Looking into 2012

I have started over in life many times; there were times when I had no money and had to begin a new economy and lifestyle; other times, I had to learn a new way of life in a new culture, but each time I took what I had learned with me; experience is what I call it. Now, I begin again, this time as a husband, father of two, and grandfather of three. It is a big adventure for me.

By age 56, I have lived variety, what some may call the spice of life. This has filled my years with encounters of various people in a mixture of economic lifestyles. Coming up on my tenth year as a missionary in Ukraine, and having been married a little more than a month, I am settling into family life, as I have never experienced before.

My life in Ukraine is about children. I am hopeful that I will be able to influence my grandchildren through the years. I have a big opportunity to influence children and young adults in my mission and my leisure activities. As my future visits to the Dobromel Orphanage with Sveta will open new doors of communication with the children, it will be interesting to learn what my influence will be for our 119 children who I will only see only one week, twice a year.

In Marganets, Sveta and I will chat with children in two orphanages and one transition home. It will be quite interesting to see how we interact with the children as a couple, as a parental figure for the children. What kind of example will we set? As Sveta’s English improves, we will have more freedom to visit with the children without my need for a translator.

Froonza presents a very big opportunity for us to interact with the families of the children receiving massage. I think that the timing is perfect, after a year plus of massage results. With Sveta by my side, we will be able to interact with the community of the village, and even visit nearby villages that have children in need of massage.

January 2012 will begin a great adventure in Sveta’s and my life. We will be writing more about our adventures with the children, with our own children and grandchildren, and our life together as missionaries in Ukraine. Stay tuned …

Visiting the Children

Looking down on Dobromel

The beautiful Carpathian Mountains

Nine years ago I began visiting the internat, (orphanage), in Marganets. Three years ago, I was introduced to the children of the internat in Dobromel about five hundred miles from Marganets. With no one in Dobromel to translate, I was very limited as to what I could do, or how I could interact with the children. This October 2011 would be different.

My organization approved a massage demonstration program for twenty days in October. Sveta, my fiancé, would be the demonstrating masseuse. Because she spoke enough English to help me with any of my needs, I had the opportunity to visit the children for two weeks and experience what life in the internat system as really like.

Upon my return from America on October 10, I called Sveta every evening. She was living in the internat, in a room located beside the exercise and massage rooms. During our calls, I would here a "knock, knock, knock", but she would continue to talk with me. She explained the children would knock on her door and run away. She was somewhat amused, but it did not remain as much fun for her as it was for the children.

I arrive on October 17th, almost ready to embrace the unknown. Dobromel is a small community, nestled in the Carpathian Mountains, seven kilometers from the boarder of Poland. The fall of the Soviet system left Dobromel very poor and somewhat helpless. I am seeing some improvements, but the horse and cart are still being used by some farmers or transporters. I see tractors in the fields, but they are from soviet times. People still farm the land with manual tools.

Two weeks in Dobromel has opened my eyes to many things. Of course, the lifestyles of the children are the most obvious; it can only be seen by living at the internat. A second matter of interest is the lifestyles of the people who work here. The cooks, for example, prepare food all day, from early morning until clean up is complete at 8 PM. They work every other day.

The living conditions have improve over the past three years, mostly bathroom, shower, and laundry facilities. It is great to see that institutional care has moved forward, but I believe that it is due to church donations and manual labor of visiting short-term missionaries. All of the beds, made in bunk-bed style,

were donated by the Pentecostal church of a local community.

Of the 119 children living at this orphanage, only 11 are true orphans. The rest of the children come from difficult homes where parents are not equipped to raise their own children who have special need. Many fathers reject their own children at birth because they were not born in a healthy state. This causes many single parent families to occur.

This gives you a bird’s eye view of life in Dobromel, Ukraine, but there is more to come. Sveta and I will share our individual stories of our adventures with the children in future articles.

Travels to Dobromel

After three months in America doing fundraising for the new massage program at the internat in Dobromel, I had seven days to rest. The evening of October 16, I boarded a train for L’viv, Ukraine. The next morning, after a peaceful night’s sleep, I departed the train at five AM to begin my search for the bus to Dobromel. I was told to look to the left of the front entrance of the train station.

When I looked, I saw more than ten buses parked in the dark, most with the engines turned off. Each bus had a banner across the top of the windshield stating its origin was L’viv, and which city or village was the final destination. After walking past each one, I was disappointed to find that none had the final destination of Dobromel.

I began my second tour of the buses, this time, looking for a list of stops. I found one, the driver standing outside of his bus. Forgetting that I should speak Ukrainian, I asked what time the bus would begin its travel. He asked me to repeat, but when I did, he only turned away, saying something like, “Who taught you to talk.” I tried again, this time simply asking, “Dobromel?” He replied, “Da, Dobromel”. So, I entered the bus and found a seat for myself, setting my backpack on my lap, my messenger bag beside me, and my green bag of gifts for friends on the last leg of my journey, on the floor.

Have you ever entered the wrong bus for the right destination? Such was my predicament. Sveta, who would be waiting for me at my final destination, told me that Dobromel would be the last stop and that the trip would be 2 hours. When two hours had passed, I began to pay very close attention to the location of each stop. Finally, I asked two women about Dobromel who were standing in the isle; they pack the buses like sardines; they agreed that Dobromel would be soon. My final heads-up that I was in Dobromel was when I saw Sveta standing in the cold waiting for me. I quickly put on my backpack and forced my way through the thinning crowd on the bus …

Inspiration within the Internat

Life in the internat (orphanage) system in Ukraine is a tough road to walk. Living with 120 to 160 children, ages 6 to 18, eating and sleeping in large groups, void of some of the simplest chances for privacy, life is nothing less than a daily challenge. In these internats are for children with physical and mental disabilities, the challenges of self-image and social development are multiplied considerably.

The children of the Dobromel Internat are one example of these children. Not only are the children challenged, but also Dobromel is a poor community and receives little financial help from the national government in Kiev, Ukraine. The facility is old and worn out, recently receiving standard and cosmetic repair. Through many donations from other organizations in America and possibly other countries, the children have decent clothing to wear, and beds to sleep in, although, they need the most basic elements of life; those are love and attention.

Pastor Volodya and his team visit from two hours away whenever possible. They bringing love and attention in the form of the AWANA program, providing activity and food, both physical and spiritual. Tamara, a young woman working as a nurse, gives her free time to visit the children. It is clear in the picture above that the children are famished to experience something new. Crowding around Tamara, they want her attention, her friendship, and contact with someone from a world different from their own.

There are players and there are spectators. In the second picture above, look at the expressions on their faces. What do you see? Are some of them content to be spectators? May some be anxious to participate? Will some be challenged to stop watching life pass before them and get involved in the game? This is our task. Volodya and his team are there to encourage the children to realize that they are valuable players on the team.

I hope to be able to visit more often. I want to spend more time with the children, learning more about their education and social opportunities. Please follow our blog as my future wife, Svetlana, and I visit Dobromel, Marganets, Froonza, and more communities as the doors open. Our goal is to help disadvantaged children find a better piece of life, reaching for all that they can grasp.

A Miracle in My Child’s Life

Svetlana and daughter Olga

Olga with her 2nd child, 7 years later

This story began 7 years ago. My daughter Olga, (she was 17 years old), began to notice that her hip hurt more and more every day. She began to experience muscle contractions that would not relax (charley horse). She told me about her pain, but I did not give it special attention. It was one year later when I noticed that her left leg was thinner than her right that I began to worry. As her pain intensified, I could hear a crack in her hip when she would walk.

My heart was breaking; I blamed myself that I had not responded to her complaints in a timely manner and did not seek medical attention. My daughter and I began to pray and cry out to God. Every evening, when Olga was undressing and getting ready for bed, I saw the difference in the thickness of her legs, and my heart bled. I kept the pain to myself, not showing my distress to Olga.

Soon we decided to seek medical attention. The neurologist looked at Olga, made an x-ray, and identified her diagnosed as coxarthrosis of the hip. Olga was assigned a long list of medications: pills, injections, and intramuscular injections directly into the joint. She and I went to the drugstore and bought everything that was prescribed by a doctor. It was very expensive. At home, we read the abstracts for these drugs and were horrified by the possible side effects. When Olga learned that the injections would go directly into the joint, she was even more terrified. She tearfully said firmly that she would not take this medication, but it would be better to pray and believe that God would heal her. It was a large measure of faith, but without hesitation. Her young faith (only four years old) that God would heal her inspired me.

We prayed for one month, two, and three. Nothing happened. My faith began to waver, seeing the physical condition of my daughter, when I would look at her left leg, thinner than her right. I looked through my physical eyes of fact, not my spiritual eyes of faith. The fact was that my daughter was sick.

At this time, I had conversation with my co-worker. She was disabled. Until now, I did not know her diagnosis. It turned out that she had the same diagnosis as my daughter. She had been taking medication for many years, such as was designated for Olga. This disease leads to disability. This fact shook my faith even more. I told my daughter and she said, "you can give your co-worker all my medications, I still will not take them. I believe that God will heal me."
I did just that. My colleague was very pleased to receive the drugs, and looked at me with surprise when I told her why I was giving her the medications. When I gave her the medication, my faith increased. Somewhere deep in my subconscious I always thought that we would still have to use them.

My daughter and I continued to pray and believe in God's miracle. And it happened! One year later God answered our prayers!

I was working the night shift and I had some free time. I opened my Bible and began reading: Psalm 34: 19 - 21 “The righteous man may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all. He protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken. Evil will slay the wicked; the foes of the righteous will be condemned.” (NIV) “Not broken” - will not rub off! (When the disease is a deformed femur). God, in my spirit, has sent word and healed Olga! As it says in Psalm 107: 20 – “He sent forth his word, and healed them …” (NIV)

Immediately, I called my daughter with delight and joy (words cannot express my emotion at that moment) to proclaim my wonderful news: “God will heal you!” And she screamed with joy, too: “Yes, I know. God healed me! He just told me!” God said this to Olga and me at the same time. It is a miracle!

A week later, we decided to have a medical examination. The doctor made an x-ray and said, “You will do well, you're healthy.” Even so, we have two pictures that prove the healing.

Luke 18: 7-8 “And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones who cry out to him night and day? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?” NIV

Let my story be an encouragement to those who have faith. Continue to pray, read the Bible. Everyone has a measure of faith. Let your faith grow. Trust God. God responds to faith and wants to see faith in our hearts.

Children of Hope 2

In a past article, Children of Hope, I wrote about the children of one orphanage in Marganets, Ukraine whom we serve through various programs. Either these children are, from difficult homes, or they have no parents or relatives. They are at this particular orphanage because they have some type of physical or mental disability; many have learning disabilities.

In the dim light that permeates the lives of these children, a few of the children are found to have extraordinary talent, in spite of their disability, shining a bright light of hope for their peers. Two of these children are Artom, in the sixth grade, and Julia, in the seventh grade.

I have known Artom and Julia for five years. Each has very natural gifts in music. Along with the dance team, Artom and Julia have taken part in local, regional, and national competitions and won. Julia won the national vocal competition last year.

The MUCH organization encourages this program with some small contributions, but it is Leonid Koobekol who leads the children into the winner’s circle. Leonid is the music master who gives his heart to the children, developing and promoting their talents. He has accepted the position as head master of the School of Music in Marganets, but he continues to work with his circle of children at the orphanage; he loves them very much.

As MUCH provides clothing, shoes, and other basic needs, we also support programs that will help them heal their self-images. Programs prepare them to enter society, a world much different from the orphanage, but it is the relationships that we hope will be the foundation for their future lives. Will you touch a life, build a relationship, and change the life of one of our children?

Help Wanted – The Team

Anatoliy and the children

Ira talks with Masseuse

Mikola, Mark, and Volodya

Anya, in gray, talks with mothers

  When you see these two very common words side by side, Help Wanted, what thoughts come to your mind? My first impression is that a job is available, that there is some work to do. Think about the word help. If I replace it with the word to assist, I immediately envision a very different concept. If I am asked to assist someone, it means that he or she is the captain. I am only the helper.

As a humanitarian aid missionary, I was called to assist God in His work here in Ukraine. Going one step further, I was called to assist the people of Ukraine to care for their children. How could that be accomplished? If I was called to come to Ukraine to do a job, and then leave, that is pretty easy to imagine. But that wasn’t the case. As a matter of fact, I was not exactly sure what God was calling me to do.

My first outreach ministry opened up in Marganets when the father of a friend took me to visit an orphanage. It was his dream, his desire, possibly his calling, to help these children in some way. When I saw the children, the surroundings, and the emptiness in their eyes, I felt the deepest compassion in my heart that I ever had felt. But there was nothing that I personally could do to help them on a regular basis. I would be living in Illichevsk, 320 miles west of Marganets.

This was to be the beginning of my work to assist the people of Ukraine to make changes in their country. This retired 63-year-old father, Anatoliy, had the knowledge, energy, and the drive to make things happen. God had prepared him to be ready to do this work through a lifetime of experiences. He did not have the funding, but by the time that I met him, he had already begun to raise money for the children from the local merchants. The community was very poor, so he could barely raise enough money to help one child, much less 156 children.

Over the next nine years, Anatoliy started programs to help two other groups of children in his city. While that was going on, three more people in three different cities were introduced to me who had hearts to help the children of their country. Ira is my assistant in Illichevsk, Anya manages a massage clinic in Froonza Crimea, and we support a program in Dobromel that Volodya has been operating for 10 years.

Team is the key to any work that will continue successfully. Each one of us, more than I have mentioned, has a particular gift that makes our contribution special for the children. How can one person help more than 500 children in six different organizations, in three cities and a village? It can happen only with a team effort. God has blessed our team and we are seeing many wonderful results.

Hearts Committed to the Children

Four Men

Children help Volodya

Talking about massage

Such sweet children

Click on picture to enlarge

Saturday afternoon, four men gathered at the Dobromel orphanage to help the children. Each has a unique gift to share, making changes in the lives of the children in their own way. The director, Mikola, has many visions of how to improve the health and lives of these children with physical and mental disabilities. Pastor Volodya has been ministering to these children for more than ten years, bringing fresh fruit and drinks, exciting activities, and spiritual nourishment and direction. Anatoliy came to translate for Mark. Having three children of his own, he understands the needs of these children. Mark has been sponsoring Volodya’s work with the children, and is now focusing on their physical needs.

In 2009, Mark, Volodya, and Mikola began discussing the possibilities of massage for the children. Mikola did not wait, but to Mark’s surprise during this visit, he had a room filled with exercise equipment, has chosen an exercise specialist who has training in massage, and began a limited program with the focus on scoliosis. He had acquired an exam table, not the best for massage, but adequate for small children.

As Mark and Mikola discussed what was, and what they desired to be, they brought Natalya, the exercise specialist, into the conversation. This was the plan, now a work in progress. Mark’s fiancée, Svetlana, a qualified massage therapist, will live in Dobromel during the month of October 2011. She will provide massage for four children, a 20-day treatment designed for each. The massage will build upon the previous one, resulting in a deep-seated outcome. The goal is to show some progress, determining that massage therapy, in Mikola’s eyes, will help to change the physical conditions of the children.

When Mikola stated that October was a long time to wait, Mark suggested that Natalya come to Illichevsk and observe the two massage therapists, providing massage for children similar to those at the Dobromel Orphanage. This sparked a great interest in both Mikola and Natalya.

While Mark, Anatoliy, and Mikola where talking, ironing out many details, Volodya and his team, his son-in-law, Igor, and Tamara, a nurse by profession, brought physical and spiritual food to the children. Many of the older children were impatient with our late arrival, so they were involved in other activities. The younger children, hunger for attention, as you can see in their eyes.

This particular Saturday, April 9, was a cold and wet day. The two-hour travel home, maneuvering the treacherous potholes in the road, ended a long day, but not without even more adventure. At one point, a bridge was out, although there was an alternate route available, and there was a kilometer or two where a heavy snow with huge flakes fell. Overall, there was plenty of excitement for everyone.

Children in Transition

Mark and translator draw with children

Quilts from American quilting club

For the past three years and then some, when I go to Marganets, I visit the children at the transition home. These children are in a very difficult spot in their young lives. Most have been taken from their home because of a very poor environment. Whether it is because of parents who are alcoholic or drug users or the children are beat or just not cared for, the results leave the children in a new situation that is very challenging. I have met one or two whose parents died, leaving them as orphans.

The home is run with a very strict schedule, keeping the children busy to avoid time for them to dwell on their problems. This particular home is run by a Christian director. She sees the great need for the children to have more time to adjust to their loss of family. Their program focuses on helping the children modify their lives and build healthy character. Although she is asking the government to give her more time with the children, it seems that ninety day is all that they will allow. Their twenty-six beds stay filled throughout the year.

The director’s big venture three years ago was to find families to adopt the children before they would be placed in an orphanage. In the first six months of 2008, she was able to place 10 children in local Christian homes. She has contact with the different churches in Marganets and they work together to help the children while in the transition home and to find good families for them. Adoption for Ukrainian families is very inexpensive, so I hear, and they are working on implementing the foster care program. Of course, the challenge in this city of poverty is to find honest foster parents. The money is so needed; it lures many of the wrong parent types.

When I visit with the children, we talk about little things, but they are very hungry for attention. They are very hungry to show their value. They want to know about America. They have very interesting questions. When we have an opportunity for Bible study, I’m always surprised to hear how much they know. I have taken seashells. The children are very interested in seeing these homes of sea creatures. Some have been to the sea, but most have not.

When I look at these children, it breaks my heart to know why they are at the transition home. I know their future if they are not placed in a good home within ninety days. I have interacted with children at the local orphanage for eight years. Even with the best orphanage environment, it is not a good place for a child. A family of over one hundred children is not the kind of family that is needed. There are so many children in need of help in this country; helping the 500 or so that we help in three cities and one village is just a small effort for the big problem for the more than 100,000 Ukrainian children in poverty.