MUCH January 2012 Newsletter

Hello family and friends,

Happy New Year!  The Christmas Fundraiser was a tremendous success!

The year of 2011 was successful in all of our ministries! What an awesome thought when you consider the total of the MUCH outreach. Sveta and I want to share some of the reasons that the success of the Christmas fundraiser is so important to us, and the MUCH team. Last year was a big challenge concerning month-to- month contributions. We wanted to continue the massage program in Froonza following its successful first year, and a new opportunity was available at the Dobromel Orphanage to begin a massage program in 2012. The Christmas fundraiser, the biggest single effort for contributions, was the only way to guarantee that these two programs would touch the lives of at least sixteen children with physical disabilities. Our children in Froonza and in the Dobromel orphanage have begun receiving massage in this year of 2012 and are guaranteed to have this treatment for the entire year, thanks to your kind hearts and generous donations.

The children want to say thank you because your gifts this Christmas will start something new in their young lives. They will feel love and feel loved, possibly for the first time in their lives. Massage ignites hope, something that none of these children have seen of felt in their young post-soviet lives. They want you to know that you have changed their lives forever. Contributions to MUCH this past Christmas season will affect these children in personal health, participation in school or preparation to qualify for school, and instill new enthusiasm in their little hearts. The MUCH team thanks you for your generous support.

Tim Koehler, MUCH Board President, came to Ukraine in November and saw first-hand what is happening in Illichevsk, the second longest running MUCH program. I wish that you could see for yourself the great changes that are being made in the lives of so many children, more than 500 located in three cities and one village from northwestern Ukraine to southern Crimea, Ukraine.

In 2002, I began the Marganets Orphanage mission and was led to support the Emmaus program in Illichevsk. In 2010, the Emmaus program closed, but the Transportation Scholarship Program continues. Viktoria S. (left) graduated university last year and Tim presented her a certificate of achievement. Rolling through its tenth year MUCH has six major programs with seven minor programs attached.

Ira (left), Vika (right) - Vika is our 3rd
Transportation Scholarship Program student.

Doors continue to open; the needs of children are introduced to me, and my heart wants to reach out to meet those needs. The Froonza massage program developed over a two-year period, Dobromel required three. To speak simply, there are children waiting for our help. As our mission continues to grow, we now work in three cities and a village, with a second village opportunity waiting in the wings. Students in Illichevsk, ready for university but in need of transportation funding, are looking to MUCH for assistance.

Svetlana's Journey
Today Mark and I attended the New Year's celebration in the Center for Children with Disabilities in Illichevsk. When I saw disabled children dressed in festive costumes, my heart rejoiced that they could celebrate and have fun as all children do.

The Director of the Center, Ludmila S., has an adult son with a disability and understands how hard it is to raise and educate these children.

When her son was young, Illichevsk had no facilities specifically to aid children with disabilities, or programs to help their parents cope. Very many parents were alone with their grief. The children were at home, not able to play with other children or go to school. In such circumstances, children grow up in isolation and develop closed personalities. This affects the mental and emotional development of the children. It is very difficult for parents to watch their child in their present situation.

The director told me the story of the birth of this center. After living in Ukraine for two years, Mark opened a massage clinic for children with physical disabilities. His goal was to help children with disabilities become more mobile and able to function in everyday activities. In the process, Mark wanted to show Ukrainian people examples of American care and attention for Ukrainian children--to ignite in their hearts a great concern for their children. These goals came to life and became a reality, thanks to the team of MUCH, its mission, and your prayer and financial help, our dear American friends.

Ludmila stands proudly in front of her center

In the process of those two years, Ludmila S. persistently appealed to the government of the city with requests to establish a center for disabled children and their parents. Mark met with her during that time, while he developed the quality of the massage program for the same children. It was positive results of the massage clinic, which the U.S. mission MUCH sponsors and oversees, that drew the attention of the government to see this great need for the city - need for a place where children with disabilities can be in society, to spend time and get the care and attention that they need, and much more. Ludmila S. continually expresses her gratitude for the work that Mark and his team have done.

Ask and ye shall receive, knock and the door shall be opened. The persistence of Ludmila S. and the success of the MUCH massage program instilled the beginning of this center. Now it is a place where parents can come together with their children, or leave them at this facility so that they may go to work, or for some respite time.

Here the psychologist, tutors, teachers, and coach, conduct classes and physical rehabilitation. Children have fellowship with one another, play, develop communication capabilities, and discover talents in drawing and dancing. Children can achieve their best when their parents love and care are combined with the facilities of education and rehabilitation. Because the children experience social adaptation, they improve their psychological levels in the family. Parents are no longer alone in their challenges.

Every day, I understand more and more deeply the importance of the mission MUCH, understanding the work of Mark and his team. It is wonderful! I want to tell you thank you very much dear friends, for your open hearts for the children in Ukraine. I am grateful that there are people in America who care, such as Mark, and all of you who are giving part of your heart, expressing your love in action.

Your financial support and assistance for children in Ukraine has become a great example and a motivation to action for the city government of Illichevsk.

Living my dream,
Svetlana

My friends, my family members, you have stood by me over the many years of my work here in Ukraine. Now that Sveta and I are married, I will do a better job serving the children with her by my side. Her love for the children, along with her great enthusiasm, gives me new energy. As we walk down the MUCH mission road, we hope that you will continue to join us in prayer, encouragement, and financial support. If you are already a part of the team, we thank you from the depths of our hearts. If you would like to share in the MUCH ministry, we welcome you with open arms. To learn more about what we are doing for the children of Ukraine, please visit our website. We anticipate that 2012 will be a difficult year financially. I ask each of you to share the MUCH story with five friends who have a heart for children. Tell them of the lives that we are changing through prayer and sponsorship. Thank you for your continued interest in our children!

Blessings of love and healing,
Mark and Sveta

MUCH December 2011 Newsletter

Hello family and friends,

May God’s blessings fill your hearts this Christmas Season. We wish for you all of the joy that He has for you. It is my turn to share with you some of my experiences while I visited Dobromel Orphanage for two weeks. All in all, it was a growing experience for me to better understand the lives of the children and life in the orphanage system. It was cold for October, but Dobromel is in the mountains, so it was a normal temperature for the season. I slept in a building across the street from the children’s dormitory, a three-room, recently remodeled apartment. The building was cold, and I slept in my long johns, hat, and socks, under two comforters almost long enough to cover my feet. The children seem to sleep in regular pajama’s, from what I could see.  A number of years ago, a local Pentecostal Church replaced all of the children’s antiquated beds with solid wood bunk beds with hard wood support under the mattresses. Svetlana and I ate our meals in a room beside the orphanage kitchen. It, too, was cold. I wore my typical five layers of clothing. I appeared quite funny, because the children were running around wearing much less clothing. They seem to have acclimated to the cold winters, or maybe they accept their situation as normal.

It is a hard life for a child, living with 119 other children, struggling to understand their differences. It is a hard life for those who work there. They have limited materials, limited help from the government and local community, but most of all, they are overwhelmed with these 120 children with needs that tax their abilities to help. For two weeks, I lived how they live, in the cold buildings with the drab atmosphere of past times. I ate what they ate, most every meal containing cabbage and bread, two of the staples of Ukraine. I saw their overbearing physical and emotional needs. I watched as Svetlana performed massage on some of the children. I saw in their faces a new hope, an awareness of love in Svetlana’s eyes, and a new beginning of relaxation. I saw the children hungry for change in their physical and emotional conditions.

Mikola, the director, (picture to the right) has the most difficult job of all. He must run the orphanage according to the government rules. This is a very big job. He had time to talk with me only one time, a scheduled meeting with a translator that I hired to come from L’vov, a two-hour trip. Mikola showed his true love and concern for the children as our conversation about massage continued. He called the speech teacher and the nurse to drop what they were doing and come to our meeting. I saw the joy in their eyes as Svetlana explained the results that she was seeing after ten days of massage.

What MUCH is offering is nothing new in the therapies that have been known and practiced in Ukraine in general, but for the past twenty years of freedom, they have not been provided to the children at the orphanages for children with special needs. Click here to learn more about the current neglect of these children.

Svetlana’s Journey
A month has gone by since I left Dobromel. Although, very often I am reminded of the children from the orphanage and I miss them. I really want to hug them all, show them my love, and protect them from all evil. My wish and prayer is that every child will grow-up in a good family and feel a great understanding and love of self. My wish and prayer is that the children will be healthy and full of personality; as adults, they will become useful, helping and supporting others as they once received help and support. Soon the whole world will celebrate Christmas. It is such a wonderful holyday! Families come together, giving each other gifts, having joy and fun together! Unfortunately, at this time, many of the children will be located within the walls of the orphanage, and for them this holyday is a reminder that they are alone or that their parents do not love them.

I once watched a girl, Ivanna, (right) meeting with her mother and stepfather. They stood in the great hall; their faces were strained, and I did not see the tender love and joy in their eyes. The impression was that each of them wanted this meeting to end as quickly as possible. The next day I wondered why Ivanna did not hug her mom and was not happy with the meeting with her. She said she does not love her mother. For me it was a great disappointment to hear these terrible words. I began asking this question of other children. A lot of them answered that they do not love their parents. When I heard these answers - for me it was a shock.

I remember a boy, Misha (right). He was 15 years old. When the autumn holidays arrive, many parents take their children home. Misha’s papa promised that he would take him home, too, for the one-week holiday. He did not fulfill his promise. This big boy was crying every day; he went outside and stood at the gate looking in the direction from which his father should appear. His eyes were very sad and every day the hope in his eyes faded more and more.

The stress of living in this orphanage/boarding school system, along with his family disappointments, resulted in poor classroom performance, and other emotional and physical manifestations for this teen. The muscles in his body tightened, causing pain and stiffness in his upper body. When I began the ten-day massage, Misha would not let me touch him. His body was extremely sensitive to touch, and his ability to trust me was equally limited. Little by little during the first three days of massage, Misha’s trust of me and the relaxation of his body began to grow.

The paramount importance in medical massage is to establish trust, and then each cell in the body responds with a positive reaction to the touch of the masseuse. Physical contact with hands massaging the patient's body is complemented by a psychological bond.

At the end of the ten-day massage, Misha’s muscle tone was reduced, he allowed me to give him a more strenuous massage, revealing a decreased sensitivity to touch, and an overall better emotional state of mind. He was hopeful that his papa would take him home for the winter holidays to celebrate Christmas. I am also hopeful.

Living my dream,
Svetlana

CHRISTMAS FUNDRAISER GOAL $5,000

I have given up my life in America to help these children. Svetlana has left her job and joined me to help these children. Please join MUCH this Christmas season to help change the lives of children in Dobromel and in Froonza during 2012.



Dobromel - Misha R. (left) has problems with hyperactivity. Five days of massage made a very big difference in his ability to be calm and self-controlled in the classroom.






Froonza - Dasha (right) has Down’s syndrome. Sleeping throughout the night is only one of the positive results that she has experienced from receiving massage during this past year.







Many children at the Dobromel Orphanage and in Froonza are in great need of massage treatment. The Christmas Fundraiser will be used to provide massage treatment for a year at each location. Svetlana continues to share her story about the Dobromel children. You cannot completely imagine their need until you live with them, as Svetlana and I did, even though for only a short time. Please consider our children this Christmas Season. Listen to what God is saying to your heart. If it is about our children, may He bless you greatly for your generosity.

Donate in honor or in memory of someone special. When you make a donation in honor of family or friends, MUCH will send them an acknowledgement of your gift. Please remember to include the name and address of the honoree. When you make a donation in memory of a deceased loved one, MUCH will send you an acknowledgement of your memorial.

Blessings of love and healing,
Mark and Svetlana

MUCH November 2011 Newsletter

Hello family and friends,

SHE SAID YES!!!

Svetlana and I were married on November 12, 2011, at her church in Nikolayev, Ukraine. My brother Tim and his wife Sonya came from America to share this special event in our lives. Svetlana’s church family did all of the preparations and provided a reception with music, skits, games, and more food than you could possibly imagine.

October was an exciting month for Svetlana and me. I met her at the midpoint of her massage demonstration at the Dobromel Orphanage for children with physical and mental disabilities. Dobromel, nestled in the Carpathian Mountains, is a poor community; the streets are filled with potholes and the sidewalks are in poor repair. Few buildings are higher than two stories, and many are showing the effects of time. Even so, the pride of the people is evident in some buildings that are painted with very cheerful colors. Life in Dobromel is a challenge, although,  life for the Ukrainian people has always been a challenge.

This newsletter will focus on Svetlana’s experience giving massage to some of the 119 children who live most of their lives in the institution. As you read Svetlana’s story, please reflect on love portrayed so deeply during the Christmas Season. Many of these children have not experienced the warmth of love ever in their young lives. Please consider sharing a bit of your love with them.

Svetlana’s Journey
For one month (two weeks alone and two weeks with Mark), I was in the special boarding school/orphanage of Dobromel in Western Ukraine. This facility of 50 years provides room, board, and education for 119 children. The children have deviations and delays in physical and mental development.

Eleven of them have no parents -- orphans -- the rest have parents, but many of them use alcohol or drugs, struggling with their poverty. They don’t want the responsibility for their children. Many parents are unable to provide good home care for their children. Many children are from large families with many brothers and sisters. One family has eight children, and they all live and study in this school.

Wonderful people work here and care about the fate of the children. They invest in these children, teaching them many good skills and knowledge; they take into account the characteristics of the children, and give each child individual attention. These people have an enormous responsibility and important role - to love, teach, educate, and shape the personality of each child. It is very hard work, because the children have physical, mental, and intellectual disabilities. Some children need to learn elementary activities – activities of daily living.

Thus, the purpose of my stay at the boarding school was to reveal the positive and tremendous impact of massage on the body of the child and to manifest the healing power of the Holy Spirit through me. When I started to massage children, I did not have full confidence that in such a short period I would see some results. However, the therapeutic effects of massage manifested themselves. In this step, I thank the Lord, because all good things come from Him. My faith is growing. Let us pray the prayer of faith, and we can be confident that God will answer.

Within 20 days, I gave massage to 18 children. Three children received a 20 day massage, 8 children received a 10 day massage, 1 child  received a 4 day massage, 1 child received a 6 day massage, 4 children received a 5 day massage, and 1 child received a 13 day massage. Briefly, I will describe some of the results, which not only I saw, but also employees of the institution. Other treatment results will be in the December newsletter.

Roma, an eight-year-old boy, has very poorly developed speech. He received a 10-day treatment of head, face, neck, and back massage. Massage of the face and neck area had a relaxing effect on facial muscles and improved articulation. The Speech Therapist who worked with Roma for two years was desperate for results, having none. She told me, "After the boy started to receive massage, he began to pronounce voiced and unvoiced consonants, and his speech improved". In that, she sees the therapeutic effects of massage. Of course, I realize how much this speech therapist worked for two years, but without results. After the 10-day massage treatment, I did not notice any results, but the therapist did. The work of ongoing speech therapy plus specific massage brought results! Thank God! I believe that Jesus Christ will continue to bless the children and give them healing through massage.

A fourteen-year-old girl, Ivanna, has poor circulation in her fingers (causing a violet color), stiffness when walking, and dry skin. She has so much distortion and deformation of the spine that Ivanna now wears a plastic corset that she does not remove even during sleep. The girl received a back, neck area, and chest massage, treatment position, and spinal traction. After the massage, Ivanna became more relaxed, lost tension in movements, muscle tone moved toward normal, and recovered water balance in the skin. Praise the Lord!

Even such small results brought me joy. My heart is filled with a great desire to continue working in this direction. Many children need to receive rehabilitation, healing, and the opportunity for further productivity in their lives. These children must overcome the stigma of the word, “invalid”, and see themselves as valuable people in their communities. I believe that God's love will fill their hearts through us, and you - people who have open hearts for these children. Let our hearts become sensitive and compassionate to those who have virtually no hope for a bright future.

These children need your love, attention, and care! When I was doing chest massage for children, I had the opportunity to look in their eyes. Some children looked trustingly, but some with caution. When I smiled at them with warmth and love, setting my eye contact with love, the children eagerly absorbed my love through their eyes, and immediately their uneasiness disappeared. Many children cannot speak or speak very poorly - they are almost impossible to understand, but their eyes can say a lot.

All my time in Dobromel, I lived in the boarding school and was able to observe the lives of children. They are very caring, helping to dress those who cannot dress themselves, they comfort those who weep and come to protect those who are offended.

The arrival of Mark delighted many children. They remember him from past years. Young children hugged Mark, the older children welcomed him, shaking hands, asking him many questions, and they were happy to answer his questions. Mark was in the boarding school for two weeks, and he will tell you about his stay there in other articles.

Living my dream,
Svetlana

Christmas Fund-raiser Goal $5,000
The children at the Dobromel Orphanage and in Froonza are in great need of massage treatment. The Christmas Fundraiser will be used to provide massage treatment for a year at each location. Svetlana has begun to share her story about the Dobromel children. You cannot completely imagine their need until you live with them, as Svetlana and I did, even though for only a short time. Please consider our children this Thanksgiving and Christmas Season. Listen to what God is saying to your heart. If it is about our children, may He bless you greatly for your generosity.

Donate in honor or in memory of someone special. When you make a donation in honor of family or friends, MUCH will send them an acknowledgement of your gift. Please remember to include the name and address of the honoree. When you make a donation in memory of a deceased loved one, MUCH will send you an acknowledgement of your memorial.

We wish for all a most blessed Thanksgiving Holiday. Even in the midst of the financial problems that are facing the world, your world, may we all find one thing to be thankful for. God continues to bless America, maybe in different ways than we wish, but the blessings are there. Look for things to be thankful for each day; I know that, living in Ukraine, I certainly do.

Blessings of love and healing,
Mark and Svetlana

accompanying photos will be posted shortly - check back.

MUCH Newsletter October 2011

Hello family and friends,

My time in Pennsylvania was an opportunity to open new doors in my hometown churches, community and at my alma mater, Slippery Rock University. I made contact with six churches, met with key people in two and spoke at an outreach program of one. While visiting Slippery Rock University, I met with the Chairman of the Special Education Department and one of the campus ministers. In addition, I met with the Director of Campus Ministries at Grove City College, not far from Slippery Rock.

A week in Florida provided an opportunity to speak with people at a retirement community and grade school children at a Christian School. Each day I shared a meal with four to six sponsors or potential sponsors. It was a short visit, but new doors open each time I go to Florida.

With my time in America well spent, I am moving forward here in Ukraine. I will be heading to Dobromel, meeting up with Sveta, my fiancé, and spending two weeks living at the orphanage, as she is, interacting with the children and evaluating the massage demonstration project. This will be the first time that I will have the opportunity to spend more than two hours with the children on a single visit. Sveta shared with me the good results that she is seeing. She has documented these with photographs and video. She tells me there are many more children with physical disabilities than I previously thought. I knew there was a need for massage therapy at this orphanage, but it seems that some of the children were able to hide their physical challenges from plain view.

Next month Sveta will write about her time with the children in Dobromel during October. Get ready for an eye-opening story. Until then, Ira wants to share more about the children with you.

Ira’s Insights
The boy about whom I am going to tell you was born with cerebral palsy and was often left alone at home by his alcoholic mother. But God had a different plan for his life. A Christian family took him into their family through the Foster Care Program when he was 8 years old. The boy’s name is Kolya. Today he is 14 years old, and this child has brothers, sisters and loving foster parents.

Foster Care Program is a little bit different system in our country than in America. A foster child may live with foster parents as many years as foster parents want, until he/she is 18, or if foster children are adopted, or if her/his biological parents correct their life and then they may take their children back. But the last thing happens very rarely in our country. I have never heard of parents who took their children back from foster family.

Being born with cerebral palsy, Kolya couldn’t walk normally.  He had a severe spasticity with the knee extensors. For many years, he crawled better than he walked with two forearm crutches. It was a real challenge for him when children of his age started school. He wanted to go to school as they did, run and play football as they did, but unfortunately, he couldn’t.

More than one year ago a real help - free Massage Clinic - was provided by MUCH for Kolya and some other children with similar problems who live in that small village of Froonza in Crimea. This clinic is a real encouragement for the mothers whose children have benefited from massage program.

Kolya's foster mother also keeps talking of his progress each time when I speak to her by the phone. She says that his masseur, Slavik, has a great hope that Kolya will walk without crutches. Today Kolya can see his good results.  He is very proud of them and very thankful to those who helped this program be started.

His left leg is not as twisted as it was one year before. Now Kolya can manipulate with his left knee more freely.  His legs have been strengthened - some muscles have appeared on his calves and, as a result, his legs are straighter, and he stands taller.

The masseur advised the foster mother to get an adjustable cast. That will help Kolya to make his legs straighter. This adjustable cast costs about $100 and for now, the family isn’t able to get it because of some financial needs of the other 11 children.

Now Kolya is learning to walk with the help of only one crutch and can already make several steps.  It might seem for someone not to be big progress, but, for Kolya and his foster mother, it is a big victory on the way to their dream.

Until next time,
Ira

Christmas Fundraiser

Our Christmas Fundraiser kicked off last month. To recap, our goal is to raise $5,000, enough to operate the massage programs for the next year at the Dobromel Orphanage and at the village of Froonza. The operation of these two programs is dependent on the funds raised through the Christmas Fundraiser. Each program will provide massage five days a week for children with physical disabilities. Without our help, these children have no opportunity to receive massage treatment, no opportunity to improve their physical condition. Sveta told me by phone that one boy at the orphanage comes to her door every evening to ask to be included in the massage program. Our program there is designed to help each of four children with the most severe problems with 20 massages in a month, but Sveta has already worked with an additional eleven children to some degree during her first ten days. The need is great, but we need your help to help the children. If the children’s needs are touching your heart this Christmas season, please mark your contribution “Christmas Fundraiser.”

Blessings of love and healing,
Mark

MUCH Newsletter September 2011

Hello family and friends,

I have been in America for two months visiting family and friends.  My main purpose is fundraising.  I have made a number of presentations in Greensboro and am now in Pennsylvania for eight days.  October 2-7, I will be in Florida.  I will return to Ukraine on October 9.  Svetlana and I will be married on November 12, and together we will serve the children of Ukraine through the generous contributions of MUCH supporters. Svetlana has wonderful gifts that will complement what God has been doing through the MUCH team and me.

In September of 2010, MUCH began a massage program in the village of Froonza, Crimea.  This came about after I lived in Froonza for two weeks with a family with thirteen children, some of them foster children and one adopted.  Twelve-year-old Kolya has cerebral palsy, and he grabbed my heart as I watched him practice walking in the house with his forearm crutches.  I decided, seeing how limited his exercise area was, that he needed to get outside and walk everyday.  Kolya and I walked five blocks to the village school almost every day. The teachers who saw him there were delighted that he was out of the house and wanting to be around other children.

Toward the end of my stay, I asked his foster mother if there were other children with disabilities in the village.  She informed me that there were twelve other children in need of services.  I saw that the need was enough to justify a massage program, so I presented it to the MUCH Board of Directors.  The board approved the new massage therapy program, and we have been seeing good results with many of the children, including Kolya.  Not only that, but mothers from nearby villages are requesting services, anxious to bring their children.

In the past few newsletters, I have written about the massage demonstration that my fiancée, Svetlana, will provide next month at the orphanage in Dobromel, Ukraine.  I have been visiting these children for the past three years. The orphanage houses one hundred and twenty children who have a variety of physical or mental/emotional problems that can have serious repercussions on the educational system in the orphanage and the social interaction of the children. Some of the children have obvious physical disabilities, while others have learning disabilities or emotional problems. Some of the children have Down's Syndrome.

Our goal with the demonstration is to show the variety of bodily functions that can be affected and corrected through the proper application of massage.  In our massage therapy clinics in Illichevsk and Froonza, we have seen a variety of amazing results. Aside from helping to balance the opposing muscle problems in cerebral palsy, massage has reduced and sometimes eliminated convulsions, stimulated awareness of bowel and bladder needs, improved the sleep patterns of restless or disruptive children, improved the digestive process, reduced watering of the mouth, and improved speech enunciation.

Announcing the 2011 Christmas Fundraiser!

 The 2011 MUCH Christmas Fundraiser will focus on the Froonza and Dobromel Massage Therapy Clinics described above. Our goal is to raise $5,000, enough to operate these two programs for twelve months.  Each program will provide massage five days a week. We require documentation of all program expenditures in our outreach programs, and the clinics in Froonza and Dobromel will provide progress reports for each child at the end of a twenty-day treatment.

I have always made a big effort to use MUCH contributions directly for the operation of programs.  Members of our Board of Directors are volunteers, and our overhead to run the business side of MUCH is minimal. I am the only paid American on the MUCH team, and, in keeping with my missionary status in a foreign country, my wage is small. One hundred per cent of the Christmas Fundraiser will be used for the operation of the massage programs at Froonza and Dobromel.

What better Christmas gift could you give to a child than a more comfortable, more functional body!

Blessings of love and healing,
Mark

MUCH Newsletter August 2011

Hello family and friends,

It is good to be in America, to be on the far side of jet-lag, sleeping more consistently than ever, and walking every morning. Even so, I continue to experience culture shock, keeping me most aware of the major differences between Ukraine and the USA. In the past, culture shock occurred because of the affluence that I saw upon entering America, compared to the poverty of eighty per cent of Ukraine that I experienced. This time, other factors are affecting me. The media, television in particular, is disturbing. Sensationalism takes its toll on me. Although the Ukrainian television imitates everything American, the intensity has not yet caught up. The American pace of life is faster than I remember. When I visit America, I see it from the outside, looking in.

My mind remains on the children of Dobromel, in northwestern Ukraine. I remember how, three years ago, I was introduced to the 120 children of the Dobromel Orphanage on a cold and snowy Saturday. Their needs for encouraging relationships were most obvious, as I looked into their eyes, hungry for attention. I have visited them once or twice a year, but each time, as I reported in an earlier newsletter; my visit was only for two hours, mostly due to lack of accommodations in Dobromel. Most of my time was spent talking with the director. What could I do for these children?

Finally, a door opened during my visit in April of this year. The director was waiting to show me that he was very serious about investigating a massage program for his children. A number of children were brought to me. The director wanted to know if I thought that massage would help correct their physical difference. One of the boys, about 14 years old, walked on the toes of his one foot. A second child had a rib cage that had not developed symmetrically with the rest of his body. These are only two of the many physical problems that I saw. My heart goes out to these children who have their whole lives ahead of them.

Ira has news about what Sveta has been doing in Illichevsk while I am in America.

Ira’s insight
In October of this year, MUCH will start its Pilot Massage Program in one of our Western Ukrainian cities, Dobromel.  It will be another noble program of MUCH that will meet needs of many special children.  In Ukraine, MUCH is known as a charitable organization that inspires our Ukrainian people to help Ukrainian children with special needs.

The idea for this program started last fall when Mark visited the orphanage in Dobromel. The children of the orphanage suffer from cerebral palsy, scoliosis, other physical problems, and many of them have different mental disorders. He saw many children who needed professional massage and a special rehabilitation program.

Working with Mark for many years, I am never without surprise.  He surprises me with his unique gift to see not only the need but to find a way to fix it.  Sometimes his ideas seem to me unbelievable, but later I can see great results with my physical eyes.  Last year, when he shared his ideas with me about the pilot massage program for Dobromel – the idea looked incredible to me. “God is bigger than you can imagine” – this is a favorite Mark slogan. God really is.  In August of this year I have seen added evidence that this slogan is right.

Two women from different cities have had training in a practical massage course in Illichevsk in August 2011.  They are Svetlana, Marks’ fiancée, and Natasha, the exercise specialist from the Dobromel Orphanage. Svetlana graduated from medical college many years ago, but she didn’t work in the medical area for a long time.  In July, 2011 she finished a massage course in Nikolayev that helped her renew her theoretical knowledge in massage and become recertified.

Natasha graduated from a university that prepares Physical Education specialists. She was also taught massage in that university.  Today she works in Dobromel Orphanage.  She teaches children to dance and one time a week she gives massage for one child. 

Both Svetlana and Natasha have a great desire to develop their massage skills and increase their knowledge. They have responded to Mark’s call to come to Illichevsk for ten days to have practice with massage in the Illichevsk Massage Clinic that has been sponsored by MUCH for seven years. For ten days, Svetlana and Natasha visited three different masseuses, watched their work, practiced giving massage, and received much valuable knowledge.  All of the masseuses say that Svetlana and Natasha have a great potential for work with special children and a big interest in helping such kinds of children.    

Thanks to Mark’s idea, Svetlana and Natasha left Illichevsk with great zeal to start the Massage Pilot Program at the Dobromel Orphanage in October this year.  I am really looking forward to seeing progress in this orphanage because massage can do much for such children.  It can change not only their physical condition but to improve their mental ability. I believe that soon this Pilot Program will encourage many hearts to help the children in Dobromel orphanage.

Until next time,
Ira

What a joy it is for me to experience hope for the children. And what a joy it will be to have Sveta join me on my next visit in the spring of 2012.  Not only will she be my wife, but because she speaks both Russian and Ukrainian, she will make it possible for me to visit the children for a week, instead of two hours. As I explained in the April newsletter, Pastor Volodya was my main contact, and I stayed in his home, two hours away from Dobromel. His daughter was my translator. With Sveta’s language skills, it will be possible to find a hotel or home in Dobromel where we can stay. Her contribution will be so much more. Not only will she translate for me, she can talk with the children in their native language, learning about them in ways that I never could. She has the gift to touch the inner souls of these little ones with great love and compassion.

Please pray for Sveta as she mentally prepares for her month with the children in Dobromel. Also, a prayer or two for our wedding that will take place in November will be appreciated very much by both of us.

Blessings of love and healing,
Mark

MUCH Newsletter July 2011

Hello family and friends,

After a rainy and cool June, we have 86 + F temperatures with cool sea breezes in the evening. I have said, “See you soon,” to my friends in Ukraine as I journeyed to America to do some fundraising for MUCH. Now in North Carolina, the temperatures are in the mid 90’s and the ground is parched, waiting for rain. This is my first summer visit in nine years. Will I survive the heat?

My fiancée, Sveta, and I have been talking about preparation for her September visit at the Dobromel Orphanage. Recently, she completed her recertification course in medical massage therapy. She and Natasha, the exercise specialist at the orphanage, will spend two weeks in Illichevsk in August, visiting our massage clinics. They will be watching, asking questions, and learning all that they can from our team of masseuses who have been working with our children for the past seven years. In September, Sveta will begin a demostration project at the Dobromel Orphanage, giving four of the children a twenty-day massage. Based on the children’s improvement and, with the approval of the Director of the orphanage, MUCH will begin its fifth massage program for special needs children.

Children at Dobromel Orphanage ...

participating in AWANA games

The children we serve in Dobromel all have physical or mental disabilities. Sveta and Natasha may be working with some of the children pictured above. Massage and specific exercise will improve the physical lives of our children. We expect that they will, in fact, change their future.

Pastor Volodya and his ministry team from the Borislov church have reached out to meet the spiritual needs of these children for ten-plus years. MUCH began to partner with them about three years ago, financially supporting the work they do. Together, Pastor Volodya and MUCH are reaching out to the whole of each child, hoping to equip them with what they will need to be successful in life.

Let’s see what is cooking with Ira.

Ira’s Insights

This year has been very fruitful for my church. We have had eight weddings since January. One of the most significant weddings for me was that of Victoria and Vitaly. Victoria is the youngest sister of my husband. I have already written about the life of this girl in some of my Ira’s Insights. The last story of mine was in the May Newsletter. I wrote about Victoria’s graduation from the Pedagogical University.

The life of this girl wasn’t easy or very happy. When Victoria was 5 years old, she was taken from a life-threatening environment. After finishing high school, this girl had no money, no help and it seemed – no future. However, God’s plans were different. She found good work, she was able to enter the university with the help of MUCH, and at last, God sent a great man into her life. Those who know Vitaly and Victoria say – God blessed both of them with each other. The love story of this young couple is a great example for many young people. Vitaly and Victoria have known each other since their childhood. They attended the same church, the same youth group. When the time came for them to find a second half of their life, they started praying. At that time, they didn’t know that God had prepared them for each other. Their announcement as a future couple at the church in May of this year was a big surprise for many people. On the second of July, it was their wedding at the church. There were many people who came to congratulate this beautiful couple.

This wedding is a good model of the fulfillment of God’s promises for those who pray, trust God, and wait. God has brought many different people into Victoria’s life for his plans to be realized. MUCH has been one of those that have impacted her life. Four years ago, Victoria entered the university. MUCH helped her with a scholarship for transportation during her four years. Today Victoria has a Bachelor degree and in the future, she is going to work with children. She is a good encouragement for those who think that there is no future in his or her life.

I am glad that MUCH continues to bless children in need with their program “Transportation Scholarship”.

I am really blessed that I can see all these wonders in the lives of children in need and it is a real honor for me to say “Thank you” to those who have been helping make these wonders happen.

Until next time,

Ira

Last year, the Emmaus Food program did not operate due to lack of funds from sources other than MUCH. Even so, the Transportation Scholarship Program (TSP), created for the Emmaus children, continued. MUCH has approved extending TSP, working through Victoria’s church and requesting Zoya, the former manager of Emmaus, to continue overseeing the program. This fall, I will be talking with Victoria about helping MUCH promote TSP. She is not only a university graduate, but she is the bride of Vitaly, son of the president of the Baptist Seminary and pastor of her church. I look forward to sharing a presentation with Victoria in her church to encourage scholastically qualified children (in need of financial help for transportation) to seek higher education. Victoria is a great role model for the children and youth of her church.

Please continue to pray for our children. With your help, we are changing their lives, giving them the opportunity to change the future of their lives and the future of their country.

Blessings of love and healing,

Mark