Ministry News
Great Reasons to Give to Charity
Today, this simple verb is treated with a degree of tension that is often quite palpable. We live in an age of self-identification where knowledge of your personal story and self-awareness are perceived as strong character traits. Modern themes about being your own self, saving for retirement and looking after Number 1 resonate throughout social media as though our ancestors never really knew what was important.
Hidden within the disturbing meme is the emerging truth of who we are becoming as humans while the fabric of society wears thin.
How did you spend your Spring Break?
When Cyndee asked me to join the team going to Shpola Orphanage to teach at English Language Week, I have to admit I didn’t feel the same kind of excitement I usually have leading up to trips to Ukraine. Maybe it was the thought of being away from my life in the states during Spring Break, or maybe it was the idea of staying at the orphanage for a whole WEEK without the possibility of a shower and comfortable bed, or maybe it was a bit of dread for what I expected to be a tiresome week only to be met with a stressful week at work on my return to Atlanta. Whatever the reason, my heart was not in a very humble place as I boarded the plane to Kiev. Thankfully, God showed himself to be much bigger and wiser than any of my selfish thoughts and worries.
Easter Saturday - a journey through Smila
Ukraine has suffered a very harsh winter this year which has affected many of the roads to and from the various towns and villages that we frequent. It seems that a combination of poor engineering, heavy trucks and corrupt local mayors have combined into the perfect storm of pothole purgatory.
So, when Cyndee was invited to speak at a Saturday morning conference for budding young Christians who had signed up as leaders for upcoming summer camps, I wished her well. The event was to be held in Lebedyn, about 20 minutes past Shpola...
So, when Cyndee was invited to speak at a Saturday morning conference for budding young Christians who had signed up as leaders for upcoming summer camps, I wished her well. The event was to be held in Lebedyn, about 20 minutes past Shpola...
Sneakers needed! Send a pair to an Orphan in need!
I remember last May, when my mom and I had just completed the first week of camp for the summer: Shpola Orphanage Kids Camp. After a wonderful week of being with the children, hearing their stories, and building relationships, we realized that one physical item they were in dire need of was decent shoes. Already being in Ukraine, we quickly realized that our only option to solve this problem for upcoming camps was to buy shoes in Ukraine. Initially, we were happy about this fact -- Ukrainian shoes would be much cheaper than ones bought in the USA, and then we wouldn't have to lug them all the way across the world with our already limited luggage space.
Is this trip going to be a bust?
I admit, visiting Ukraine in winter can be a bit tricky. Certainly, it is not for anyone unaccustomed to dealing with ice and snow and as a native Minnesotan, I like to think I can handle harsh winter weather. Plus, last January’s trip was full of snowy fun and navigating the roads was not a problem. So far, it’s been a different story in 2018.
Did you get what you wanted for Christmas?
Every year, members of our family dutifully write up a detailed list of gift hints designed to make Christmas shopping productive, easy and usually amusing… it’s a sort of grown up version of writing a letter to Santa, except for family members. All of whom usually comply, except me.
College Visits for Teen Orphans in Limbo
In Ukraine, after the 9th grade, children living in orphanages age-out or “graduate” and hopefully move onto a new institutional setting. We say hopefully, because education beyond age 16 is not mandatory, and many kids without a support system or even the most basic help simply disappear into a street life of gangs, prostitution, drugs or worse. Recently, we discussed the disturbing situation of orphans in Ukraine.
Teachers Link at Christian Ethics Training
“Today, if money was no object, and you didn’t have to figure out how to achieve it, what would be your biggest dream for your ministry?” My husband asked me that question a couple of years ago, and I brazenly blurted out “For Shpola Orphanage to become a first-class Christian school.”
Back to School
For a child at Shpola Orphanage in Ukraine, “Back to School” is very different. It’s NOT the familiar waxy smell of crayons, freshly sharpened pencils and a cool new backpack.
Challenger Youth Camp 2017
Several weeks after our Shpola Kids Camp, Hope Now USA was blessed to host another camp, but this time for high school teenagers, called Challenger Youth Camp. Kompas Park welcomed the oldest orphans from Shpola orphanage, kids that had previously graduated from Shpola as well as many teens from local Cherkasy churches. Sometimes, teenagers can be pretty difficult to work with, but with the right approach and a positive attitude, our team of Ukrainian and American volunteers found it a joy! You can check out all the fun we had by watching the attached video.
Ukraine: Orphans, A Disturbing Situation
Right now, there are about 750 institutions housing 106,000 orphans in Ukraine, with the majority of them being “social orphans” who were abused or abandoned by their parents and were placed in the care of others. Every three days an orphan with a disability dies, usually because they don’t get the necessary medical attention. In Ukraine, the orphanage, known as an Internat, is a mixed boarding school for orphans and children from families living in poverty and is a catch-all for children of every background and need.
Dreams Come True for kids from Shpola Orphanage
For the past several years, volunteers from Hope Now have been coming to Shpola orphanage to spend a few days with the children, to get to know them and to bring God’s word to them. These visits have become very special to the orphans and to the volunteers alike. The leaders began to dream about how awesome it would be, to take the children outside of their everyday environment and bring them to Kompas Park, a top-notch Christian camp facility. Then they started talking about this idea together and it was clear that they all had the same desire. Of course, it is easier to reach a destination with others than by yourself. So, the planning the camp of our dreams began.
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