April 2009 MUCH Newsletter

Hot off the press!! My first book has been published by authorHouse, a self-publishing company. You can take a look at it, and if you are so inclined, order a copy of JC and Me, A Relationship, A Journey. My cousin asked if maybe I had a ghost writer helping me. I said, “Yes, the Holy Ghost.” I give due credit to my spiritual Co Writer. More information will be on the MUCH website soon. Next year, The Children of My Life will be published. It will tell many of my stories and experiences with the children of Ukraine, the people, the culture, my spiritual growth, and some poems that express how deeply I have been touched by my seven years in Ukraine. The rights to these books will be donated to MUCH, so all proceeds will be used for outreach to our children in Ukraine.

More than a month has passed since I left Ukraine to visit America. Our children in Ukraine are constantly in my thoughts. I speak of them frequently. I have seen my presentation a hundred times, but never get tired of seeing our children. I guess that must be how parents feel about their own children.

Several weeks ago, I was in Butler, Pennsylvania, the land of my youth. It was great to walk the streets of my home town and see how it has changed. I also visited Slippery Rock University, my alma mater. I gave presentations to two university classes studying Recreation Therapy. I also made contacts with five professionals who are interested in helping our children with special needs. They represent the Department of Special Education, Adapted Physical Education, and Equestrian Therapy. What I saw at the Equestrian Therapy Program in Slippery Rock will help us to promote the use of equine assisted therapy in Illichevsk. I hope to see student representatives from each these specialties visit us in Ukraine.

On our way to Pennsylvania, we stopped in Beckley, West Virginia. Kelly C. was waiting to meet me and see my presentation with her church. Kelly is an equestrian and is very interested in equestrian assisted therapy. She and a few of her equestrian friends would like to visit Illichevsk and introduce equestrian assisted activities to our therapists and disabled children. When a child rides a horse, the movement of the horse causes muscles in the child to work. This can improve balance and strengthen many muscle groups. I look forward to Kelly’s team’s visit in the future.

I am in Florida for two weeks giving presentations to retirement communities, churches, schools, and friends who are interested. My goal is to show evidence of God’s activity in Ukraine through MUCH. I am a living witness of these events over the past seven years. Fund raising is moving along very well here. But I am experiencing a greater delight. As I see people that I met two years ago, they talk about my newsletters. That says to me that my goal of communicating what is happening through MUCH is being met. God continues to bless the mission that we began seven years ago through my team and me. I am constantly amazed what God can do through me.

Blessings of love and healing,
Mark

Ira's Insight (April 2009)

Since MUCH came to Ukraine, God has been doing marvelous things in its ministries. Since that time, many people have opened their hearts to help children in need. Their financial support has brought a hope in the lives of those children. All those positive changes have been happening before my eyes.

I feel joy in my heart when I meet people who are interested or have desire to help ministries of MUCH. They are heroes of the present time. Recently I spoke to one such person. His name is Benjamin. He is a member of Rotary Club in Odessa. In the beginning of April he called me on the phone and told that their club had received a letter from some Rotary Clubs in America. They wanted to know more about the clinic and help it in future through the club in Odessa. Benjamin wanted to speak with Mark Koehler, the representative of MUCH, but unfortunately Mark wasn’t in Illichevsk at that time (He had left for America).

The meeting was at the clinic. We spoke about the clinic and its needs. Benjamin was very interested and said that he would give the report of our meeting to his organization (Rotary Club). Also he visited the Rehabilitation Centre where he met with the pedagogical staff of the centre. The director of one of the organizations for the disabled showed Benjamin the center.

I believe that the help of Rotary Club will be in time. It is not a secret that in spite there are the clinic and the rehabilitation centre in Illichevsk, at the moment there are a lot of problems that could be solved with the help of Rotary. I know that the director of the organization has prepared a long list of needs for Benjamin but for now the biggest problem for the center is to find finances to pay a wage to an instructor of therapeutic physical training. Children who receive massage at the center need to have someone to provide special exercises. These special exercises would help children to maintain the result after the massage treatment that would prolong their progress.

Until next time,
Ira

Fund Raising MUCH Style

This journey began a 5:15 AM on March 25th. By the time that I arrived in Greensboro, NC, I had been awake for about thirtythree hours. It was a long and mostly sleepless adventure, but I arrived safely.

I have been in America for about 37 days. This visit, after being in Ukraine for two years since my last visit, has been an easier adjustment for my mind and body. With my base in Greensboro, I traveled to Butler, Pennsylvania. On the way, I stopped in Beckley, West Virginia to visit with Kelly C. We talked about a short term mission project. She and her friends want to share equine (horse) therapy with our children with special needs in Illichevsk, Ukraine.

In Butler, I visited some friends and businesses who where a significant part of my past and made some new acquaintances. While there, I visited Slippery Rock University, about 18 miles north of Butler. I had the opportunity to give a presentation about MUCH to two different Recreation Therapy classes. Also, I had the great privilege to visit the Equestrian stables and class room. There, I learned many new ideas about equine therapy.

This week and next, I am in southern Florida visiting with my father and step-mother. While here, I am making new contacts, having great conversations with people who are interested in our children, and giving PowerPoint presentations to churches, groups, and individuals.

Never having done fund raising before, I found it difficult to realize how to go about this somewhat undesirable project. The first year, 2005, I was most uncomfortable, and didn’t know exactly what to say. In 2007, I did better, but still had not come to understand the main idea behind finding people who would be interested in helping our children. This year, I’m catching the vision of sharing my stories with small groups and individuals. Telling my stories and bringing what I do to life, seems to be received more enthusiastically.

Something else that is new for me is to encourage children here to communicate with our children. Some American children have made financial contributions in the past few years. This has been such a great example of compassion for me. I look forward to visiting more schools and talking with more children in future visits.

The next thirty-five days will be most interesting. I hope to have blog entries more often, but these days in America are very different than what I am used to. Until my next entry…