News From Ukraine

Summer is in full swing in Ukraine and the baby hospital is full! Thanks to everyone who is sponsoring children - your help makes a real difference in the lives of these precioius children.

The church is doing well. Thanks to Sergey Korotya and Vanya Litvinov for carrying the preaching load in my absence. The Payne family arrives back in Gorlovka on August 5th. August will be a busy month for the church family as we try to cram a full summer of activity into just four weeks!

Thanks again to all who are part of the Cross Culture ministry family. Your sacrifices and prayers are changing many lives in Gorlovka, Ukraine.

Pictures of ABC Kids and Caregivers

Dasha sent me some pictures of the precious ABC Children and their caregivers. Thanks to all our sponsors who donate so that we can provide for the daily needs of these children. Please pray for the children and their caregivers, especially that the children will find their "fovever families."

Abandoned Babies and Children

We currently have 25 children we are providing for at Hospital #2 in Gorlovka, Ukraine. They range in age from newborns to toddlers. While the Payne's are in the United States, Dasha is in charge of purchasing and delivering the supplies needed each month for the children. Dasha is doing a great job and learning a lot as well. Please keep the children in your prayers, especially that they will find "forever families."

Passing On the Faith

On August 20, 2005 Valentina, one of the babushka's in our church family, was baptized into Christ. She had been attending classes and worship for several years when she decided to give her life to Jesus. Less than six months later Valentina and her husband moved to Russia to be closer to their children. While she was excited to be closer to family, she hated to leave her church family. Recently she visited with us while in Gorlovka. She met with the babushkas at class on Wednesday and shared an interesting story. These are her words through translation...

"When I moved I missed my spiritual family so much. I sat and cried for many days. For almost a year I was sad and feeling depressed because I missed my church family and I could not find another one in the city where I now live. Then it occurred to me, I can start a spiritual family. So I talked with several of my neighbors and invited them to my flat for a Bible study and for tea. Now we have about five ladies who gather every week, just like we did in Gorlovka."

She asked me if I could give her some resources to help her lead the studies with these ladies, which I was glad to provide for her. Please be praying for Valentina and her group of students. I am reminded of the passage in Acts that says, "Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went." (Acts 8:4)

The photos are of Valentina with Katya and Valentina (far right) with six other ladies who were baptized on the same day.

The ABC Children

This week I bought pampers for the Baby Hospital and took pictures of some of the children. For those who have never bought pampers for more than 30 children at a time, I included a couple of pictures of my car with the pampers loaded. Please keep the children in your prayers that they will be healthy and that they will soon have forever families.

Church Family New Years Eve Party

Our Annual New Years Eve Party was Sunday evening December 30th. The Sunday School class enacted the Nativity Story for us to enjoy. We had a talent show, a great meal and played "Dirty Santa" (a perennial favorite here!). We had a great evening of fun, food and fellowship.

Singing with the Children

Today our Sunday School classes visited several elderly people in our neighborhood to sing carols and give them a bag of candy. The kids had a great time and the babushka's were grateful for the attention from the children.

Work is continuing at Sasha's Home. With each passing week it looks more like the welcoming environment that we envision for the precious children abandoned in Ukraine. The balconies are being tiled, the breezeway is almost entirely sheet rocked, the ceilings are having the crown moulding installed and then painted, and the bathrooms are being completed. It is truly amazing how this building is being transformed into a wonderful apartment community for the children. Please continue to pray for the project and our workers. Also remember that all donations are welcomed - and matched!

Tee Shirt Party with Kids

Today we had a party with our church children. We all decorated tee shirts to wear next week when we deliver presents to elderly people in our neighborhood. The kids made "dear shirts" using a tracing of their foot for the face and their hands for the antlers. They were also given bells for the nose. Enjoy the pictures.

New Classes and Visitors

We recently started two new classes with our church family in Gorlovka. The first is an adult class that meets on Wednesday night. The attendance has been good with around fifteen people coming each week. Lora served chili last week and everyone enjoyed both the meal and the time of study, prayer and fellowship. The second class is for children from around ten to fourteen years old. (4th through 8th grade). Sunday afternoon we had 16 kids attend the class. Some of them are also attending the worship assembly on Sunday.

Mark and Courtney are visiting in Gorlovka while they are adopting children from a nearby city. More about their story soon.

Final room at Baby Hospital

We finished the final room at the Baby Hospital this week. What a great group of workers volunteered from the church family to help with this project. Special thanks to Tanya, Olga, Lena, Luda, Lena, Tanya, Lora, Vica, and Victoria for all their hard work. The rooms are so warm and inviting that the nurses have commented that they would like to live in them! It is important to provide a wonderful place for our precious children to live so they know that they are greatly loved by Jesus and his people. Thanks for your help with supporting the Abandoned Babies and Children Program. Your sacrifices are touching many lives in Ukraine.