Cross Culture Ukraine

ABC Kids

2011-11-29T08:46:00.000-08:00

Thanks to all our donors who make it possible for us to provide Pampers, wipes, food, clothes and medicine for the abandoned children living at the Baby Hospital in Gorlovka. We are so thankful to have Dr. Sergei Korotya and Dr. Masha Sverdlova, both members of our church family, working with these precious children. We have provided help for literally hundreds of kids since January 2000! Thanks again donors, your generosity is changing lives in Gorlovka!

New Class Progress

2011-10-27T13:26:00.000-07:00

In September I was asked by three young girls (around 9 or 10 years old) to start a class for their age group. We began that class about six weeks ago and last Friday we had 14 kids (plus me, the translator and one kid from the Sparrow's Hope program)! I was especially excited because there were nine boys present. I hope you enjoy the pictures. Thanks to all our donors who make it possible for us to teach this generation of kids in Gorlovka.

Classes and Sparrow's Hope Kids

2011-09-28T03:29:00.000-07:00

Our classes are going well and are very well attended. Lora had 17 kids at her kids class last Saturday. We are averaging more than 25 kids at our weekend classes and every day the office is open we have around 20 kids coming. Yesterday I finished the shower and laundry room so the boys are showering and doing their laundry at the office now. I also let them ride our bikes yesterday - you would have thought I gave them a million bucks! They had such a great time riding the bikes (several of them put bikes on their "dream list" but the orphanage director said no bikes at the orphanage). It is amazing how grateful these kids are for the things we do for them. The ladies in our church are providing daily food for the boys who do not have cafeteria privileges at their institute. Thanks to all our sponsors who make it possible to work with these kids and teach them of the love Jesus has for them.

Sparrow's Hope Kids Update

2011-09-14T02:45:00.001-07:00

The orphanage closed on the last day of August and all the kids have moved to their new homes. On Sunday, September 4, we hosted a picnic for them at the Worship Room followed by a concert with our friends Pasha, Ignat and Artem who make up the band Unbelievable. The kids had a great time. Out of 30 kids living in dormitories and in foster care in the city we had about 25 attend events that weekend. We open the Worship Room from 3 to 7 PM everyday but Monday and they are attending pretty well.

There are seven boys who live in a dorm without showers (if you can imagine that!)and who also do not have cafeteria privileges! Right now Lora and the ladies from our church are feeding them a meal everyday and I give them care packages containing ramen noodles, instant mashed potatoes, cookies, tea, etc. Thanks to our sponsors who make it possible to help these young men. We also give them the opprotunity to shower regularly. They really appreciate the help that we give them. They are also attending our Bible Classes and Game Night each weekend. Please keep the kids in your prayers.

ABC Kids...

2011-09-02T07:01:00.000-07:00

Dima and I just got back from purchasing and delivering pampers and supplies to the Baby Hospital. We currently have 17 kids - lots of them are toddlers! It has been a while since we had so many toddlers and they are FUN. When we were there they were just waking up from their naps and they were ready to play! Thanks to all our sponsors who make it possible to provide the things needed for these precious children. Your generosity is changing little lives!

Travel Prayers

2011-08-29T20:41:00.000-07:00

Cross Culture family,

I had a great visit to the United States. Enrolled Leanna at Faulkner University, completed the 2011 Annual Report for Cross Culture, Inc. (be watching your mailbox), and completed several other pressing projects. Tomorrow morning at 9 AM I begin my journey back to Gorlovka. Please keep me in your prayers and my luggage, too! Thanks for being such faithful ministry partners.

Update and Prayer Request

2011-08-03T09:59:00.000-07:00

We have had a great and eventful summer. All our classes are going well and we have had a blast doing Friday Fun Day including the younger kids. Our teens have done a good job helping out and serving the children.

Tomorrow morning Leanna and I begin travelling to the United States. She will begin her freshmen year at Faulkner University soon and I will be helping her get settled in. It seems like a short time ago that she was seven years old and we were moving to Gorlovka. Right now we have a house full of kids spending their last few hours together with Leanna.

Today Dima and I delivered Pampers and supplies to the Baby Hospital. Dr. Masha Sverdlova, who grew up in our youth group, showed us around and told us some sad stories about the abandoned children. I have never gotten used to seeing these precious children and hearing their stories without it touching my heart deeply.

Please be praying for Kenny and Leanna as they travel, for Lora, Dima and Lexi as they remain in Gorlovka and continue working with the church family and kids. Thanks for being such faithful ministry partners.

Berdyansk Retreat

2011-07-13T01:15:00.000-07:00

Last week we took 29 people to Berdyansk for our annual teen retreat. Our theme was "No Ordinary Love" and in morning and afternoon classes we explored the teachings of Jesus and many of his parables concerning the love we should have for one another and for God. We played group games each morning and had "Minute To Win It" games in the evenings. We also had our nightly campfire devotionals and, of course, the talent show on Friday night. Thanks to Lora, we also ate well three times each day! Enjoy the pictures...

More Friday Fun

2011-07-13T00:36:00.000-07:00

Every day I am asked by kids in the playground - "Are we having class on Friday?" They are so eager to attend Friday Fun Day. It is a joy to teach these kids and see them learning to grow in their love for God and one another. Last week we did not have Friday Fun Day because we were on the teen retreat in Berdyansk, but the little kids were all gathered around when we drove up from the retreat on Saturday evening and they immediately began cheering and clapping their hands! We love that kind of welcome home celebration.

Friday FUN Day!

2011-06-30T07:41:00.000-07:00

This summer we changed up Friday FUN Day to include our younger children. This is giving our teens a chance to learn about teaching children and serving others. Each week we are focusing on a different characteristic of love, working on our scrap books, doing a craft associated with the lesson, and haviing a special fun activity. The kids are having a blast. Hope you enjoy the pictures.

ABC Pamper and Supplies Delivery

2011-06-15T02:58:00.000-07:00

Today Dima helped me purchase and deliver Pampers, wet wipes, fruit and food to the Baby Hospital for the ABC Program. He told me, "Daddy, it is great that we are helping these children!" We have some fun loving toddlers on the second floor in addition to the babies. Thanks to our donors who make it possible to provide for these children.

Remodeled Playroom for ABC Kids

2011-06-14T00:53:00.000-07:00

Last week a team from our church family worked at the Baby Hospital to remodel the playroom. We stripped the old wallpaper, painted the room, and hung new wallpaper. It is all fresh and pretty for the kids to enjoy. Thanks to all our donors who make it possible for us to provide nice things for the abandoned and orphaned children or Gorlovka.

Hope Orphanage Party

2011-05-27T08:03:00.000-07:00

Today we had a party with the kids at Hope Orphanage to celebrate the final bell (last day of school). All the kids were dressed up and they also put on a talent show. We provided food and drinks and the kids loved the party. The kids were proud of their new clothes, purchased on the shopping trips for final bell. Thanks to all our sponsors who make it possible to provide good things and good times for these kids. If you haven't done it lately visit the Sparrow's Hope Blog and read the recent posts there.

Painted and Improved Playground

2011-05-20T05:55:00.000-07:00

We have been working for the past few weeks on repairing and painting the garden area and the playground. We also purchased a small trampoline for the playgound and the kids are having a great time. Their first question was "How much will it cost to bounce?" They were shocked when we told them it would be free. Now they stand in line and time each other so that everyone gets to jump the same amount of time. A reporter came by a couple of weeks ago and did a story for a local newspaper about the playground. The neighbors were proud that their neighborhood made the news.

Easter Sunrise Service

2011-04-25T01:52:00.000-07:00

Our church family met at the "Sea of Gorlovka" for our annual Easter Sunrise Service. It was cold, but clear and the sunrise was beautiful. As we shared the Lord's Supper together, sang and heard the sermon we were reminded that Jesus' death and resurrection gives meaning and purpose to our lives. We were challenged to continue following the One who claimed to be "the resurrection and the life!"
During the closing prayer we began to hear "baa" sounds. I assumed it was a couple of goats (not unusual to see)but the sounds became louder and obviously from more mouths! We finished the prayer in time to see a large flock of sheep. The kids (and a few of the adults) were in awe! We travelled back into town and shared breakfast together. Jesus is risen! He is risen indeed!

Egg Hunt 2011

2011-04-25T00:46:00.001-07:00

Our annual Egg Hunt was a great success. Lora's class dyed and decorated eggs, told the story of Jesus using Resurrection Eggs, and then ended their class time with the egg hunt. The weather was sunny and a little warmer than the previous week and the kids all had a great time. Enjoy the pictures...

Neighborhood Work Day

2011-04-21T23:35:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday evening we had 30 tons of gravel delivered for use in cleaning up the neighborhood. On Thursday we had a work party in the neighborhood and lots of people came out to help. It is always amazing to see people just stop by and work to make the neighborhood look better. Of course there were many people from the church who helped, but we also had several new people who came and worked all afternoon as well. It has been a long winter and everyone is ready for spring to finally arrive!

Shopping Day Two

2011-04-12T06:55:00.000-07:00

On Sunday we took the second group of kids from Hope Orphanage shopping at the outdoor market. We drove through a little sleet to get to the market, but it cleared up once we were there. Although it was quite cold, the kids did a great job finding the things they needed and wanted. We even had the opportunity to eat hot dogs and pizza and have a cup of coffee at a little food stand at the market. Some of the kids had a little money left over and wanted to stop at a food store by the orphanage, so we did. Based on their purchases I am pretty sure they had a wonderful party at the orphanage that night! Thanks to all our donors who are sharing blessings with these children.

Shopping with Hope Orphanage Kids

2011-04-09T04:27:00.000-07:00

Today we took 15 kids from Hope Orphanage shopping. The weather was cold and rainy, more like winter than the beginning of spring. But despite the weather the kids had a great time shopping. It is always humbling to take these kids shopping and see how they share with one another and seek to make their money go as far as possible. Thanks to all our sponsors for making it possible to provide help to these children.

Classes and Events

2011-03-28T04:27:00.001-07:00

On Saturday Lora had an interesting event happen in her class. Gerkim, the little boy who asks me almost everyday about whether there will be class on Saturday, was interuppted at class by his grandmother who came to take him to the circus. Gerkim told his grandmother that he did not want to go to the circus, instead he wanted to stay at Bible class. She was not amused and told him he had to go now. Gerkim left crying. I would guess that it is not everyday that a child cries because he has to leave Bible class to go to the circus!

We are so thankful to have the opportunity to teach the children in our community. Hope you enjoy the pictures from several of our weekly classes.

ABC Kids and Caretakers

2011-03-18T05:27:00.000-07:00

Dasha and I delivered Pampers, wet wipes, detergent and food to the Baby Hospital yesterday. We are currently providing for 12 kids. Dr. Sergei Korotya informed us that he was recently given some new monitors for use with the children, unfortunately they were fitted out with monitor connectors for adults, not children. We porvided him with funds to purchase the appropriate connectors for children. As he usually does, Sergei told us the stories of most of the children. After eleven years of hearing these stories they still break my heart. I am so thankful for the staff at the baby hospital and for our donors who make it possible to love and care for these precious children. Thanks to all who give, your generosity is making a difference in the lives of these kids.

Sponsors, Travel, Prayers...

2011-03-03T08:43:00.001-08:00

The Payne family has been in the United States for the past couple of months. We return to Ukraine on Monday, March 7, 2011. Please keep us in your prayers - for a safe arrival for our family and all our luggage. Thanks.

We are happy to report that all the 50 children currently living at Hope Orphanage are now sponsored! We have made presentations at the Palo Alto Church of Christ in Panama City, Florida; the North Augusta Church of Christ in North Augusta, South Carolina; and at the Beattie Road Church of Christ in Albany, Georgia. Thanks to all our sponsors, both new and long-term, for sharing your blessings with the kids at Hope. Your generosity is changing lives.

We have new passports and visas and are excited about getting back home to Ukraine! Thanks to all of our ministry partners; we love you and consider you a blessing from God.

Christmas At Hope Orphanage

2011-01-19T12:15:00.000-08:00

The kids at Hope Orphanage had a Merry Christmas this year thanks to their sponsors, the church in Gorlovka, and our generous donors. All the kids received a package, either shipped from their sponsors in America or dropped off by us on December 24th.The children were so excited because they liked the gifts but even more because these gifts represent the love that someone has for them. These children are learning that Jesus loves them and that Jesus has some nice people who are willing to share their blessings with them. Thanks to all the sponsors and donors who make this possible.

There are still 17 children living at Hope Orphanage who do not have sponsors - we want to find each child a sponsor in the next few weeks. If you would like to sponsor a child, or know someone who would, please email us and let us know. We will send you a package with the child's photo and information about them.

Teen and College Age Christmas Party

2010-12-25T13:22:00.000-08:00

We took more than 30 of our teens and college age kids bowling tonight and then back to the worship room for food and a rousing game of "Dirty Santa." Everyone had a great time - it was the first time for several of the kids to bowl! What a great way for Christmas Day to end. Enjoy the photos.

Christmas Boxes for Kids at Hope Orphanage

2010-12-24T09:17:00.001-08:00

We currently have 21 children at Hope Orphanage who are not sponsored. We encouraged our sponsors to send Christmas boxes to their children (and many kids have already received their boxes) and we wanted ALL the kids who live at Hope to get a Christmas box. We shared our desire with our church family in Gorlovka and they really come through. During the past two weeks we shopped for the kids and this week we put the boxes together for them. Tonight we delivered them - I wish you could have been there to see the joy on the kids faces! What a great blessing for us to be able to share their joy, and to help them know that Jesus loves them and is providing for them. Thanks to all our sponsors and Merry Christmas to all of you.

Sparrow's Hope Store

2010-12-24T09:10:00.000-08:00

Today we restocked the Sparrow's Hope Store at Hope Orphanage. It is always such a joy to make the products available to the kids - they absolutely love to shop at the store. Dima and Leanna helped Dasha and I to stock the store. Since the kids who live at the orphanage were at school this morning we had to haul all the stuff up the four flights of stairs by ourselves (normally the kids are excited to help us!), Dima called it his "work out." Thanks to all our generous donors who make it possible for us to help these kids!

Precious ABC Children

2010-12-23T09:35:00.000-08:00

Today was Pampers, food, and supplies day at the Baby Hospital. Dasha and I bought the supplies and delievered them. It was just at the end of nap time so we were able to see some of the kids. They were ready to snuggle and did not like it when we left. Fortunately it was time for them to eat so that kept them from being too upset. Please keep these children in your prayers that they will find forever families. Thanks to our sponsors who make it possible to provide for these precious children.

Shopping WIth Kids from Hope Orphanage

2010-12-13T11:41:00.000-08:00

We took more of the kids from Hope Orphanage shopping for winter goods last weekend. It was very cold and snowing, so we were in more of a hurry than when the weather is warm. Once again we had a few vendors who gave good discounts or free items to the children. Gloves, hats and new coats were the most popular items purchased this trip. Although Lora, Dasha and I spent about four hours in the cold, it was worth it to see the joy in the kids eyes and in their smiles as they made their purchases. Thanks to all our sponsors who make it possible to provide for these precious children.

Hope Orphanage

2010-11-17T11:58:00.001-08:00

Recently Hope Orphanage received two flat panel televisions and a surround sound system from a generous donor, but their maintenance personnel were unwilling to install them. They asked if we could help so my friend, Igor, a great electrician, and I installed the televisions and the sound system. Last week Leanna and I visited the orphanage for me to install plastic casings to hide the wires. While working several of the boys were eagerly watching and wanting to help. I love working with and around these kids!
Leanna and I also stocked the Sparrow's Hope Store with more products - personal hygiene items, craft and art supplies, and school supplies. The kids are all excited about the restocked store and have been working hard to increase their accounts for shopping. Thanks to all our donors who make our work with Hope Orphanage possible.

Teen Halloween Party

2010-10-31T09:54:00.000-07:00

The teens and college age party was a blast. Everyone had to wear a costume (we provided some costumes for those who came without one). We played games, had a meal, busted a pinata, bobbed for apples, and had a rousing meeting of the Mau Mau Club (if you have to ask, we cannot tell you what it is). Enjoy the photos.

Kid's Halloween Party

2010-10-31T08:18:00.000-07:00

We had a great day of parties yesterday. The weather forcast warned of freezing cold, so we decided to split our party into two parties. The first was for the young children. There were more than 30 kids plus helpers and parents. We played games, ate hot dogs and other snacks, had a scary room, busted a pinata, and had a lot of fun. As always, the kids were grateful for the party and especially all the great prizes at the games. Enjoy the pictures.

ABC Kids...

2010-10-26T11:29:00.000-07:00

Today was Pampers and Supplies day for the Baby Hospital. Leanna and Dasha shopped for the supplies then delivered them. They also got to take pictures of the babies and play with them a little bit. Thanks to all our sponsors who provide for these precious children.

Baby Blessing...

2010-10-26T11:11:00.001-07:00

Sunday we had a Baby Blessing for the Farkovets family. On September 9, 2010 Kostya and Olga had twin boys, Daniel and Max. Our church family was excited and honored to host the Baby Blessing for Daniel and Max. We shared a meal, prayed for the babies and their family, gave presents to the babies, and had a wonderful time of fellowship together. Hope you enjoy the pictures.

Hope Orphanage Events

2010-09-16T07:00:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we took three groups of kids from Hope Orphanage shopping at the Andreski market in Gorlovka. The kids were shopping for jeans, jackets, sweat suits, socks, shoes, and other items they were interested in purchasing. It is humbling and rewarding to go shopping with these kids. The way they help each other, share their money with one another, and offer advice to each other is amazing to watch.

This week we shopped for items for the youngest nine children who did not go shopping over the weekend (it is much easier to shop for, as opposed to shopping with, these young children). We also bought lots of good things to be placed in the Sparrow's Hope store. While shopping, several of the kids talked to me about how much they like having the priviliege of shopping at the store and also how they have been doing extra jobs to increase their account for shopping!

Thanks to all those who sponsor a child through the Sparrow's Hope program, you generosity is changing lives at Hope Orphanage. If you are interested in sponsoring a child, please follow the Sparrow's Hope link at the bottom of this blog page.

New Kid's Class

2010-09-10T11:53:00.000-07:00

We began a new class today for ages 9 through 12. Olga Farkovets, one of the ladies at our church who just had twin boys, taught the class last year until it took a summer break. Now Dasha teaches the class with Kenny as her assistant. (The last photo is of Nikita Farkovets, the happy big brother to the twins).

End of Summer Picnic

2010-09-08T09:42:00.000-07:00

We had such a great summer in Ukraine that we did not want to see it end. We had an "end of summer" picnic last Sunday afternoon with the college kids at the ponds. We played, had a cookout and had smores for dessert (with real marsh mellows from America that were quite a hit!). It was a great evening of fun and the weather since Sunday proves that it truly was the end of summer. It went from sunny and warm to raining and cold. While we are already having a good beginning to fall, we will miss the summer.

Geared Up for Fall

2010-08-31T12:25:00.000-07:00

School starts tomorrow in Ukraine. We had a great summer of ministry with teens and college age students, as well as the church family. We spent the summer studying the beatitudes of Jesus from the Sermon on the Mount.

We are excited about our college age ministry and the possibilities of encouraging more students to live as disciples of Jesus. We have been hosting activities on Friday nights throughout the summer that were well attended. Tomorrow we will put up posters at all the Institutes in the city inviting students to attend each Friday evening. We are hoping that some of the kids who moved this week from Hope Orphanage to the technical schools they will be attending will decide to participate each week.

We recently purchased rugs, curtain rods and material for curtains to remodel ten rooms at Hope Orphanage. Hopefully the rooms will be completed soon and we can get some pictures to post. Thanks to all of you who sponsor our ministry in any way, your generosity is changing lives in Gorlovka.

The photos are from the last Friday Fun Day for the youth group. They completed the last beatitude lesson and then went bowling.

Primitive Camping and Music Festival

2010-07-27T09:27:00.000-07:00

Our family and about 10 kids involved in our college age ministry spent last week at the beach in Crimea, Ukraine camping and attending a Christian Music Festival called "White Nights." The camping was quite primitive and the mosquitoes were terrible, but we all had a great time despite the things that we did not like so much. Our favorite band was "Unbelievable" and the three band members are active in our campus ministry. The music was good and our group spent a lot of time together, encouraging each other and getting to know one another better. Many of the students also attended the teen retreat in Berdyansk a few weeks ago. Hope you enjoy the pictures.

Teen Retreat in Berdyansk

2010-07-15T05:19:00.000-07:00

Last week we were in the seaside city of Berdyansk with our teens for our second annual retreat. Our theme was "Be Happy - Living the Blessed Life" and we studied the beatitudes. There were twenty five of us and everyone had a great time. We had a couple of classes each day along with an evening devotional around the campfire, craft time (which is always a hit), good meals, morning and evening games, annual talent show (with a loose definition of talent), and a lot of beach time. As a special treat we rented a Sea-Doo for a couple of hours and let the kids ride - it was their first time riding one. We are so thankful to have such a good youth group.

ABC Update

2010-07-13T08:30:00.000-07:00

Today we bought and delivered Pampers and supplies for the children at the Baby Hospital. Although we arrived at nap-time I was still able to get some good pictures of the kids.

We had a nice visit with the head nurse who told us about one of the children who was adopted from the baby hospital about 8 years ago by a Ukrainian family. The family is interested in adopting another child and they recently visited the baby hospital. The little girl was so overwhelmed by the precious children that she told her mother, "We just have to take one of these children home!" This girl, who is now about 10, does not know that she is adopted (many Ukrainians think it is better for adopted children not to know about their adoption). It was almost overwhelming for the head nurse to see the strong emotion and desire to help from a child who herself was in the same situation not too many years ago. It reminded me that we are all blessed so that we will become a blessing for others.

Thanks to all our sponsors who make it possible to bless these precious children.

Service Project

2010-07-13T08:18:00.000-07:00

For our service project two weeks ago on Friday Fun Day we recovered chairs in the worship room. The kids took the chairs apart, washed them, covered them with new material and then reassembled them. They also worked on their scrapbooks for the summer. We are truly blessed with a great youth group.

Friday FUN Day!

2010-06-20T10:32:00.001-07:00

Summer is in full swing again and the teens are having a blast at Friday FUN Day. From 11 to 5 every Friday the teens have a Bible lesson on the beatitudes of Jesus, sing, play, do a service project, eat lunch and snacks, attend a fun activity and just enjoy being together. In the past two weeks we have cleaned up the neighborhood, made get well and thinking of you cards for Babushka Clava, visited with Babushka Clava, gone to the ponds to ride the paddle boats and gone bowling. Thanks to our donors who make it possible for us to provide this great activity for the kids.

Weekend Activities

2010-05-23T13:41:00.000-07:00

We had a great weekend full of worship, classes, and game night. Our high school and college age girls are doing an intensive study called "Breaking Free" which involves daily homework. We reward those who do their homework with chocolate and we also had a fondue party after class on Saturday.

For game night we had an evening or tournaments; games included "Paper, Scissors, Rock," "Thumb War," ping pong, air hockey, Mario Cart Racing, etc. We had a worship set led by Pasha, Leanna, and Ignat. It was an evening of food, fun, and fellowship, enjoyed by all.

Gifts for the Children at Hope Orphanage

2010-05-13T13:18:00.000-07:00

Today we took duffel bags loaded with flip flops, a large towel (one kid said, "Wow, it is so big."), a package of underwear, a toothbrush and plastic case, toothpaste, and soap with a plastic case. The kids will all attend camp this summer and this was a great start for their packing. The kids were all excited and could not hide their smiles. It was a little heartbreaking to see them so excited about towels; my kids take towels for granted. Thanks to our sponsors who generously share each month so that the children can have these blessings. It was quite humbling to see the kids so excited about these basic items and it reminded us that Jesus was right when he said it is blessed to serve "the least of these." One girl, who is not yet sponsored, asked us, "Will everyone receive a bag, or is it just for these children?" That was heartbreaking. We still need 25 more sponsors. If you have friends who might be willing to sponsor a child, why not ask them and share your joy to be a sponsor with them.

Neighborhood Clean-up

2010-05-06T12:49:00.000-07:00

For the past week the weather has been wonderful in Gorlovka and we have made good use of it. We have removed old bricks from the garden, hauled them off and replaced them with three hundred new ones. We also spread eight tons of topsoil in the garden area and created a new flower bed. We moved eight tons of sand to create a volleyball court in the area adjacant to the playground and fill up the playground sandbox. We hauled and spread twenty tons of gravel all over the premises and tonight another twenty tons was delivered. We have our work cut out for us tomorrow. Thankfully there are a lot of neighbors and church members who help out with these projects. Also our teens and every little kid in the neighborhood help as well. Sometimes we have to be patient with the little ones, but it is important that they learn the value of serving in the name of Jesus.

Sparrow's Hope Store

2010-05-06T12:36:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we restocked the Sparrow's Hope store at Hope Orphanage. The kids can shop at the store several times a month using the credits they earn from doing their chores and other work. Several of the kids helped us haul all the supplies to the store which is on the fourth floor of the orphanage. They all hung around to watch as we filled the shelves. They also asked for a "sneak peak" of the new items so that they would know in advance what they may want to purchase. It has been fun for us to shop for items to go in the store. Every time we go shopping we are on the hunt for good things for the kids. It is also fun to see the kids shop at the store - they are so grateful for the opportunity. Thanks to all our sponsors who make it all possible.

Break-In at Worship Room

2010-04-26T11:46:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday we awoke to discover that during the night someone removed the burglar bars from a large window at the worship room, forced entry and stole a lot of things. They made off with the flat panel TV, the surround sound system, a laptop computer and bag, all the DVD/VHS players, a dual burner stove top, a crock pot, two hot pots, and a variety of other things. The police were called, but came only four hours later. We cleaned up the mess, replaced the window pane and burglar bars. All total about $3,500 worth of things were stolen. We do not expect that the police will ever solve this crime. We will just have to replace the items and move on. We will replace the old style wooden windows with new plastic ones (that are much more secure) and we will also add security shades and hopefully an alarm system. While we cannot make the worship room burglar proof, we can fix it so it is more difficult to break into and noisy if someone does.
If anyone has any extra funds that you would like to donate to help us replace the things that were stolen, we would be grateful.

Birthday Box for Tanya

2010-04-21T12:30:00.000-07:00

Those who are sponsoring children know that we are asking sponsors to send boxes to their children for their birthdays. Today I was given our first set of pictures of Tanya who received her box a couple of weeks ago. This is a good example of what we have in mind for sponsors to send their kids. Tanya received a pair of jeans, a sweatshirt, sandals, an MP4 player (knock off I touch, because we said do not buy expensive players), candy, a hairband, lip gloss and several other small things. Tanya was so excited when she received her box from a family in America who cares about her. Tanya wrote a thank you note that is being translated and will be sent to her sponsors. Hope you enjoy the pictures as it gives you an idea of how your generosity is blessing your sponsored child.

Kids, Kids, Kids

2010-04-20T11:54:00.001-07:00

We are grateful to God that we have three great groups of kids in our neighborhood to work with on a weekly basis. There is the group that is around Leanna's age - late high school and college age. We are doing a challenging study Breaking Free by Beth Moore each Saturday and have a game time together on Friday nights. There is the young teen group that is around Dima's age - middle school - and they are together on Saturday for two classes, and on Sunday afternoon for another class. Then there is the little kid's group around Lexi's age who have class on Saturday mornings and during worship on Sunday morning. Altogether we minister to around 50 kids each week in these three groups. I have attached pictures of some of the kid's in the youngest group. Please keep these kids in your prayers. We thank God for the chance to touch these precious lives.

Hope Orphanage Spring Tea Party

2010-04-06T01:15:00.000-07:00

Lora and the older teen girls in our church family hosted the teen girls from Hope Orphanage for a Spring Tea Party. Lora and our girls decorated the worship room and prepared good food and crafts. The girls were so excited to attend the tea party. They worked very hard on their crafts and loved the gift bag filled with cosmetics and toiletries. The girls enjoyed trying new foods and making new friends. Everyone agreed that another get together would be great.

Easter Sunday

2010-04-05T11:26:00.000-07:00

Sunday was a very full day in Gorlovka. We started the day with a sunrise service at the "Sea of Gorlovka" (actually just a small lake on the outskirts of town). It was cloudy, sprinkling and a little cold. But we had a nice fire and everyone was excited to participate in the sunrise service.

We had a fellowship meal following morning worship, our young teen class in the afternoon, and finally an event for our older teens at a local church. We were busy all day long, but it was a great Easter Sunday. Enjoy the pictures.

Kid's Class and Egg Hunt

2010-04-05T11:01:00.000-07:00

Easter weekend was a great time in Gorlovka. Our Saturday class for four to six year old children had an extra special class which included the story of the resurrection, decorating eggs (none of the kids except Lexi had ever dyed eggs before!), playing special games, and, of course, hunting eggs. It is so special to be with kids who are making such wonderful memories! Enjoy the pictures.

Helping The Children

2010-03-23T07:59:00.000-07:00

Today we delivered Pampers, wipes, detergent and food to the Baby Hospital. The Hospital was in the middle of inspections so we did not go visit with the babies. As always the staff was very helpful to move the supplies to the appropriate places.

Last week we created a "store" at Hope Orphanage. The kids will be working at their regular chores to earn the opportunity to shop at the store. This will teach the kids the value of work and the relationship between good work and good rewards, an important life skill. We put in shelving and stocked the store with all kinds of good items. There are snacks, of course, and many inexpensive items. There are also some items that will require saving to purchase - we want the kids to learn to save up for things they really want (another important life skill)!

Thanks to all our sponsors who make it possible for us to help the abandoned and orphaned children in Gorlovka. You are changing lives through your continuing generosity.

Computers for Hope Orphanage

2010-03-11T13:40:00.000-08:00

Today Leanna, Dasha, Kostya and I delivered three new computers to Hope Orphanage to add to the one we purchased three weeks ago. It was exciting to see the joy of the workers and kids at the orphanage because of these computers. There are a lot of exciting things happening right now with our work at Hope Orphanage. Keep watching this blog to hear more about how God is blessing the children who live at Hope Orphanage...

Great Weekend in Gorlovka

2010-02-15T22:53:00.000-08:00

The weekends in Gorlovka are full of classes and other events and this weekend was no exception. Lora and Leanna Payne teach a young children's for about ten kids; they are learning both the English alphabet and language and Bible stories. Of course, there are crafts, snacks and playtime! The young teens have a class at 2 PM taught by Ira Grabko and then at 4 PM another class tuaght by Kenny Payne. They also have a class on Sunday at 2 PM taught by Kenny Payne - they just can't get enough of being together as a group. The older teens and college age meet on Saturday nights at 7 PM.

This weekend we also attended an event for older teens/college age called Exit. Our college age girls made presents to give to everyone - a candy bar wrapped in a decorated wrapper with Jeremiah 29:11 handwritten on each bar. Exit was a great event that focused on the meaning of love - hosted on Valentine's Day. Hope you enjoy the pictures.

Game Night

2010-01-18T01:34:00.000-08:00

Sunday, January 17, we hosted a game night for our college age group and a group from another local church in Gorlovka. (They had previously invited our group to an event at their place). We had about 35 teens and young adults present for singing, playing interactive games, sharing a meal, and playing Wii, ping pong, air hockey, etc. It was great for both of our groups to realize that there are other Christian teens in the city who are seeking to live as disciples of Jesus. Enjoy the pictures.

Church Christmas Party

2010-01-08T11:31:00.000-08:00

Ukraine follows the Eastern Orthodox calendar so Christmas is January 7, not December 25. We had a great Christmas party on Christmas Eve for the church family. There were over 50 folks present and we shared a great meal, had a talent show and exchanged gifts by playing Dirty Santa. No one wanted to go home and the party didn't end until about 10:30. Enjoy the pictures.

College New Year's Party

2010-01-07T00:23:00.001-08:00

Recently we had a New Year's party for our college age (and a couple of late high school age) students. We decided to have a "Crazy Hat Party" and go bowling. Like everywhere, kids here do not like to be embarrassed - so we thought it would be a great idea to make their crazy hat the ticket to go bowling! It was a great time which ended with supper at our house followed by a rousing game of Dirty Santa (and then lots of Mario Cart Racing!).

Happy New Year

2009-12-31T06:54:00.000-08:00

Today the teens created 24 fruit baskets and distributed them to members of our church and other folks in our neighborhood. It was a great time of fun, giving, and sharing love with the elderly people who live around us. We sang to each person and Kenny and Lexi dressed up as Deed Moroz (Russian "Uncle Frost") and Snigorichka (Russian "Snow girl" his niece). Everyone enjoyed the visit from the kids and sang along and one babushka even danced along! Hope you enjoy the pictures.

Winter Has Arrived

2009-12-17T07:58:00.000-08:00

We have enjoyed unseasonably warm weather this fall - until about 10 days ago. It snowed a little and stayed cold. Then last night during Bible study time it started snowing and has not stopped yet. It is a winter wonderland or a nightmare, depending on whether you have to be out in it, or if you just want to get out and play. Many schools have closed again due to a recurrence of the flu epidemic. I took some pictures while I was out today of the main street in town covered in snow - I was surprised that the authorities had not been able to clear the streets! Enjoy the pictures...

ABC Update

2009-12-01T09:12:00.000-08:00

I visited the Baby Hospital today and saw our precious kids. It was shortly after lunch and right before they fell asleep for their afternoon naps. It is always an emotional experience to visit the kids because you want to take them all home and give them all the love they are missing, even though that is not possible.

We currently have 20 children in our care. Please keep them in your prayers that God will bless them with forever families. Also please keep the staff at the hospital in your prayers as they continue to provide care and love for these precious children.

At the end of this month we will complete our tenth year in providing for the children. Some of you have been sponsoring children the entire time, others have just recently begun providing support - either way, thanks for giving so that the children can have their basic needs provided. Your sacrifices are making a tangible difference in their lives.

Update and Happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-26T04:26:00.000-08:00

As you may have seen on international news, Ukraine has been under a quarantine to attempt to halt the spread of the flu epidemic. The kids were out of school for three weeks and all large public gatherings were banned. We are working on renovating an apartment for storage and guests who visit and decided to let the kids help us with some wall removal. They worked really hard for a couple of days and wanted to be rewarded with a lock-in. Last Friday night I gave them their wish. We all had a great time together and did not get much sleep (because the kids wanted to talk all night long). The quarantine is finally over and the kids have returned to school (much to the joy of their parents)!

Our church family is doing well despite several folks who have had the flu. We began a new mid-week class on Christian Identity in a Pagan World (Lessons from 1 Peter). All our children's and teen/college age classes are going well, too. If you are celebrating Thanksgiving today (as we are) we hope that you will praise God for the many blessings he has given to you and your family. Thanks for being such faithful ministry partners.

Halloween Party

2009-10-31T11:54:00.000-07:00

We had a great Halloween Party tonight. We had a hayride, played lots of games, roasted hot dogs and had a haunted house. The weather turned cold this week forcing us to have most of the activities in the worship room rather than outside as originally planned. There were a lot more kids than workers so we did not even manage to get a good count of those who attended. It was a wonderful time and everyone had a lot of fun and got a bag full of candy and prizes.

Repairs and Classes...

2009-10-21T11:14:00.000-07:00

We are in the middle of a major repair project in the worship room. We have had a problem the past few years with the sewer system backing up and we decided that we would remove that system and run separate pipes only for the worship room. There has also been some settling of the foundation creating problems in the sub-flooring of the worship room that we wanted to repair. For the past week I have been working with the plumber everyday on this project. We have had all the classes and worship on Sunday at our house. Here are some pictures from the children's class on Saturday and the adult class tonight. Please continue to keep us all in your prayers.

Family Retreat in Yalta

2009-10-07T07:14:00.001-07:00

Our second annual congregational family retreat in Yalta happened last weekend, October 2-4. We had 36 folks present, with 5 who had to cancel at the last minute due to illness. Our theme was "New Creations: How the Spirit of God Works in Our Lives." All ages were represented at the retreat and we all truly enjoyed each others company. On Sunday morning we had a sunrise service, although the sun did not cooperate very well. The weather was great for both Friday and Saturday and a little while on Sunday afternoon. Please be praying for the seed that was sown in the hearts of the visitors (two folks who have only attended a couple of services and one man who has never attended yet) will bear fruit for Jesus. Enjoy the pictures.

ABC Update

2009-09-23T05:05:00.001-07:00

I visited at the Baby Hospital today and saw some beautiful babies! I was also given quite a surprise when the staff told me that someone had donated new windows in three of our rooms for ABC children. A man whose child had been in the hospital until his death of an incurable disease noticed that new windows would be nice and recently came and made the donation. May his tribe increase! Please continue to keep the babies and their care providers in your prayers. Your gifts are making a real difference in the lives of these precious children.

Teen Lock In

2009-09-22T01:39:00.001-07:00

From the moment we arrived back in Ukraine the teens started asking about having a lock-in. Since I had jet lag anyway I decided to go ahead and do it last Friday night. We had a pizza party, devotional, and a lot of play time. As always the kids just loved being together. Enjoy the pictures.

Back In Ukraine

2009-09-16T15:32:00.000-07:00

The Payne family spent the past 25 days in the U.S. renewing our visas, visiting with family, producing the Cross Culture annual report, and having a family vacation. We returned to Ukraine Tuesday night September 15. Tonight our church family hosted a meal and surprise welcome home party for us. The teens sang a song they composed in English, presented us with a couple of posters, and started asking about when the next lock-in would begin. We had a delightful time of feasting and fellowship. Enjoy the pictures.

Teen Self-Control and Bowling Week

2009-08-14T07:11:00.000-07:00

We had our last Friday Fun Day for the summer. Today we learned about self-control - "making wise decisions based on God's will not our feelings." We also took the baby blankets we made to the Baby Hospital. Dr. Sergei Korotya, one of the members of our church family and the head doctor on the first floor, welcomed us and gave us a tour of his floor. Sergei said that he and his head nurse were just discussing yesterday that they needed more blankets for the babies. The kids were impacted greatly by their visit to the hospital and the realization that these children need parents. After visiting the hospital, eating lunch and working on our scrapbooks we went bowling.

Children's Bible School Report

2009-08-13T10:08:00.000-07:00

Our second night of Bible School was a rain out - it started raining in the middle of the first center, so we had to move all the kids inside and we just watched the movie and ate popcorn. The kids still had a great time and they wanted to make sure that we would do the same craft (which one group did and all the other kids saw) the next day. For the last two days we set up canopies and had a "rain plan" firmly in place, but thankfully we did not need it. Last night we had more than 70 kids (which sent us scrambling because we planned for 60)! It was great. We hope that many of these kids will begin attending our regular weekly classes.

I think the biggest surprise of Bible School this year was how many young children (ages 4-7) attended. They were everywhere! While that is a challenging age to keep engaged, they are also fun to work with and a delight to teach. Be praying that we will be able to effectively reach out to these kids in the coming years.

Children's Bible School

2009-08-09T11:57:00.000-07:00

After a week of preparations we finally had our first night of Children's Bible School and what a great night it was. The weather was unexpectedly cool - about 58 degrees with a cool wind - in the middle of August (thanks I guess to global warming!). There were 45 kids, a lot of parents (which was good because we had a younger crowd than usual) and about 20 workers. Our theme is "King's Heroes" and we used a combination of Veggie Tales "The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything" movie and stories of Heroes of Faith from the Bible. We had four centers - crafts, the movie theater and snack bar, Veggie Tales puppet theater, and games. Speaking of heroes, our young teens did a great job transitioning from attending Bible School last year to leading at Bible School this year. We are so proud of them. Enjoy the pictures.

Teen Gentleness and Children's Bible School Preparation Week

2009-08-07T12:26:00.000-07:00

Today our teens worked all day long working on preparations for Children's Bible School. Our word for the week is gentleness, so we had a lesson this morning and sang together. Then we worked on the scrapbooks of their summer together. Finally we divided into boys and girls teams and started on preparations. The boys cleaned the yard around the worship room and then built seven benches in the playground. Meanwhile the girls finished sewing blankets for the Baby Hospital (162 total), painted a lot of props, and work on a variety of other Bible School projects. Instead of Friday Fun Day this week turned out (by good planning) to be Friday Work Day. The kids rose to the occasion and we are in good shape for Bible School. Enjoy the photos...

Teen Faithfulness and Skating Week

2009-08-03T11:01:00.001-07:00

Last Friday our teens spent the day discussing faithfulness, skating, skateboarding, and rip-sticking at Stirol Park in Gorlovka, eating lunch together, working on the service project of blankets for the baby hospital, adding photos to their scrapbooks and playing games together. Enjoy the pictures...

Goodness and Tournament Week with Teens

2009-07-24T09:17:00.000-07:00

Our teens had another great Friday Fun Day together. Our Fruit of the Spirit for the week was Goodness - Living Everyday Like Jesus. We also had tournaments - Ping Pong, Darts, Wii Tennis, Wii Bowling, Checkers and Air Hockey. We worked on our scrapbooks and ate lunch together. We worked on cutting out more blanket wraps for the ABC children, went swimming and ate watermelon. These kids are really coming together as a group and truly enjoy being together.

Teen Kindness and Paddle Boat Week

2009-07-17T09:30:00.000-07:00

Today we spent the entire day with the teens again. Our lesson on the Fruit of the Spirit was Kindness - loving people the same way God loves them. We went to the local ponds and rode the paddle boats. After lunch we worked on our scrapbooks again. Our service project today was making sheets for the ABC Kids at the Baby Hospital. The kids were excited about showing kindness to the abandoned children in this way. Enjoy the pictures...

Bowling and Service Projects

2009-07-14T07:08:00.001-07:00

Last Friday we had a great day with the teens. Our word for the day was Patience! We learned that patience is the willingness to wait until later for what we want right now and also the willingness to tolerate (and love) those people who really annoy us. (They tend to give each other a lot of opportunities to practice patience). We cleaned the windows at the worship room and picked up trash in the playground and garden area as well as all the way around the building where the worship room is located. We also worked on our scrapbooks, sang and went bowling. Enjoy the pictures...

More Photos from the Teen Retreat

2009-07-13T10:10:00.001-07:00

For four days we had Bible Classes, craft time, lots of time at the beach, and a variety of games - not to mention a lot of good food. Every evening we had a devotional on the beach - they even let us have a fire each night! We also had a talent contest (which turned out to be mostly a lack of... contest)! All in all it was a great retreat.

Berdyansk Teen Retreat

2009-07-09T11:48:00.001-07:00

The Teen Retreat in Berdyansk was wonderful. We took 28 folks for four days of camping, classes, and fun in the sun (and under the moon). Our theme for the Summer is "The Fruit of the Spirit" and all our lessons and devotionals were related to this topic. We purchased shirts and Lora embroidered them with the logo and the kid's names. The kids were well behaved and everyone thoroughly enjoyed our time in Berdyansk. Hope you enjoy the pictures.

Friday with the Teens

2009-06-26T11:43:00.000-07:00

We had a great day today with our middle school kids. We are studying the Fruit of the Spirit and today's lesson was peace. We had about 15 kids attend. The most exciting thing they did today was begin making scrapbooks of our summer together. We had lunch together, then played Wii and other games in the worship room, swam, rode ripsticks or played together outside. We were together from 9 AM until 6 PM. Enjoy the pictures.

Horseback Riding and Service Project

2009-06-19T10:40:00.000-07:00

Every Friday this summer our teens are having special events and service projects. Today we went horseback riding at a riding club here in Gorlovka. The kids loved it. When we finished riding, we had lunch at the worship room. After lunch we painted the fence around the playground. The kids did a great job all day. We are studying the Fruit of the Spirit and today the lesson was "joy." The kids learned that there is great joy in having fun together and in doing a great job working together.

Teen Lock-In

2009-06-14T01:58:00.000-07:00

We hosted our first lock-in with the new youth group last Friday night. They were incredibly excited about it. They stayed up until about 6 AM and then all crashed until 8 when we made them get up and clean the worship room. We played Wii, Play Station, many other games, had a devotional and, of course, ate half the night!

Neighborhood Service Project

2009-06-07T09:00:00.000-07:00

A babushka in the building adjacent to ours has been working hard this spring to make her garden beautiful. Recently I asked her if she would like a fence like the one around our garden; of course, she was thrilled with that suggestion. Last weekend we built the fence and then the neighbors painted it. Our youth group kids helped me build the fence.

ABC Kids

2009-06-07T08:42:00.000-07:00

Here are some recent photos from the ABC program. Thank you for continuing to bless their lives through your generosity.

Young Children's Class

2009-05-24T03:20:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday morning Lora sent Lexi, Dima and I on a mission to find a frog and some tadpoles. It was an adventure, to say the least -and we came home with both. They were for Lora's class Saturday morning. Her topic was God created everything. It was a fun class and the kids really enjoyed the frog. Hope you enjoy the pictures.

Spring Cleaning and New Projects

2009-05-08T10:19:00.000-07:00

We have been very busy working in the neighborhood. We ordered a truckload of sand to use to refresh the sandbox - the kids love playing in the sandbox and in the left over pile of sand. We ordered a truckload of topsoil to add to the garden beds and to create a new garden area opposite the playground. We also ordered three truckloads of gravel - 15 tons - and spread it all over the place. (My back still feels that today!). It is looking great and we are so thankful that the neighbors are taking such pride in the neighborhood and are always willing to help out. Enjoy the pictures.

Sunrise Service and Easter Sunday

2009-04-20T07:49:00.000-07:00

We had a great Easter Sunday in Gorlovka. We started with a sunrise service at "The Sea of Gorlovka" - a large pond on the edge of the city. We rented a bus and took 26 folks to the pond at 5 AM. This was the first time for this event, so we had no idea how it would go. Everyone enjoyed the service and we had breakfast together following at the worship room. We also had our regularly scheduled worship at 10 AM followed by a fellowship meal. There were many visitors for this event. At 2 PM we had two egg hunts, one for young children, hosted at Sasha's home, and one for the older kids at the worship room. I am posting separate posts with pictures about these events so please scroll down to see them.

Egg Hunt for Older Kids

2009-04-20T07:17:00.001-07:00

The older kids had their Egg Hunt at the playground and garden area adjacent to the worship room. We had more than 40 kids attend! Although the weather was chilly and there had been rain in the morning, the event was a great success.

Egg Hunt at Sasha's Home

2009-04-20T07:08:00.000-07:00

The little children had their Egg Hunt at Sasha's Home. The weather was cold and rainy and they hunted their eggs inside. Ira and Lora put together a great party for the kids. Enjoy the pictures.

ABC Program Update

2009-04-16T07:16:00.001-07:00

Today we bought and delivered Pampers and other supplies to the Baby Hospital. Dasha got her driver's license and she drove to purchase the supplies and deliver them. We currently have 16+ children. (We have sixteen that are officially abandoned and then several others who are not technically abandoned, yet their parents are not visiting them or providing any support so we take care of them as well).

The nurses helped us carry the supplies from the car to the first and second floors of the hospital where the children live. I have included several pictures. Then we took a tour of the floors and heard the stories of the various children we are providing for. These stories always touch your heart and cause you to pray for these precious children. We have several children with severe medical conditions and that is always an emotionally difficult thing to see. Please keep all the children and staff in your prayers.

Those who are sponsoring children, please know that your sacrifices are making a tangible difference in the lives of these precious children.

March Update

2009-03-31T06:52:00.001-07:00

The weather has warmed up in Gorlovka for the past couple of days. Kids are everywhere - on bikes, in the playground, and on Ripsticks (Dima has two that are shared with the neighborhood kids). Several neighbors have started working in the garden - planting, cleaning and replacing missing bricks. Everyone is ready for winter to depart and spring to arrive.

Classes, worship and events at the church are back to full speed. The College class is Studying the Book of Revelation (their choice!) on Saturday evening. The Young Teens are studying Stories from the Life of Jesus on Sunday afternoon. They also have classes on Friday and Saturday afternoons taught by ladies in the church. The church family is working through the Gospel of John on Sunday, and studying the Book of Deuteronomy on Wednesday night before prayer meeting. (This class was moved from the morning to evening to help boost attendance - it is working). The College class on Thursday night (designed for Institute students) is studying Parables of Jesus from the Gospel of Luke. In addition I have started my Institute classes on the Shack and they are going well.

Please keep the church family here in your prayers. There is a lot of uncertainty right now because of political unrest and the continuing fallout of the global financial crisis. While we are all keeping our eyes on Jesus - the problems are touching the lives of many people we know and love.

Working with Kids

2009-03-18T09:00:00.000-07:00

In 2000 we moved to Ukraine and started working to plant a church in our neighborhood. One of the first things we did was start playing with kids in the neighborhood (Leanna was seven years old). We soon met Dasha and Masha, sisters who lived in our building. Eventually they were both baptized and they are still active in our church family. This afternoon I took Masha and one of our ABC babies to Donetsk for a consultation. Masha has nearly finished medical school and is doing her residency requirements at the Baby Hospital working under Dr. Sergei Korotya. The baby was found abandoned in the snow in January and there are some problems with the child's back due to the exposure (the result of the consultation is that the child should be fine).

Taking Masha to the hospital with one of the ABC children in her arms took me back to those years when Masha was a kid playing in the neighborhood. I remember the time we "prayer walked" around Gorlovka praying for the various things we were working on as a church family at that time. Masha was part of that walk - and one of the places we stopped to pray was the Baby Hospital. It is amazing how God works in and through our lives to lead us in his ways.

We are now working with a whole new generation of kids. It will be great to see what God does in their lives in the coming years.

Great Sunday in Gorlovka

2009-03-08T08:39:00.000-07:00

This was our first Sunday back in Ukraine and also International Women's Day. We had a great morning of worship, a warm fellowship following and then a great Bible class for the young teens. There were thirteen present for the Teen Class in the rain.

We are still trying to get over jet lag. It snowed the evening we arrived and was cold for a couple of days, but the past couple of days it has warmed up to over freezing and the snow is melting off quickly. It is supposed to be warmer for the next week - everyone is ready for that.

Thanks for your prayers concerning our safety in travel and for our luggage. This was one of the fastest and easiest trips we have ever made. Our layovers were very short and the total trip only took 24 hours and all our luggage stayed with us the whole way!

Happy New Year

2009-01-14T08:40:00.000-08:00

It is hard to believe that we are already two weeks into 2009. We hope that you and your family had great holidays together. The Payne family is in Panama City currently and will return to Ukraine on March 1, 2009. We will be traveling trying to raise support for the next several weeks.

Several have asked how the dispute between Ukraine and Russia concerning natural gas is affecting people on the ground in Ukraine. I received an email from my friend Kostya Farkovets that said there has been no disruption in gas service in Gorlovka, although there are rumors that other cities have been affected. Kostya did say that some heavy industries have been ordered by the government to reduce their gas consumption. Kostya also added that it has been incredibly cold for the past few weeks, so they are praising God for having the gas to provide heat!

Dasha sent me some pictures of the babies today and I wanted to share them with you. Enjoy. Thanks to everyone who continues to pray for and support our ministry in Gorlovka. We are grateful for your partnership in sharing the love of Jesus with the people of Ukraine.

Church Family Fellowship

2008-12-17T15:10:00.000-08:00

Sunday, December 14, 2008 was our last Sunday in Gorlovka until (hopefully) March 2009. We had a good crowd for worship. Lena was baptized on Saturday and we wanted to have a little going away party on our last Sunday, so we had a fellowship after worship. The church is doing well and the feel at worship services and classes is very warm and loving. We are thankful for the blessings God has poured out on our church family.

Lena's Baptism

2008-12-13T04:09:00.000-08:00

Seventeen members of our church family were able to celebrate with Lena today as she was baptized into Christ. Lena began attending classes and worship a couple of years ago. Lena's granddaughter, Dasha, has been attending classes and Children's Bible School for many years. It was a day of great joy for Lena and for our entire spiritual family.

Church Family and Emerging Youth Group

2008-11-23T09:49:00.000-08:00

We had a good day of worship today in Gorlovka. It is late November and we are still waiting for our first snow (thankfully!). The fellowship at the church is warm and inviting. Today we had a birthday party for Lena, a neighbor lady who has been attending regularly for quite a while. Lena's granddaughter, Dasha, has been coming to classes and Children's Bible School for years.

We are working on building up a new youth group with young teens. They have three classes each weekend - on Friday with Olga Farkovets teaching, on Saturday with Ira Grabko teaching, and on Sunday with Kenny Payne teaching. They are still a "little wild" but they are good kids with a great deal of potential. When I teach them and play with them I always remember starting our first group about nine years ago.

Please keep the church family in your prayers. The financial crisis is hitting many of them close to home - with forced leave without pay from work, and the constant fear that pensions will not be paid each month. Of course, it is always the children, the elderly and the poor who suffer first and suffer most in such difficult times.

Church Fellowship and Party

2008-11-17T11:39:00.000-08:00

On October 31st we had a great party for the children (I think the adults enjoyed as much as the kids!) in our church family and the neighborhood. We had a lot of games set up like Basketball Free throws, Go Fishing, Darts and Balloons, Coke Bottle Bowling, Ring Toss to win sodas, and more. We also had a haunted tent that was quite a hit. In addition we served chili and also had a small bonfire where the kids could roast hot dogs. We had nearly 70 present and it was a great event. Hope you enjoyed the pictures.

ABC Children and Caregivers

2008-10-22T00:07:00.000-07:00

We visited the Baby Hospital yesterday and heard the great news that three of our babies found homes in Gorlovka this week. I remember the time when we rejoiced if three babies found a home in a year! Please be praying for those children and the others who have yet to find their forever families.

The staff at the Baby Hospital continue to amaze us with their love and care for the children. It is still sad that so many children are abandoned, but we are grateful to God and to our donors for being able to help these precious children.

Yalta Congregational Retreat

2008-10-07T06:03:00.001-07:00

We had 29 people attend the Congregational Retreat in Yalta last week. The retreat was October 2nd - 5th at the Yalta Intourist Hotel. Our theme was: "So Loved..." Living In the Love of Jesus.

We had classes each morning and evening related to the theme of the Love of Jesus. Our evening worship was on the beach of the Black Sea - a truly beautiful setting. Each afternoon was left free for excursions. Groups went to the Botanical Gardens, a Palace, and we all visited the Yalta Zoo.

One highlight of the Retreat was the baptism of Victoria Mezavtfova. Vica has been attending worship services for awhile and she is the mother of Olesya - one of our college students.

Everyone was encouraged and left the retreat determined to live more securely in the Love of Jesus and to share that love with our family, friends, and neighbors.

College Class

2008-09-28T11:46:00.001-07:00

Our Campus Ministry is off to a good start. I am teaching at the Language Institute each Thursday. I have second year students and I am in charge of their home reading assignment. We are reading the novel The Shack and discussing a couple of chapters each week. The students are enjoying it and we will soon be deep into the book and dealing with rather complex theological issues. It has been a long time since I was allowed to teach theology at the Institute.

On Thursday nights we meet at our worship room for a couple of hours. We play games, eat a meal, have a time of worship and then have a lesson. Right now we are studying the life of David. It is well attended and we hope that deep relationships will develop with some of these students.

Last Thursday one of the guys brought a cake! He said, after the good meal you fed me I just had to bring something back to you. That sense of appreciation and generosity took me back over 15 years to my first visit to Ukraine. (This young man was about Lexi's age then!).

We will have our congregational retreat this week in Yalta. Please keep us all in your prayers for safety and a great retreat.