Safety in the arms of Jesus

As I got together with one of the girls from the orphanage last week and talked over a cup of coffee. I heard a heart breaking story about her family and life before she came to the orphanage. Her mother was often beaten severely by her dad and her mother was beating her grandfather. Her grandfather was the only safe person in her life since other members of the family were alchoholics. Her life was filled with beating, unsafety and pain. One time her mother simply walked away from the house saying that she will never return to that hell. Her grandfather died after months of beating from his son in law. She was sent to the orphanage and said that it was a safe and stable place for her compared to her home.

As we talked and she literally cried on my shoulder I had a chance to share these words of God with her: Luke 4:18-20 "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him."

Jesus came to heal the brokenhearted and kids without parents are definitely on His heart and mind. As I shared these words with the girl I sensed the strong presence of the Holy Spirit. He was there to calm her pain with these words. The word of God always bears fruit and healing of the hearts of His people is one of them . God is almighty so He can heal any wound. I also shared these words with her: Jeremiah 29:11-13 "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart."

No matter what people might do to us, it can never ruin God's perfect plan for your life.

First day of School in Odessa

School year here starts on the 1st of September (it is officially called "Tha Day of knowledge").On the first of Sebtember it feels strange not to go to school even though I am already 30 years old:) Everyone seems to be going to school. Kids wear white tops and dark skirts or pants and have flowers to give to their teachers. At every school the kids and the teachers line up in front of the school building and a boy from 11th (last) grade carries a girl from the 1st grade on his shoulder and she rings a school bell. Usually they are the most handsome and strong boy and the cuttest and tiny girl.

Alternatives to Violence

Last week I had great time and experience doing training with the kids from Odessa area orphanages and schools on a team of the "Alternatives to Violence" project. All this summer I have been attending their trainings and learned a lot. This time we worked with the kids and it was absolutely wonderful. I am looking forward to more tranings with the kids that we will have this fall and will keep you informed.

God truly DOES provide!!!

At our last Bible study we celebrated Ira's birthday. It was a fun time together filled with laughter, jokes and love. We gave our gifts, had birthday cake and played board games. We prayed for Ira to have a great new year of her life.
One of the cool things was that Michelle left a birthday gift for Ira with me before she left for the States. When I saw Ira she was barefoot and had her slippers in her hand. She broke one of them on the way to the Bible group. When she opened a birthday present from Michelle guess what was there? You are right! A pair of nice new slippes! Thank you Michelle, thank You God for taking care of us even in small things like slippers exactly at the moment we need it!

Julia's Recent Training

This last week I completed a three days course on how to be a facilitator in the program “Against violence”. This program is not Christian in a way our organization is but it uses Christian morals to teach kids to resolve coflicts, to deal with own emotions, build healthy relationships and set life goals. The people who taught us (this is my third training this summer) are all professional facilitators who travel all over Ukraine and organize trainings for the teenagers and for the people who work with teenagers. I believe that all truth is God's truth wherever it might be found and this effective program (it has been used for about 70 years) can be used to explain to kids Christian values using different games, interactive exercises and discussions.

As I have been in the ministry working with youth and kids for a number of years I gained some experience in being a facilitator, still I realize that I have a lot to learn and a long way to go to become all God wants me to be in this area, I am very thankful for this opportunity to learn and sharpen my skills in the area of facilitating.

The next step I will take with this program is going to the orphanage in the Odessa area to have a training with the kids there. I am really looking forward to that. It should happen this month. I enjoyed becoming a part of a great team and pray for effective work and cooperation with this organization in the future.

Please pray that as I am involved in this work I would use every opportunity to glorify God by sharing the gospel with the people on the team and with the kids in my personal encounters with them.

These are someof the characteristics of an effective facilitator that I wanted to share with you:

A facilitator is, someone who is skilled at helping everyone in a group express their leadership qualities. They help things go smoothly without imposing their own ideas upon everyone else. Negotiators are skilled facilitators.

Effective facilitators are adaptive. They modify their small-group activities along critical tensions.

Effective facilitators are proactive. Before using a small-group activity, they modify it on the basis of the characteristics of the participants and the purpose of the activity.

Effective facilitators are responsive. They make modifications during the small-group activity to keep the different tensions within acceptable ranges.

Effective facilitators are resilient. They accept whatever happens during the small-group activity as valuable data and smoothly continue with the activity.

Effective facilitators are flexible. They modify their small-group activities before and during the training.

July Donations

Thanks to our wonderful July Donors!! We are SO very thankful for you and for what you do! I was recently to a Leadership conference here in Omaha, and I was reminded of what Jesus said, "What you have done for the least of these, you have done for me." Wow!! That just blows me away! So, what you are doing for these orphans in Odessa, Ukraine, you are doing for Jesus!! Isn't that incredible!!! Jesus is saying to all of you, "Well done, good and faithful servant!"

Rick and Mary Coates

Ken and Vera Gustafson

Edward Push

Les Stutzman

Russel and Donna Rediger ( a big thank you...$800 donation!)

What's on your mind?

I just wanted to share what has been on my mind this summer. I love spending time with younger girls – listening to them, praying with them and just hanging out with them. Two of the girls I have been meeting with regulary this summer are both 16 years old from the orphanage. Both of them started dating for the first time in their lives this summer and they were sharing all about it with me. As we sat at a cafe or at my place or at the park talking numerous times this summer, as we prayed together,as they called me and shared on the phone I thought that it has been a great priviledge and responsibility for me to be the person they turn to for advice and feedback. I also felt sad at times because every girl should have a mom to talk to about their boyfriends and other things in life.....I felt a strong sense of God's presence during these talks because God wants to fill every empty place in the lives of His children with His love. Emptiness in the lives of these kids and teenagers is great. They dont have a father to give them a hug and take them for lunch, they dont have mother to listen to them and fix them a cup of tea, they dont have grandparents to spoil them. Still God's desire is to lavish His love on them abundantly and He does it through people whose hearts belong to Him. He can do it through you as well. There are many ways to minister to these kids if your heart's desire is to serve them, just pray and God will show you His way.

Ministry Update from Tonya

Hi all! This is Tonya! I thought I would write a quick update on how things are going with Youth of Ukraine. Things on Julia and Sergey's end are going great to our knowledge! I am SO proud of all that they have done and are doing! They have great big ole' crowns waiting for them in heaven some day with all kinds of rare stones all over them!! :-) The work they are doing is making a big difference in the lives of A LOT of kids!!! I get chills just thinking about what they are doing.

On this end, we are still very small...I read a quote the other day. I honestly don't remember where it came from. Just know...it is not my quote, but I am going to borrow it.

"When the idea isn't right, God will say NO. When the timing isn't right God says SLOW. When everything is right God will say GO; because I have created you to love and share the meaning of love to each and everyone "

This quote made me feel better. I don't think the idea is wrong...so I don't think God is saying no...but the timing isn't right perhaps, and that is why God is saying slow. OR...now IS the time...but maybe I am not being obedient in getting the ministry into other people's hearts and minds. Either way, we are going slow...but WE ARE growing...it just is still a bit of a struggle to get everything that Julia and Sergey need on a month to month basis. My dream is that we have around $800-$1000 a month for them...we average about $400 a month...sometimes more...sometimes less. So we have a ways to go in our support...but we will get there. I ask that all of you spread the word of Youth of Ukraine to your family and friends. See if this is something that they might consider supporting. Julia and Sergey are doing wonderful things...and I can only imagine what they could do if they had even more resources at their disposal. Thanks for listening!!! We are SO thankful for each and every one of you for the support you give whether it be financial support or prayer support. All support is SO appreciated!!!

Hope you are having a wonderful day!!

Blessings to you and yours!

Tonya