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

MUCH Newsletter June 2011

Hello family and friends,

Summer has arrived, blending hot sunny days with breezy mornings and evenings and cool rain now and then. I spent some time in the village at Sveta’s parent’s home, south of Nikolayev, pulling weeds in the onion garden. You might say it was my “time to get back to nature.” I walked Sveta to work through a scenic pine forest paralleling the railroad tracks. Later, in Nikolayev, where Sveta lives, we spent some time with her children and grandchildren. It was very nice to spend some time with her family, learning more about their Ukrainian lifestyles.

Sveta’s parents home in the village

A view from Sveta’s 10th floor flat in Nikolayev

About nine months ago, I had a potential new vision for a MUCH outreach; it was about the orphanages and children’s homes in Nikolayev. At the time, I was acquainted with Sveta and had been introduced to a few of her friends. Some of them already were visiting the different orphanages and children’s homes. It seems that in every community there are people who have a heart for the children in the orphanage system. As for my part, I was looking for a connection to expand the MUCH ministry through an organization that was currently involved with these children.

About the same time that this vision came to me, I had been given the address of a missionary couple in Nikolayev. The opportunity arrived to meet them a couple of weeks ago. After a long talk, the husband, Dan, gave me the name of a man in Florida, Gary, who would be bringing a mission team to Nikolayev Region in July. He wanted his team to visit an orphanage while they were here to establish a relationship for future short- term missions. Sveta told me about her pastor and a church member who were visiting one of the orphanages on a regular basis. Okay! That was my door of opportunity, or so I thought.

I met with the pastor and he seemed very positive about everything. I returned to Illichevsk, four hours via two bus changes, with a joyful heart, hopeful that the door would open. After talking with Gary in Florida and making a few plans of my own, Sveta called with some disheartening news. Her pastor talked with the director of the orphanage and told her that Ukrainian people were welcome to visit, but Americans would not be permitted to visit with the children. We continue our search, seeking the door that God will open for us.

Ira’s Insights

Today I’d like to update the situation with Sasha K. She is a seven-year-old girl who has a rare disorder - arthrogryposis. Sasha has one of the most severe cases of this disorder. It impairs her cardiac and respiratory function and causes pain in her chest and back.

A couple of days ago I called her mother and it was a pleasant surprise for me when I heard Sasha’s voice. It was obvious that she was glad to speak to someone by the phone. She informed me that her mother has a new phone number and that now she (Sasha) has her own mobile phone. Her mother is at work every day and she misses her mother very much. The phone lets her communicate with her mother during the day.

Sometimes Sasha has to be at home the whole day alone because there is nobody with whom she could stay. Sometimes she is brought to her grandparents who live in the countryside and it is a great fun for her to be there because she can be outside all the time. But unfortunately it happens not often because her grandparents have some health problems that don’t let them take Sasha every day.

I called to a new phone number of Sasha’s mother, Natasha, and she shared some news with me. Of course, the progress isn’t as we wished. The Israel doctors are slow in their help and unfortunately, there are not many hospitals in the world that could provide surgical help for such children as Sasha. The Israel doctors still haven’t sent the mother promised estimation for the surgical operation on the chest of Sasha. She called them several times and she heard again and again that she would get it soon. When she called them last time she was told that there are some changes in the staff of the clinic and a new manager promised the mother to clarify the situation and send her the estimation and answers on her questions ASAP. Natasha hasn’t received any answer from the clinic yet.

She also investigated the questions of such operations in German clinics. She got the answer that they do such operations on chest of children not younger than 12 years old. Natasha is afraid that by the time that Sasha is 12, her situation with her chest will be much worse than now. She is afraid for Sasha’s life because even today the girl has difficulty breathing because of the concave bones of her chest press on her lungs and heart.

Despite the unfavorable situation with the possible treatment in Israel, Natasha, has a strong desire to continue to “fight” for the better future of her daughter.. She continues to call to Israel clinic and send them emails. She continues learning new ways of treatment for children with such diagnosis. Natasha says that she is a “walking Wikipedia” who knows everything about this rare disease, arthrogryposis.

Recently Mark made me happy telling me that in Ukraine there are some people who are interested in helping Sasha financially. They are ready to donate some money regularly for Sasha’s operation. Of course, it won’t be enough but I believe that very soon thanks to the MUCH website, many people will find out about the need of this girl and they may have a desire to help her to live.
Until next time,
Ira

As we all enjoy our summer plans, I ask that you keep our children in mind. Some remain at the orphanage while others return to relatives. Their summers are sometime troublesome without the structure and guidance that is available during the school year. Please pray for the teen girls particularly.

Blessings of love and healing,
Mark

MUCH Newsletter May 2011

Hello family and friends,

All of my travels have come to an end for a while. I am back in Illichevsk, resting, doing my computer work, and gathering all of my experiences of the past two weeks in East Central and South Central Ukraine. I had nice weather to experience with the children.

At the Marganets Orphanage, I popped into the computer laboratory to check-up on the use of the equipment.

Every computer was occupied; the students were busy practicing some of their computer skills. I remember discussing computers with the manager in 2005. Could the children have the opportunity to learn to use the computer? It was a big dream, but only a dream. Now, children graduate with computer skills learned in a MUCH-sponsored class. Those skills will help them compete in the job market. Some dreams do come true!

In Froonza, I found that Kolya is walking to the Center for his massage treatment every day. He displayed his exercises for me, showing me how hard he is working to make good progress. His legs are not as strong as I thought, but he is able to straighten them with someone’s help. That is the key! He needs some help to do his exercises to get the maximum benefit. Everyone does their best to help him, but it is Kolya who will decide his future. He must have that “can do” attitude. He is moving forward. At age 13, he has a serious road ahead of him. The authorities anticipate sending him to a retirement facility at age 18. That is how they treat people with limiting disabilities. He must learn to walk independently within five years. You can cheer him on with an email of encouragement..

In Illichevsk, more and more infants are being referred to our massage clinic. These tiny tots who were previously overlooked are now receiving the immediate attention that they need. We are seeing great results with our Early Intervention Program. Previously, children had to wait until they were two-years old to be labeled as disabled. Children as young as three months old are now being treated, and in many cases, are having these medical differences corrected. Thank you for helping us make permanent changes in the lives of these innocent ones.

Ira’s Insights

Having lived on the fifth floor most of my life, I didn’t have any experience in gardening. Now I live in the countryside and many new things have been opened to me. I have learned to plant but the most that I have learned - it is waiting for the fruits of my work or efforts. In the beginning, it was very difficult for me even to imagine what beautiful flowers or sweet fruits could be produced from a thin tree or a seed. The time to wait - was the most challenging time for me! But how I was happy to see results of my work! Flowers and fruits made me very glad. Gardening has been a good experience for me and a very good object lesson for my work with MUCH. Now it is easier for me to see what good fruits will be produced from this or that activity of MUCH.

This time I would like to tell you about one of the fruits that have been produced with the help of MUCH in Ukraine. In one of my previous newsletters, I wrote about the Transportation Scholarship Program for children from difficult homes or children in need. Today there are two girls who are in this program. The name of each is Victoria. One girl is finishing her first year of medical college on a government scholarship, but no assistance with transportation. The other has worked between the twice-a-year, three-week sessions, and is finishing her fourth year of Pedagogical University. For both girls, the help with transportation has been a great blessing. Victoria, who is finishing the 4th year, says in her “thank you letter” to everybody who has been helping her:

“…For 4 years I have been receiving your financial help and it has been a Godsend in my studying! Now I am finishing my studies at the university, and I have a great desire in the future to work with children of preschool or school age, and it is a blessing for me. I like to work with children very much.

I thank God for you who have been helping me for so many years. Thank you that you are open to help those who are in need. Four years ago, I was that person.  With your help, I have received ‘the ticket to my future life.’ May God bless you and reward you for your kind deeds!!!”

What great news it is – God has changed Victoria’s life for the better, through MUCH.  Four years ago, I couldn’t foresee that university would change her mentality, improve her self-image, or provide her with work. Today it is a real blessing for me to see with my physical eyes all of the changes and results that have been happening in Victoria’s life. Without the assistance of MUCH, it would have been almost impossible for Victoria to study at the university. She is the girl who was raised by a family who removed her from a life-threatening environment when she was 5 year old.  A couple of years ago Victoria’s mother died. She hadn’t shown any interest toward her daughter from the time she was taken by this family.  The family who took her wasn’t able to provide finances for her to study at the university. Four years ago, when Victoria graduated high school, she didn’t have any opportunities. I think the meeting with MUCH was a historical point in her life.

Next month, Victoria will graduate and earn her Bachelor degree. It is great fruit that the help of MUCH has brought to her life.

From time to time, it happens that we can't see future results with our physical eyes in what we are doing now. For me, Victoria is one of the examples of unseen fruits that will be produced in the future.

God blesses those who take care of such fruits. May He bless you as abundantly as you have blessed Victoria.

Until next time,
Ira

These four stories from three communities, quite distant from each other, are only a raindrop in the pond of the more than five hundred children whose lives you touch. We want you to help us cheer-on our children; cheer them on to a future that will overcome the limitations that they had when we first met. This month, I celebrate my ninth year living in Ukraine; MUCH celebrates its seventh year of overseeing all that we do.

I will be visiting America (July 19 through October 8) to share more stories about the children, but most of all, how God has provided everything for me, every step of the way. Whether it was financial support from you, translators in each city or village, the teams for each developing outreach ministry, or my sweet Sveta, soon to be my wife, God has provided all in the appropriate time. If you would like me to visit your church, small group, or organization, please contact me.

Blessings of love and healing,
Mark

MUCH Newsletter April 2011

Hello family and friends,

I wish for each of you a blessed Easter, Passover, or holy day in which you participate. As we celebrate hope, we see how God is blessing the children.

In my last Newsletter, I wrote that spring was here but I was expecting one last, late snow. It has been quite cold lately, although, I had to go to Dobromel, NW Ukraine to experience that last snow of the season. In the low 40’s F here in Illichevsk, people are still wearing their scarves and winter coats. Even so, they are all out in their gardens getting the soil turned and ready to plant.

Nestled in the Carpathian Mountains, the quiet little town of Dobromel is located only five miles from the border of Poland, it is surrounded by farmland, true to the Ukrainian agricultural way of life. Dobromel is quite a distance from Illichevsk, where I live, requiring a forty-minute bus to Odessa, a twelve-hour train to L’vov, a two-hour bus to Truskavyets, a fifteen-minute bus to Borislav, where I stay with Pastor Volodya, and on Saturday, a two-hour car ride to Dobromel Orphanage. That is a lot of travel time to spend only a few hours with the children and to have a meeting with the director. It is well worth the time; if I could not hear and see it all first -hand when I visit the children, view the improvements, talk with the director, and experience life at this orphanage, I could not fully understand their situation. It is really all about building relationships.

I have been writing about the future massage program for the children at Dobromel Orphanage in the last two newsletters. To my surprise, the director, Mikola, has been busy preparing for a massage program, so much so, that he now has an exercise specialist, trained in massage, on his staff in a limited capacity. After our meeting, there was no question in my mind that Mikola wants MUCH to begin the massage demonstration project in September, with my fiancée, Sveta, providing massage for four of the children. He is very anxious to see results, anxious enough to send Natasha, the exercise specialist, to Illichevsk to observe our two masseuses at the clinic. Natasha will observe massage treatment at our clinic here in Illichevsk in August, with children similar to the children at the orphanage. She will observe massage treatment by Sveta in September with the children at the Dobromel Orphanage. When God opens a door, He opens a door!

Ira's Insight
Someone has said, “Our lives are filled with challenges and obstacles, but everyone's life is also filled with abundant blessings. There is only one very important thing – it is to see those blessings.” Working for some years for MUCH, I have come across many people whose children are seriously disabled. For me, most of those parents are great examples of courage and real love that shows despair in none of their life situations.

Last Saturday, there was a meeting of such mothers and Mark. We talked about expanding the massage program in a second location in Illichevsk.

Last year MUCH tried this program, but for management reasons, MUCH stopped it in autumn 2010. I remember how many calls with different questions I got from the mothers at that time: “Why? When will it be started again? Do we have any hope?” All of those questions touched me very much because every mother or grandmother tried to tell me, in detail, stories about the progress that their children had with this masseuse. Some weeks later, this group of mothers arranged the meeting with Mark as a representative of MUCH, and then they wrote a letter of their hope to the MUCH Board of Directors, asking to start that massage program again.

A couple of months passed and last Saturday the meeting with this group of mothers happened again. The mothers read a letter-agreement written by MUCH to them. The letter gives only one condition for the parents whose children will benefit from the massage therapy – to supervise the schedule of massage. MUCH wants to see regular massage treatments for these children with serious disabilities.

For me it was a great delight to see mothers whose dream had come true. The expression of their faces told everything – their eyes shone with happiness. It was a real answer, a real blessing, because they had been waiting for the renewing of this program for many months. The third masseuse, Natalya Borisovna, was the first masseuse in the MUCH Massage Clinic in Illichevsk. Very often, I call her the pioneer of this program.

For reasons of her own, she gave up the original job of masseuse at the MUCH Massage Clinic. When she chose to leave, she continued to work in different cities and places with children suffering with serious illness or disabilities.

My hope has always been and is for Natalya Borisovna to work on the team of MUCH. This woman has an open heart, wonderful hands, and great experience in massage work. I have a great hope to see great results of her work soon.

Until next time,
Ira

I never imagined that my life would be focused on helping children with disabilities, particularly in a foreign country. Although this country becomes less foreign to me every day, it may remain foreign to you. We want to help you understand the culture, the people, and the children of Ukraine. To help you do this, visit the MUCH website. As always, thank you for your interest in our children, God’s secret gifts from above.

Blessings of love and healing
Mark

March 2011 MUCH Newsletter

Hello family and friends,

It looks as if spring has sprung here in Ukraine. The temperatures are in the low 50s F. I am still anticipating a late snow that may be heavy but will only last a few days. The weather here by the Black Sea is unpredictable.

I will begin by telling you some good news. The MUCH Board of Directors has approved a 20-day demonstration massage program at the Dobromel Orphanage. While I am in America, Svetlana, my fiancée, who is a certified massage therapist, will live in Dobromel during the month of October with a family from Pastor Volodya’s church. She will provide massage for three or four of the children, documenting with video their before-and-after conditions. If, after viewing the results, the administration approves a regular program, this will open a new door for these children, changing their lives in ways that no one has even imagined.

While we are on the topic of massage, amazing results are pouring out of Froonza. In October of 2010, MUCH launched the massage program in this village of 3,000 people on the peninsula of Crimea, Ukraine. The inspiration for this program developed in September of 2009, while I visited a family of thirteen children; seven of them are foster children. One of them, twelve-year-old Kolya, was born with cerebral palsy.

Kolya

For fourteen days, Kolya and I walked to the school; it was only a dream that he would ever be a student there. Teachers come to his home to teach him because he must be able to walk independently to attend the school. Kolya has been receiving massage for 20 days every month for the last five months. In five months time, his progress has been amazing. As of the beginning of March, Kolya’s legs are much straighter, top to bottom, and his legs are not twisted to either side. Most of all, he is now using two canes to assist his walking, instead of the forearm crutches that you see in the picture above.

Kolya's receives his first massage

I projected that Kolya would be walking normally within two years. With continued massage treatment, he may beat my expectations by one year.

It seems that good news travels fast! Children with disabilities from other villages have begun to participate in the Froonza program. When God opens a door, look out!

The month of May will mark the end of my ninth year living in Ukraine. In that time, God has brought more that 500 children into my life. Sasha and Kolya are only two of the many children who are helped by your support. It is my desire to share more personal success stories and stories of their needs with you. I want you to understand the great personal impact that you are having on so many lives. Thank you for helping me change the world one life at a time. Please continue to pray for all of the MUCH team as we continue to answer His call.

Blessings of love and healing,
Mark

Ira's Insight

Dear friends,

The girl about whom I am going to tell you this time is a well known to you. She is seven-year-old Sasha, and I have written about her in some of the previous newsletters of MUCH. Sasha has a rare disorder - arthrogryposis. This congenital disorder causes multiple joint contractures. Sasha has one of the most severe cases of this disorder. It impairs her cardiac and respiratory function and causes pain in her chest and back.

Sasha has become very close to my heart. Today Mark and Sasha are very good friends. It is funny to watch when Mark tries to speak to Sasha in Russian. Not understanding him, sometimes Sasha asks me, “Chto on skazal?” That is for “What has he said?” Every time when we visit Sasha, she demonstrates her new skills in Math, Russian and in English. Her eyes sparkle every time she shares her dreams with Mark about her future. This little girl has become very popular in many countries of the world thanks to activities of MUCH. Sasha’s days have changed a lot since MUCH touched her life. After my previous stories about Sasha, many people are waiting to hear about the decisions of the doctors. I hope my article will answer all of your questions.

It was in a hall of the policlinic where Mark and I met Sasha and her mother Natasha for the first time. They were waiting for the masseuse to give Sasha a massage. I was struck by Sasha’s disability because I had never met such a person. I was very sorry for this girl and especially her mother, who looked very sad. After Sasha’s massage, the masseuse told us about her disorder. She told us that there is hope for children with such rare genetic disorder – this hope is a set of operations on bone joints. The masseuse told us that the cost of the operations is very high. I remember that at that moment there was distress in my heart, “Why can’t the government help Sasha and other children with this disorder? There should be a solution for this situation.” These questions had been in my mind until we visited Sasha and her mother at their home, in the end of last summer. Looking at the girl, it was difficult emotionally for me to translate the conversation for Mark and Sasha’s mother. It was at this time that God moved my heart to ask Mark if MUCH could help Sasha beyond the massage program.

Some months later, in October 2010, Sasha and her mother flew to Israel where she was examined by specially qualified doctors. This examination happened only thanks to people who helped this family with finances. The total cost of tickets, boarding, and examination in the Israel clinic was $3000. It was a very important assessment for Sasha. This was the first time that doctors who specialize in arthrogryposis examined her. Sasha and her mother came back from Israel very encouraged. The doctors said that they had successfully operated on people with the same disorder as Sasha’s, and they promised to send the mother results of their decision about the time for Sasha to be operated on and the cost of the operation. Their results came a number of months later. It was a big task for the doctors to come to one decision about the scheduling of the first operation for Sasha. They say that the best time for Sasha to be operated on will be in two years because of her bone growth process. The first operation should be done on her chest because there is a danger for her life. The concave bones of her chest press on her lungs and heart. The cost of the operation is $65,000. Sasha’s mother is investigating the prices in other clinics in Germany and Russia where doctors perform this operation. Natasha is going to connect with these doctors using internet Skype communication system, E-mail, and the phone. She wants to get as much information as she can about the possibilities for her daughter’s treatment.

Thinking of Sasha’s life and of the changes that have happened to her in less than a year, I am sure that for this little girl our meeting in summer was the turning point. She is the same physically, with the same disorder, but her heart is different – it smiles because in it there is a big hope for physical changes through operations. Sasha seems not to be afraid of operations and all kind of difficulties that may be connected with the operations. She lives only with one dream, to be like other children who can walk to school by themselves. Everyone who sees Sasha wants to help her. You can meet Sasha at the MUCH website. Click on ‘Meet Sasha’ at the bottom of the home page to view the video clip. If God has put it on your heart to help Sasha, click on ‘Help Sasha,’ also at the bottom of the home page. MUCH has started an account in Sasha’s name for future expenses associated with her surgery.

Until next time,
Ira

February 2011 MUCH Newsletter

Hello family and friends,

February is blasting us with bitter cold sea winds accompanied by bright sunshine. Common to Ukrainian culture, people are out and about, breathing in the fresh air, walking and talking, all bundled up in their fur coats and hats, boots and gloves. As for me, a much-needed ten-day massage has directed my thoughts to the children of the Dobromel Orphanage.

Four years ago, I was introduced to the children of the Dobromel Orphanage. These children, having more severe mental disabilities than most of the children at the Marganets Orphanage, took hold of my heart. I knew that massage was changing the lives of the children at our clinic in Illichevsk, children ranging from mild physical disability to extreme physical and mental disability, and I was seeing results of massage at the Marganets Orphanage as well. I had begun to discuss the needs of the children at the Dobromel Orphanage with the director, Mikhail. He seemed open to the idea of massage; there was no question of the need; even so, like all people in a depressed economy, he had his doubts that this could become a reality for his children. We discussed massage again during my last visit.

Pastor Volodya has brought spiritual support to these children for more than ten years. He does a great job helping the children learn about God and prayer. In addition, he provides fruit and fruit juice for the children. The children are hearing the Word and they are being fed, although, they have a need to experience change in their physical lives. They need to feel good about themselves and about their bodies; they need to be healthier than they are. Massage can make these changes become a reality, and Pastor Volodya is ready to help encourage massage treatment for the children as a valuable health factor. He has close interaction and good influence with the director. We are each part of the team that will help these children prepare for the rest of their lives.

Therefore, what is the first step? The first step is always to seek God’s timing and provision. Second, I have sent a proposal to the MUCH Board of Directors to send a massage therapist to Dobromel Orphanage to demonstrate massage with a twenty-day treatment program for three or four of the children. I want the results to ignite a big interest in the Dobromel Orphanage administration in finding a massage therapist to work with the children there. If approved, MUCH would support such a program financially.

Read the different perspective of life that Ira wants to share with you in the following post.

Blessings of love and healing,
Mark

Ira's Insight

In every country there are big and small cities, big and little towns and of course villages. In each of these places, there are advantages and disadvantages of living there. If you live in a big city, you can choose: a school for your children to go to, work to earn money, a shop to buy food, a cinema and a club to have fun, a hospital and a doctor to be treated. Having such advantages are good. But, there are some disadvantages, and the biggest ones are pollution, smoggy streets and much traffic. Most people dislike it and enjoy going to the country on weekends to have rest. That is a story of living in a big city.

Small cities, towns and villages have a different life. Most people who live there know each other well; usually we say, “I know who and how they breathe”. There are a lot of advantages to living in such small places, such as fresh air, comfort about your children playing in the yard, etc. But – in a small community there is no big variety of food products in the shops. To get to a big city it is also a big problem – not everyone in a small place of post-Soviet countries has a car, so people have to use public transportation. If you are sick you can’t choose a hospital or a doctor to go to because in the place where you live there is only one small medical center where you can go to get help. Recently I read in the news that in one of the villages a young man died. He had been waiting for help, for an ambulance for a couple of hours! In the village where he lived, there is not any medical place for people to address for help. If their children are sick, not doctors, but their parents treat them. When I read that news I thought, “How do people with serious disabilities live there?”

In Illichevsk, the Massage Clinic is attended by many children who live, not in the city, but in little towns and villages that are near the city. In these places, there is not medical help for children with disabilities. From my own experience, I know how difficult it is to get to Illichevsk without my own transportation. I live in a town that is situated close to Illichevsk (approximately 15 minutes of driving); my house is not far from the bus stop but it took me about 1 hour and 30 minutes to get to where I had to go using public transportation. And that was only one way. There are many small towns and villages throughout Ukraine that do not have easy access, if they have any access at all, to rehabilitation facilities. I think Illichevsk is one of the small cities that is blessed by God because there is a Massage Clinic and Rehabilitation Centre for the disabled children there. The same is true with the small town, Froonza, in Crimea, where there are about 15 special children. The Massage Clinic that is run with the help of MUCH gives hope, both to the children and their mothers.

I think that eight to ten years ago, parents of children with disabilities, either in or near Illichevsk or in Froonza, never thought that in the future they would have so many advantages for their children. I am sure that this is just the beginning of what will happen, thanks to the work of many people who have opened their hearts for the sake of special children in Ukraine.

Until next time,
Ira

January 2011 MUCH Newsletter

Hello family and friends,

Happy New Year to one and to all. I wish each of you a prosperous and a blessed 2011. We begin this new year with one disappointment. As mentioned in the October Newsletter, the Emmaus Food Program has closed its doors for an undetermined time. We are sad for the twenty children who attended this program, but we realize that they are in God’s hands. He loves them more than we ever could. The Transportation Scholarship Program will continue for the students from the Emmaus Program, so they can continue their university studies.

On the other hand, God has opened the door in Marganets to help the children at another  orphanage/boarding school, Marganets #2. The Board of MUCH has approved a pilot program to provide funds for clothing, shoes, socks, and winter wear for these 130 children, ten of whom are without any family. We will consider additional needs as funds are available. The conditions at this facility are similar to the first Marganets orphanage/boarding school when we first began to help those children eight years ago. There is plenty to do to improve the living conditions for the children in Marganets #2. We welcome these children to the family of MUCH that now totals a minimum of 512 children.

Thanks to the success of the Christmas Fund Raiser, we are able to bless so many children. MUCH is very grateful to all who made the fundraiser a winner, in spite of the difficult financial times. God continues to touch hearts and provide funds to change the lives of His children--six groups of children in three cities and a village. We are moving forward, one step at a time. As God continues to prepare workers for our future steps, MUCH continues to help the children, little by little. We are seeing progress; the children are changing, struggling with the lives they live, but reaching up for our hand to hold as we walk together with them through their lives.

We are very happy to announce that the much-awaited video of Sasha is now on the MUCH website! On the homepage is an introduction to Sasha. You can open her video by clicking on Meet Sasha.

Before I tell you about our visit with Sasha, I must introduce you to Svetlana, my fiancé as of January 1. Svetlana has a great love for God. In addition, she has a big heart, full of love for children and a passion to work with them. She has two grandchildren of her own and has MUCH love for our children. She has a background in massage therapy and wants to improve her skills. Svetlana sees in me many good things that I never could. She has touched my life in many healing ways. Svetlana is one of the workers that God has been preparing to further the work of MUCH. She will be a wonderful addition to the MUCH team.

While visiting me December 25, Svetlana brought some gifts for Sasha. Svetlana and I visited Sasha that evening, taking gifts that Ira had also bought for Sasha. We surprised Sasha with an unexpected Christmas. She opened the gifts with great joy, sharing them with her younger cousin. We visited and chatted with Natasha, her mother, for about two hours. As you can see in these pictures, Svetlana and Sasha are becoming friends.

As Svetlana and I walk down the road toward married life, we will also be looking for what God will do in the future of MUCH. As a married couple, we will walk together through each door as God opens it. As a new part of the MUCH team, we will minister to children in ways that I could not as a single, limited speaker of the Russian language. Please join us in 2011 as the whole team of MUCH, here, in America, and other countries, follow God’s direction to help the disadvantaged children and children with disabilities in cities and villages of Ukraine.

Blessings of love and healing,

Mark

Ira's Insights

My best wishes to all in 2011! I am full of hope that God will bless each of us: our countries, our homes, and our ministries. The whole new 2011 year is ahead of us. It is like a clean sheet of paper in front of us. And each of us is an author. In the end of this year, I wish for everybody to see visible results of her or his work.

I pray God will bless MUCH ministries with His blessing in 2011 and I believe that God will bless you much more through these ministries. I heard a saying that in helping people in need we become more sympathetic, sensitive, God-fearing and morally upright.

One of the newest programs that MUCH has started is the Froonza Massage Clinic. This clinic is an unexpected realization of some mothers’ desire to have a local massage clinic for children with Cerebral Palsy. In spite of being situated close to the city of Saki, where there is a big rehabilitation center, not many mothers from Froonza could take their children to Saki for some professional massage help. The initiative of MUCH caused the Froonza Massage Clinic to begin. Of course, God was the designer of it. It was God Who opened hearts of many people: a masseur to work with special children, officials to share a room for massage and many other things.

For today, we have some good, visible results. Ann is the supervisor of the Froonza Massage Clinic. She lives in Froonza and very often communicates with parents whose children attend the clinic. The first result that was obvious for all mothers – children who were hyperactive before the massage became calmer and children who showed some indifference to the life around became more active. Ann says that the lives of all mothers and their children have changed. In the clinic, there is a three-and-a-half-year-old boy, Misha, who is suffering from Cerebral Palsy. He is a very active and lovely boy. Misha can walk but he doesn’t keep balance well when he walks. Massage at the clinic has helped him to have more stability when he walks. Misha’s results are so obvious and good that now his mother can work some hours a day leaving Misha with his grandmother. Misha’s mother hopes that, thanks to massage in Froonza, her child will have some even better results.

A new opportunity and a whole new future for the children in Froonza will help them to have a better self-image in their future, and it will give more comfort to their mothers’ hearts. I thank everybody who makes these children happier, who brings some stability to their families.

Until next time,
Ira