Hello family and friends,
I begin this newsletter with the sad news about a train/bus crash in Marganets. Forty-two people died. I ask you to join me in prayer for the families and friends of those who died. The story was carried by a number of international on-line newspapers.
Our Christmas Fundraiser, announced last month, was designed to focus on our original three outreach groups: Marganets Orphanage/School #3, Emmaus Food Program and Illichevsk Massage Clinic. Our contributions have been under budget this year, and, while MUCH continues to be offered new opportunities to help children, we can only reach out as we have sponsors to support our work. Our expenses are minimal, so your gifts are working hard here in Ukraine.
Do you remember the story of Karina, the twelve-year-old who broke her neck in 2004? God taught me then that I could not help every child in need that I saw. I was recently informed that the Emmaus Food Program, one of our original outreach programs, will not operate this next year due to lack of funds. This Baptist Church program lost funding from a major foreign sponsor, as I understand it. Our contribution to improve the quality of food was less than 5% of their monthly expense. Once again, a door has closed, hopefully only temporarily. I am sorry for the children, but God has their lives in His hands. We will continue the Transportation Scholarship Program for the three young students from Emmaus who are currently in college or university.
It is not clear what doors God will open to replace the ministry we have lost, but we do have several opportunities to serve children waiting in the wings. One of them, Orphanage/Boarding School #2, also in Marganets, is funded only by the local, impoverished government rather than by the national government. This school is different from Orphanage #3 in a couple of ways. The children are able-bodied and mentally well. They are from difficult homes in the Marganets community. The children need warm clothing to stay healthy through the winter months and have similar needs as the children in Orphanage #3.
MUCH has approved a Christmas gift of socks and shoes for the children who arrive there in flip flops and no socks. We will determine if we are able to begin to help these children on a regular basis, as we have been helping the children from Orphanage #3 for the past eight years. That decision will depend in part on the success of the Christmas Fundraiser to keep our other commitments.
When I left Froonza, Crimea after my visit in January, after discussing the possibility of starting a massage clinic for the physically disabled children in the village, we had no cooperation from the local government. The doctor for the village would only recommend massage for certain children but would not be more involved. Our solution was to have the masseuse provide massage in a different child’s home each week. I believed that we had overcome the barriers that stood in our way.
As my translator, Nellya, and I approached the village of Froonza in the first days of October, Anya, the new manager of our massage program, called and asked if I would talk with the director of the Froonza Center for the Elderly. To my great surprise, the director of the Center offered the use of their massage room and their masseur for the new massage program. So, after a nine hour overnight train ride, an hour-and-a-half electric train ride (full size version), and a twenty-five-minute bus ride, unshaven and tired, I met with the director and the masseur for more than an hour. On October 2, Anya’s foster child Kolya received a massage. On October 4, our program officially began. As the results are shared through the grapevine, I’m sure that the other children with disabilities will participate. Locating the program in the Center is the best possible arrangement for the children and parents. Unfortunately, the cost for cleaning and massage supplies and purchase of a heater will be greater than budgeted.
Before arriving in Froonza, I had been in Marganets for a week. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that Julia, the child from the orphanage who attends the music school, won a national vocal competition. The dance team and Julia will also compete in the national competition for dance later this year. MUCH has accomplished many things with the orphanage in the past eight years. More than anything, we have changed the self-images of the children and the staff and given them hope.
As you make your Christmas plans, please consider adding the children in our programs to your shopping list. A gift to the Christmas Fundraiser will help to keep other doors from closing, doors to the futures of these children. If writing a check, please note that it is for the Christmas Fundraiser.
Our video that is in production will be available on our website later in November. We have met with a few delays, but we are excited about what will be available to share with you soon.
Please pray for Sasha that the doctors will determine they can help her in some way. Her disabilities will become life threatening as she grows. And please continue to pray for me, our team in America and here in Ukraine, and all of our children that we will be able to continue to meet their needs.
Blessings of love and healing,
Mark
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Ira's Insights
In my previous “Ira’s Insights” I wrote about a 7-year-old Ukrainian girl, Sasha, who is suffering from a rare disorder - arthrogryposis. (This congenital disorder is characterized by multiple joint contractures.) MUCH has helped with some money to buy plane tickets to Israel for Sasha’s examination.
Unfortunately, Sasha and her mother couldn’t go there on time because of “Ukrainian reality.” Sometimes it is hard for many people to understand it. I think people of Post-Soviet countries have a good “immune system” to digest our reality, but for others, this life is very unusual when they hear such stories.
Sasha’s mother, Natasha, is a person who tries to do her best for her daughter. Although Sasha receives some money as a disabled child, the government doesn’t provide enough money for her needs. Natasha works very hard to provide for her family. When she received the money for the tickets to Israel from MUCH, she started preparations for her trip. Working every day, she was collecting all information with the help of the Internet and the phone.
She called to the Israeli Embassy in Kiev to ask what documentation she had to bring with her to Kiev to get Israeli visas for her and her daughter. She called them several times to be sure that she would bring the right documents. She was assured that she would be able to finish all of the paper work in one day. Then she contacted with the clinic in Israel for them to give her the date when the doctors would have a council and would examine Sasha. Having gotten the date from the Israeli clinic, she bought tickets. She was happy because she could get the cheapest tickets in Odessa at that time. Natasha even asked them if something happened, could she change the date of her flight without any penalty. Again, she was assured that there were not any problems.
Everything was nice until she went to Kiev. There an unpleasant surprise was waiting for her. In the embassy, she was told that on some documents there were not enough seals. To put seals on the documents she had to return to Odessa again! She realized that she couldn’t finish all of the paper work in one day. Natasha was very upset because several times before she had been told what documents to bring. Nobody from the embassy had told her about those additional seals. She begged some officials in the embassy to understand her situation but they were merciless. It was her first unpleasant experience. When she returned to Odessa to finish the paper work, she called to the Israeli clinic and explained the situation. She was given a new date for her daughter to come to be examined. Natasha went to the airline booking office to change the dates for her flight to Israel. And she was shocked with another unpleasant surprise. This time she had to pay a penalty to change the date of her flight. The penalty for each ticket cost $150. Natasha tried to explain that she had been promised that she wouldn’t pay any penalty if she changed the dates, but again she saw a brick wall of hardheartedness. She was returned $300 less than she had paid. Natasha thought that she wouldn’t have enough money to get any tickets to Israel, but a woman at the airline booking office found two tickets at a much cheaper price than she had bought the first time. Mixed emotions filled the poor woman. She was upset about her failures and was happy to have new tickets.
Having finished my story, I would give a name for it, “A Loving Heart of the Mother”. Natasha has shown her dedication to Sasha, having broken through the red tape.
Finally, she had tickets and all her paper work completed. On October 26, she left for Israel where her daughter was examined the next day. I will tell you the story about her trip to the Israeli clinic in the November Newsletter.
Again, I want to thank everybody who has supported financially the trip to Israel for Sasha and her courageous mother. Your help has shown Natasha that in this world there is not only injustice and hardheartedness, but there are helpful hands ready to reach out with kindness and generosity.
Until next time,
Ira
Unfortunately, Sasha and her mother couldn’t go there on time because of “Ukrainian reality.” Sometimes it is hard for many people to understand it. I think people of Post-Soviet countries have a good “immune system” to digest our reality, but for others, this life is very unusual when they hear such stories.
Sasha’s mother, Natasha, is a person who tries to do her best for her daughter. Although Sasha receives some money as a disabled child, the government doesn’t provide enough money for her needs. Natasha works very hard to provide for her family. When she received the money for the tickets to Israel from MUCH, she started preparations for her trip. Working every day, she was collecting all information with the help of the Internet and the phone.
She called to the Israeli Embassy in Kiev to ask what documentation she had to bring with her to Kiev to get Israeli visas for her and her daughter. She called them several times to be sure that she would bring the right documents. She was assured that she would be able to finish all of the paper work in one day. Then she contacted with the clinic in Israel for them to give her the date when the doctors would have a council and would examine Sasha. Having gotten the date from the Israeli clinic, she bought tickets. She was happy because she could get the cheapest tickets in Odessa at that time. Natasha even asked them if something happened, could she change the date of her flight without any penalty. Again, she was assured that there were not any problems.
Everything was nice until she went to Kiev. There an unpleasant surprise was waiting for her. In the embassy, she was told that on some documents there were not enough seals. To put seals on the documents she had to return to Odessa again! She realized that she couldn’t finish all of the paper work in one day. Natasha was very upset because several times before she had been told what documents to bring. Nobody from the embassy had told her about those additional seals. She begged some officials in the embassy to understand her situation but they were merciless. It was her first unpleasant experience. When she returned to Odessa to finish the paper work, she called to the Israeli clinic and explained the situation. She was given a new date for her daughter to come to be examined. Natasha went to the airline booking office to change the dates for her flight to Israel. And she was shocked with another unpleasant surprise. This time she had to pay a penalty to change the date of her flight. The penalty for each ticket cost $150. Natasha tried to explain that she had been promised that she wouldn’t pay any penalty if she changed the dates, but again she saw a brick wall of hardheartedness. She was returned $300 less than she had paid. Natasha thought that she wouldn’t have enough money to get any tickets to Israel, but a woman at the airline booking office found two tickets at a much cheaper price than she had bought the first time. Mixed emotions filled the poor woman. She was upset about her failures and was happy to have new tickets.
Having finished my story, I would give a name for it, “A Loving Heart of the Mother”. Natasha has shown her dedication to Sasha, having broken through the red tape.
Finally, she had tickets and all her paper work completed. On October 26, she left for Israel where her daughter was examined the next day. I will tell you the story about her trip to the Israeli clinic in the November Newsletter.
Again, I want to thank everybody who has supported financially the trip to Israel for Sasha and her courageous mother. Your help has shown Natasha that in this world there is not only injustice and hardheartedness, but there are helpful hands ready to reach out with kindness and generosity.
Until next time,
Ira
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