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A manifestation of the Father's heart to the children the Lord puts in our path.
David and I recently returned from a trip to Ukraine in search of a building that can be purchased and used as a home for orphans and street children. We spent a week looking at every available building that can be used for children. Our search lead us to the town of Kreminna in Eastern Ukraine. Kreminna is about 15 minutes from Rubizhne. We see the possiblilty of much ministry in Kreminna and we wnat to set up a soup kitchen as one outreach to the people in this area.
We were priveleged t omeet with officials that oversee foster care in this city and area of Ukraine. They care for children and families in need, but like it is here in the U.S. there is need for more money and people to do the job the way they would like to be able to do it. They were kind enough to give us access to some of th efamilies. So with food in hand, we called on a few of these families. Our hearts were taken. We can hardly wait to go back and get started.
Pastors Andrey and Luda Syrisko and their church, City of Praise, have the same vision for the children in their area, so we will be working with them. Andrey's family moved to the United States when he was 13 years old, so he grew up here and has his U.S. citizenshi. He and Luda have 3 children. City of Praise church is very loving and active in their area; we were amazed at all they are already doing.
It will help to better and more efficiently facilitate the purchase and operation of the orphanage if we have an ECHC office in Ukraine. So, PAstor Andrey will be the Ukrainian coordinator and will oversee the operation wit hus and escpecially in our absence. This ffice will be established in Rubizhne for the time being. Andrey's command of the English language is a great blessing to us, even though it keeps him very busy when we are there.
The buildiong we are looking to purchase is a 2-story building situated on a hill in Kreminna that we hope will house up to 100 children of different ages. It will need a lot of renovation; there is very little new construction in the area and it will be cheaper to renovate that build from scratch. Renovations will include all new windows, doors, refinsihing walls and floors, restrooms and showers, a regulartion cafeteria, and all furnishings for the kitchen, children's rooms, offices, and combination gathering/playroom. We do not yet know how much plumbing will need to be added to or replaced. So as you can see, we have a lot of work to do just to get the building ready for the children. And then there are the required licenses and regulations we will have to meet. It is our hope that we can get ready for children in 2007. We would like to be able to take in children right now, but we have to be patient. Even though members of City of Praise church will do all they can, the need for full-time workers will need compensation in order to not have to work full-time jobs so they can serve the children as needed.
This is a major undertaking and one that we can not do byourselves. We will have to have financial assistaince from those with a vision and a desire to help children in need in order to get this home up and going. We will need montly donations for the on-going oepration as well as financial gifts in order to make the purchase and needed renovations. Most of all we ask that you hold us up in your prayers.
Many want to be involved in missions and to help needy children all over th world. However, not all can go, but all can participate and get the same reward as thoise who go. If you cannot physically go, you can go by supporting the ministry in prayer or financially.