What a wonderful time of joy it's been for the orphans of Latvia and Ukraine whom we have the privilege to support, over the Christmas season - and caring people have made it possible through their love gifts at this time.
Ukraine Orphans
In Zhitomir, 150 kms west of Kiev, snows began to fall very heavily which made travelling to the outlying orphanages very difficult for our local team.
Viktor, my manager, wrote, "We were able to visit an orphanage of 90 orphan girls with mental disabilities. It was an amazing meeting. We had a special show of Christmas Bible stories.
We asked the children: "What is Christmas all about and who believes in Jesus?" Then we prayed with the children. There was such a lot of love and joy. Many of them hugged us and wanted us to join in their playtime. There were several children who cannot walk, and move around on their knees.
A Sad Time for a 17 year Deaf Girl after leaving her orphanage
Our team had a happy meeting in an orphanage for deaf children some 30 km from Zhitomir. A deaf girl named Natasha, who had to leave her orphanage at 17 came to the meeting. She had gotten pregnant at that orphanage. She had her baby of 15 days with her and was in great need of the most basic things for her baby.
There was also a Happy Christmas at the Street Kid's Centre In Zhitomir
Here there are 50 children from 3 to 16 years from different critical situations. Some are orphans, some of them have been taken from families of drug addicts or alcoholics, and some the police found wandering the streets. The children happily greeted us. Viktor said, "We had a short Christmas program - we told them about the birth of Jesus, that He is the Saviour of the world, and that He loves every person on earth, especially little children. Each child received a gift and a colouring book of Bible stories.
Lugansk, Eastern Ukraine
In addition ensuring all the orphanages we support in this area, had a special Christmas season, Viktor embarked on a brave Christmas project into the troubled war zone of Lugansk in Eastern Ukraine.
Orphans in the Chernobyl radiation zone
Our team visited an orphanage of 130 children in the northern region of Korosten - Zhytomyrs'ka. Viktor says, "We have worked for several years with this orphanage. This is an area that has high radiation. After the 1986 nuclear reactor exploded in the north of Ukraine in Chernobyl, most of northern Ukraine to this day has a radiation emission.
We were able to tell the children about the birth of Christ, His ministry on earth, and how He loves us all and works in our lives today. I invited all the children to pray with me. The children were happy to receive their gifts and Bible story books."
Winter Jackets for Orphans in Zhitomir area
Viktor said that recently he was very busy with ministry to the poor families and there was no opportunity to visit a nearby orphanage, but he felt the urge to go there. He was given several meetings with older children and some prayed and received Jesus into their lives. Good timing.
Viktor was able to find cheaper priced jackets (before local prices rose strongly) called Halafayder jackets – warm and light-weight in blue, green & red. Even children from 4 to 7 years got jackets as well.
Orphans School Project N.Volinsk Orphanage
The 45 older children N.Volinsk orphanage 100 km from Zhitomir, didn't mind receiving school supplies and educational requisites as Christmas gifts, such as pens, notebooks, paints, pens, markers, calculators, pencil cases, drawing sets, coloured pencils etc. The orphanage director thanked us very emotionally for the gifts and school supplies, and for all the help we have given orphans in the past.
In a meeting with the children before they received school supplies, Viktor told them that Jesus loves them and that they have a chance in life to achieve His destiny for them, and that they should keep trusting the Lord all their lives. They had a short prayer together with the children. The children were very grateful for the gifts and school supplies they had desperately needed.
We also had a Christmas gift project for the 100 younger children of the N.Volinsk orphanage, where they received gifts and books of Bible stories.
Latvia Orphans
There have been some huge needs to meet in Latvia in the last few months of winter with heating bills, medicines and vitamins, and warm clothing. Although warmer weather is anticipated, temperatures are still around -3C and more snow is predicted this weekend.
The Gardene Orphanage at Dobele, is extremely grateful that the final stage has been reached in the replacement of their much-needed heating system. It's with much respect that we think of people like Mother Teresa. She was a great servant of God. There are many others like Mother Teresa, who have sacrificed much to care for little children and the desperately needy – Marija, the director of the Gardene Orphanage, is one of them. A very special servant of God.
Introducing Viktor and Oleg
Viktor Karplyuk from Zhitomir, Ukraine. I met Viktor in April 2008 when I was on a mission to Ukraine with Peter Wallace, a colleague from the UK. I recognised immediately that this young man was honest and free of guile – a man to be trusted. He pastors a small church in Zhitomir and almost the entire congregation make up his mission team to the orphanages. His wife, Alla, is an artist who teaches the handicapped orphans to paint, as fun and therapy. They have two boys, Andrey and Timothy.
Oleg Vasilchuk is our manager in Odessa, Ukraine. He used to be my interpreter to the Russian and Ukrainian Churches in Sacramento, California in 2002. He moved back to Odessa to start a wonderful ministry to the orphanages, homeless kids and the poor. We have worked together with him since 2003. Tanya, his wife has just given birth to a beautiful baby daughter, Abigail. With Oleg and Tanya we support 10 orphanages and the Homeless Kids Centre for which are standing ready to buy a building that will house the homeless kids, older orphans who have nowhere to live when they have to leave their original orphanage at 18, plus a youth meeting place and a gym for the youth group.
Over the last 23 years God has given us a wonderful opportunity to "wash the feet" of thousands of needy orphans who have been given the chance to grow in a relationship with God and rise to a level where many are married and have children of their own - they've broken the cycle of being an orphan, and are giving their children the hope of a great future. Please continue to stand with us
David and Margurita Smethurst
smethurstmin@bigpond.com