Zhovten hosting

The team from Yuzhniy invited children from the Zhovten orphanage to spend their spring break with families of our volunteers. It was a great time for everyone! The volunteers spent six great days with fourteen children. They ate at  McDonalds, went bowling, to the movie, and to sea. Some of the children got a new haircut, too. We also had them come to the JAM day center so they could play and spend more time outdoors. The best part was the time they spent in the homes of the families just being together, preparing and eating dinner together, and becoming closer. Praise God that the director allowed this time and that the children were able to build deeper relationships with the volunteers.

Zhovten 3-20

The team visited the children in the Zhovten orphanage this past Sunday. They brought different items for them and fun things to do. The kids were really expecting them even though the team was there just a week ago. Older children in 7th,8th, and 9th grades had a life skills lesson and they also baked a tasty pastry. The younger kids had a lesson about Esther. They shared how one obedient person saved thousands. They made interesting crafts learning how to make their own perfumes and paper 3D apples. As always, there were sports competitions. Thank you for your prayers and financial support.  

In a week the children will have their spring break and we plan to take 12 kids for hosting. The director of the orphanage said that she would give the approval on this later.

Zhovten 3-13

On the 13th of March our team visited the orphanage in Zhovten. I would like to say few words about this great team. They have 20 volunteers who regularly attend orphanage and about 10 more that occasionally help during celebrations and special holidays. Because in this ministry we serve God we understand how important it is to take care of our souls. Every Thursday this team meets for a Bible study. It’s also the time when they discuss the ministry and plan the next trip. They also celebrate each other birthdays and are like one big family. We are grateful that this team is serious about their walk with the Lord and serious about ministering to the children in the Zhovten orphanage.

This time when the team went to the orphanage they decided to bring them small notebooks and sweets because it’s was around the holiday, International Women’s Day.  When they met with the children they spent time praying with the children  and caregivers were respectful and stayed with them during this time. We pray that God also is working in their hearts, too. This time with the younger children the topic was  friendship. There was a video on this theme and there was time to make crafts with friends. With the older girls the topic was about where women should find their true happiness. These girls are open to hearing the truth and learning this. They are in most in need of His love and care. In our country tuberculosis is still an issue. Many people (especially the poor) die from this each year. In the 8th and 9th grade we talked about tuberculosis, it’s symptoms, and prevention methods. We pray that they will not contact this, but if they do that they will know to get treatment quickly. We sang many songs with all the kids which was a lot of fun. We are grateful for volunteers that share their musical talents!

We praise God for this team, these children, and for the opportunities to serve. Thank you for you prayers and financial support.

Zhovten hosting

Yuzhniy volunteers continue to host graduates of Zhovten orphanage. We teach them basic skills that are needed for life. Recently, they made a dinner menu, shopped for the grocery items for this particular menu,  and of course, cooked dinner. Also, they are learning to clean and use the vacuum and how take care of pets (cats, fish ...). Most importantly, we attend church together. There are many more children who would like to be hosted for a weekend, but not everyone can host a children at their home. Please pray that more volunteers will be open to hosting graduates of the orphanage and other children during the holiday times.

Zhovten

At the end of February, the team from Yuzhniy once again visited the orphanage in Zhovten. For the kids the theme was "How to recognize sin in our daily activities?" We were talking about the intellectual component of identity and how it relates to the spiritual component. Also, we celebrated the Birthdays of the children born from January 1st to February 29th. We made fruit salads, pizza, and other treats for the children. They received Birthday gifts and a Birthday cake with candles. One 15 year old girl commented after she had blew out the candles, that she had never celebrated her birthday like this and had never blown out the candles before! After the lessons we had a small fair. Children could buy office supplies, hygiene items, toys, and sweets for money they received for attendance and good behavior. The older girls were given sweatshirts that were sent by friends in America. We were able to donate 10 liters of dish soap. The charity foundation, The Way Home, also donated 10 bags 40lb bags of carrots.
We are thankful God entrusts us with this ministry and are grateful for those of you that pray and financially support our work.

Zhovten 2-21

On the 21st of February, the team from the Yuzhniy church visited the orphanage in  Zhovten. Children were waiting for us. The older children continued with life skills lessons and the younger ones were learning about  Bartimaeus's faith. There were also interesting crafts and older kids baked croissants. The part the kids loved the most was the sports relay races. All teams received prizes of candy and soda. The older children received thread and fabric for sewing (needlework). We are very thankful to the church, Emmanuel, that provided us with means to buy the orphanage some medications and laundry soap. May God bless all those who contribute to our ministry in this orphanage.

Zhovten 1-30

On the 30th of  January, a group of 25 volunteers from Yuzhniy visited the orphanage in Zhovten. They brought their long-awaited Christmas gifts! Previously, they could not visit the children because of the weather conditions. Our team's goal was to reveal the spirit of Christmas to children. Each class represented a family and they were competing for having a Christmas dinner. The children decorated the classroom and set the table. Each class had 1-2 volunteers and  they  tried to make their celebration of Jesus's Birthday special. Children constantly asked, "Do you think this is how Jesus would want his birthday celebrated, and what he would like to get for his birthday?" In the midst of the holiday, according to our ancient tradition they children went from "house to house" visiting our "families" in national dress, singing Christmas songs, and children were treated with sweets. It felt like a warm family celebration. At the end of the celebration, children received gifts. The team also purchased 120 kg of apples for the children. Shortly before that day, one boy hurt his eyes and his mother refused to buy drugs needed for his treatment, and so the team brought them to him. They visited him in the orphanage infirmary and encouraged him. The children were very happy to be with the volunteers and took a long time saying goodbye to them. We thank God for everything especially for this special team that cares for the children in Yuzhniy.

Zhovten 1-9

On January 9th, 18 children and 3 graduates from the Zhovten orphange were invited to a Christmas concert in Yuzhniy. The team of volunteers fed children, watched the performance together, and gave each child a gift and some treats. At the end of the day, they all tasted a huge sweet traditional Christmas bread  and were drinking delicious tea. Gifts were given to children  by Pastor Sergei Viktorovich. We spent time praying for the children and for the orphanage. Children were at the church about 4 hours and they really enjoyed their time their. We are thankful for this church inYuzhniy that reaches out to these children. Children and the caregivers who came with them really enjoyed the program.

Zhovten 1-3

On January 3rd, the team from Yuzhniy visited the orphanage in Zhovten. They sang songs, greeted each other with the New Year, played games, and earned many prizes. The kids had the opportunity to spend the points they had earned and the fair. Girls could buy jewelry and other girly things and boys could get themselves flashlights and tasty treats. Thank you to the sponsors that sent socks and underwear for each child.

Zhovten 12-6

The team from Yuzhniy visited children in the Zhovten orphanage. We have been working in this orphanage for over three years. It is a blessing to see how the children and volunteers really know each other and really care for one another. Praise God for this very committed team! This time we were able to bring many supplies to the orphanage. The organization, The Way Home, donated 6 large bags of vegetables (carrots and beets) and we were happy to deliver them. God also provided a new electric hair cutting razor through a local city council deputy. Also with the help of Emmanuel church, we brought socks, tights, underwear, school supplies, and medications. We had life skills lessons in the 7,8, and 9th grades. We showed a cartoon to the younger children and  had a fair, where each child had an opportunity to get a school supplies, hygiene products, toys, and shoes. The older kids baked rolls for all the children in the orphanage. Thank you for your prayers and financial support.

Zhovten kids hosted in Yuzhniy

The Yuzhniy team that serves in the Zhovten orphanage hosted some of the children during the fall break. They decided to take the kids to meet with the widows of Bethel church. These ladies have prayed for the children in Zhovten for four years. The topic of the meeting was  consistency and it lasted almost three hours. Our partner in ministry, Stefan was also invited to the meeting. During this meeting we showed a video about our ministry and about life in the orphanages. There were testimonies from the volunteers, students, and orphanage graduates. We had 5 students and 3 graduates attending our meeting and also stayed with us over the fall break. 

We prayed blessings over the children and shared with them our testimonies. The children also shared their testimonies. One girl had asked our team some time ago to pray for her mother, that she would stop drinking, and come back to the family. She shared that her mom came to the family and had not been drinking for two months.

Children from the orphanage prepared  hand made cards and gave flowers to the widows. After the meeting, we had tea and sweets. 

During the fall break, the children attended the church service, prayer meeting, and also celebrated the Birthday of one of the ladies. It was a great time with the children and we were sad to return them to the orphanage on Monday. 

We thank God for this amazing time as well as  for your financial and prayer support. 

Zhovten 10-18

The group of volunteers from Yuzhniy visited the Zhovten orphanage on the 18th of October.
They started a new program for teens (7-9th grades). The book series is called “Lessons of Independent Life” in the goal is to help prepare them for the adulthood. Leaders went through a specialized training and are prepare to teach this series. The first lesson was about identity.
With younger kids we also started a new series of “Christianity from A to Z.” Their first lesson started with the letter "A" - Angels.

There was craft time for the younger kids and the older children baked some pastries for the whole orphanage and served them at dinner. Also, we had different sports games and all of the teams got prizes at the end. One of the teams that was the best at sports won an inflatable crocodile.

Now as the autumn holidays are coming almost all of the children want to be hosted at our place. So we asked the director and they will allow us to host 15 children during the fall break. Please pray that in this time we could plant the good seed in their hearts.

We now have two regular team members who graduated from this orphanage. They go to visit the kids, regularly come to see us, and go to church with us. We pray that through this they will come to Christ.

We praise God for the blessed time we have. May God allow us to use it for the Christ's benefit. We praise God for our sponsors and for all the people who pray for us and our children that we visit at the orphanages.

Zhovten 9-27

On the 27th of September, the team from Yuzhniy visited children in the Zhovten orphanage. It was a fun meeting, filled with an atmosphere of trust and close fellowship. There were 10 stations where children needed to complete the task in order to earn some points. After the results were calculated, we announced the winners and everyone got a prize. Children got sweets, cotton candy, and a huge puzzle. Please pray for this team and their ministry in Zhovten. These very committed volunteers deeply care for the children. Pray that they would have great influence on the lives of the children.

Zhovten 9-13

The school year has started and we went to visit the children in Zhovten orphanage. We wanted to make the most of the good weather and play with kids outside while we still can. So we were outside the whole time we were there. 

We prepared a quest game with 7 stations where they would learn about the foundations of Christianity. (faith, church, repentance, prayer, Bible, and who Jesus Christ is) At first the children shared their understanding of those foundations and then we shared with them Biblical truth about those things. It was good to hear how many things they understood already because of our time with them over the years.

The time with children went by very quickly. At the end of the day, the children received hygiene packs with soap, toothpaste, shampoo, and a toothbrush. There were also some school supplies like pens, an eraser, pencils and a ruler.

For the children that needed some clothes, we were able to give 10 jackets and 10 pairs of jeans.

The tastiest part of the day was the fresh watermelons.

Another special gift was from one of our volunteers. She was recently married and she asked her guests to bring stuffed animals instead flowers as is the Ukrainian custom. She wanted to give these stuffed animals to the children in the orphanage.

The kids were encouraged and blessed by many gifts, but mostly by the volunteers and their love. We are excited to be visiting the children regularly again. 

We thank you for your financial support and pray for you!

6-9 Zhovten

This month the team of 26 volunteers organized a graduation party for the Zhovten orphans. The volunteers prepared an interesting program where graduates could take part in funny games, but also talk about important things. Volunteers gave them their advice, the Pastor shared God's word, and we prayed over the children. They had tasty food and nice gifts at the end. We thank God for your prayers for these children as they graduate and start a life on their own.

Zhovten 5-30

Last Saturday, May 30th, the volunteers from Yuzniy for the last time this school year visited the Zhovten orphanage. In a few days, the 9th graders will have their graduation.

This time we took the kids out to the local park, which is very close to the orphanage. We split children into 2 teams and held different competitions: collecting the branches for the fire ( where we cooked potatoes) and putting together the puzzles that were hidden all around the park before being caught by the bad guys. But the favorite activity was when kids were being chased by the bad guys throwing water balloons at them.

At the end of our meeting we ate lots nice food and drank lemonade. The children didn't want us to leave.  They were full, tired, and happy saying goodbye to us. 

Zhovten 5-24

On May 24th, volunteers from Yuzhniy visited the children in the Zhovten orphanage.  Our meeting was uplifting and emotional.  During our event, we had a Bible lesson about addictions and the main verse was 2 Peter 2:19,  “People are slaves to whatever has mastered them.” Children listened with great attention and were really involved in the discussions.

Then the sport leaders surprised the  kids with new and interesting competitions. All of the teams received gifts: soccer ball, volleyball balls, juice, and sweets.  

At the end of the day, there was a fair. Children received coupons to pay for the prizes. The top sales were for shampoo, toothpaste, and pens.

It was a long goodbye as the kids hate to see us go and we hate to leave. Praise God for everything!

Please pray for our team and the children in the Zhovten orphanage.

Zhovten 5-3

This time 12 volunteers took part in the program for 48 children at the Zhovten orphanage.We had played many outdoor games and had a time of for Bible lessons. We had such a great time with the children that they didn't want to say goodbye to us and we didn't want to leave! What a blessing it is to serve. Please continue to pray for the children and our teams that faithfully serve the Lord by caring for His children.

Zhovten 4-25

This time we had 16 volunteers from Nasledie that visited the Zhovten orphanage.  The Bible lesson was about how to resist peer pressure. We played sport games and baked cookies for everybody. The teams received soccer balls, cookies, and candies. We praise God for all that He does. Please pray for our team that faithfully visits the Zhovten orphanage twice a month.

Zhovten 4-13 and children hosted in Yuzhniy

The great volunteers of Yuzhniy once again hosted 5 children in their homes over the holiday. We can't thank God enough for volunteers that give of their time and resources to care for these children. When the kids are at home, we can more openly share with them and care for them. They experience a more normal life within a family. They spent the time walking on the beach, playing soccer, making great food, and going to church on Sunday! The kids helped with the preparations for visiting the orphanage the day after Easter, too.

The day after Easter 18 volunteers visited  the Zhovten orphanage.  The greatest blessing for us was the fact, that 3 of our volunteers were graduates from the orphanage (17-19 years old), and they took position of team leaders. It’s so great to see them in this role, just recently we were sharing those stories with them and now they are leading the other children in Bible lessons. Praise God!

Children watched the skit about the meaning of the Easter and took part in different games. After each game we wanted children to learn some lesson about how they can apply the spiritual principles. So after each game there was a small talk about this.  

They had the opportunity to earn points by participating in the games and then they could spend them at the “gift fair”.  We think this kind of reward helps them to learn how to use the resources they have and encourages them to take part in the program.

And of course we could not forget about the children in the infirmary! We brought them some sweets and oranges.

We thank you for your sacrificial giving and for your prayers. We are also praying for you. Please pray for our team, our church, and two girls that are now in the hospital, their name are Anya and Alyona.

Please pray for the graduates who don’t know how to live outside orphanage and that they would learn to adapt.