans.  We will be with hundreds of orphans spending time with them, playing, talking, bringing them gifts, checking up on them and seeing what needs we can help with and sharing the incredibly good news of Jesus that we have to tell them.  The children love visitors.  To have someone come see them shows that someone does care.  I have asked orphans if they want people to visit and their faces always light up.
"Oh yes!!  Please, please, please tell people to come see us!  Anyone!  It does not matter who they are!  We just want someone to come be with us and play and talk!"

As always I will have an American football with me to teach the boys how to play.  There is a group of boys that made me promise to come back and tackle them and teach them more about this interesting game called American Football.  I hope to keep that promise.

Thanks to many of you we also have 112 gifts to be given to orphans that received nothing for Christmas.  This will be the one gift they get all year.  We thank all of you that helped with this project including family, friends, my Sunday school, parents that are adopting and many others!  We will post pictures.
We will also see what specific ways we can help the kids.

2.  Encourage Missionaries.  We work with some missionaries in Ukraine that we will be meeting with to check up on their ministry, make plans for this next year of ministry, encourage and pray with and see what needs, opportunities and challenges we will face in 2010.

3.  Film Documentary.  Two former orphans will be taking this trip with us and we will be filming a documentary on how they are returning to minister to those who remain orphans.  There is also a Christian film group in Ukraine that has asked if these former orphans would be in a movie they are making about orphans that now have families.

4.  Explore Opportunities.  Wherever God leads us we pray for opportunities to further this ministry to children and this trip is no exception.  We will be meeting with leaders to see how we can partner with them and encourage believers in the States to come alongside believers in Ukraine to help reach out to orphans.

Will you be one of our prayer partners?  Send us a message or leave a comment to let us know.