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

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

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

December 2010 MUCH Newsletter

Hello family and friends,

I wish for you a holy holiday season as we draw close to the days that different religions celebrate their joyous times. Here in Ukraine, Christmas is celebrated on January sixth. During this season of giving, we focus on others. Giving to the needs of others can be an overwhelming joy. For the one who receives, the gift can be a lifesaver. The programs that we support through your generosity are lifesavers in many ways.

We are in the midst of our Christmas Fundraiser. Your gift to MUCH will help ensure that we can continue to support our three major outreach programs in the coming year: the Massage Therapy Clinic in Illichevsk, Marganets Orphanage, and the Emmaus Scholarship Program. Other programs that we support on a year-to-year basis, depending on our financial situation, include Marganets Transition House, the Dobromel Orphanage, the Froonza Massage Therapy Program and special programs at Marganets Orphanage.

I visited the Massage Therapy Clinic in Illichevsk this week to take some new video of some of the children who benefit from our treatment program. Four of the six children are infants, less than a year old. A neurologist has diagnosed their muscular problems and prescribed treatment for them. On one hand, it is heartbreaking to see these little ones with such a difficult start in their lives. On the other hand, it is a great joy to have the opportunity to provide the Early Intervention Program for them. It is so heartwarming to watch Tanya, one of our two medical masseuses, work through the treatment program that will help correct the child’s problem. I saw progress in the children even as I watched. Many of the problems we see in the youngest children will affect walking. One of our goals is to correct the problem so the child will be able to walk and thus attend school at the appropriate age.

Dasha, a bright child with Cerebral Palsy that affects her legs, has grown since I last saw her at the Clinic. I compared video of her then and now, and I see the progress she has made over the past several years. When I first met her, she had problems with balance that made walking very difficult, but she is walking independently now and attending school.

Children will not outgrow their muscular problems. The time to provide therapeutic massage is while they are growing and the central nervous system is still developing. Unfortunately, growth, in itself, is causing the muscular system to develop without symmetry. This means that our task is to work faster than the child will develop, retraining the body to operate differently. Some call it rewiring the brain.

As I look to Christmas, my holy holiday season, I feel so very blessed to be able to give our children new opportunities to enrich their lives through your generosity. MUCH and all of its sponsors give hope to the children and their mothers. I see that hope in the mothers’ eyes, hope that their children will live a better life because of the treatment they receive through the Massage Therapy Clinic. Sasha’s mother is among those who are grateful for the Clinic and what it has done for her daughter. Ira will tell you about our visit with Sasha (see below).

On behalf of the MUCH teams here and in America, and for all the children and families whose lives have improved through your generosity, may your holy days be blessed and your New Year be filled with joy and peace.

Blessings of love and healing,
Mark

November 2010 MUCH Newsletter

Hello family and friends,

As Christmas draws near, we are focused on our Christmas Fundraiser. The 400 plus children that we help each year are not expecting anything under the Christmas tree. For most of them, Christmas is only a story. But, MUCH continues to provide hope for their future, especially through our major outreach programs: Marganets Orphanage, Emmaus Food Program and Massage Therapy Program.

Marganets OrphanageIn 2002, I met the children of the Marganets Orphanage. Since then, MUCH has provided appropriate clothing, the Drug and Alcohol Awareness program, the Computer program, the Music and Dance Program, and the Massage Program, adding new dimensions to their lives. The children are displaying enthusiasm in their personal lives and positive educational attitudes, looking forward to a more promising future. Your support will help us to continue this progress.

Emmaus Food ProgramThat same year, I met the children of the Emmaus Food Program. MUCH has provided financial assistance to this program, improving the nutritional quality of the meals and supporting the life skills training program. Four years ago, we began to break the cycle of poverty in the lives of some of these children by offering travel scholarships that enable them to attend higher education in nearby Odessa. Your support will help us continue to change lives through higher education.

Massage Therapy ClinicThe unmet needs of disabled children from families with limited income came to my attention, and, after deliberation with local officials and parent organizations, MUCH opened the Massage Therapy Clinic in Illichevsk in 2004. During the past six years, MUCH has been changing children’s lives through the medical practice of massage. Not only are we changing their lives and that of their families, but also in the community, people are opening their eyes and their hearts to the needs of these children. Your support will ensure the clinic can continue to operate on a full time basis.

The MUCH Budget Committee will meet soon to establish the 2011 budget to determine to what extent the three major outreach programs can continue to be supported. Based on that conclusion, the status of the three annually supported programs—Marganets Transition Home, Dobromel Orphanage and Froonza Massage—will be evaluated. Your contributions to the Christmas Fundraiser will help MUCH continue to make a huge difference in the lives of many of the children in Ukraine. We have only just begun to share the love of Christ through your efforts. We have only just begun to change the future of Ukraine through their children. Please join us in this worthy adventure.

November has once again taken me on the road. This year, I received my visa in Krakow, Poland. Thanks to a contact in Krakow, a young man named Konrad helped me find my way to the Ukrainian Embassy. After receiving my visa a few days later, another young man, Paul, helped me buy a train ticket, and he invited me to a prayer meeting. There, I met a group of university students who are interested in coming to the Dobromel Orphanage in Ukraine to help the children.

I am writing this newsletter from the home of the Demborinski's in Ternopol, Ukraine. Bogdan and Luda have been my friends since we met at missionary school in 2002. I will be here a few days before moving on to Borislav to meet with Pastor Volodya. We will travel to visit the children in the Dobromel Orphanage. I will return to Illichevsk by the last day of November.

Ira is anxious to share more with you about Sasha's adventure (see below).

Our contribution to help Sasha travel to Israel was not in our budget.  Orphanage #2 in Marganets is hoping that we can offer them some financial help in 2011 to meet a few of their many needs. They have seen the difference that our financial help over the years has made for the children at Orphanage #3. Your contributions to the Christmas Fundraiser will help us to continue our level of support for our major outreaches, which in turn will allow us to continue to support the annual projects and possibly respond to unique needs such as Sasha’s.  As you make your Christmas plans, walk a few steps in the shoes of our children. Consider how your gift can alter their lives in 2011.

Blessings of love and healing,
Mark

October 2010 MUCH Newsletter

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

September 2010 MUCH Newsletter

Hello family and friends,

I am writing from Marganets. I will be visiting the children at the orphanage and taking some videos of my interaction with them. We will combine these with video from Emmaus Food Program and the Massage Clinic in Illichevsk. The children in the video clips will help show the results of your gifts over the past eight years. We intend to have it ready for viewing on our website in October.

During the past eight years, God has blessed me with wonderful provision through the many contributors who have shared their blessings with the children. We now help children in six different settings in three cities and one village.

Christmas Fundraiser 2010

This year, we will focus our Christmas Fundraiser on the original three outreach groups. The Marganets Orphanage, the Emmaus Food Program, and the Massage Clinic are in need of more funding during these difficult economic times. The exchange rate between the dollar and the Ukrainian currency has been our saving grace these past few years. The value of the dollar has been strong in Ukraine, but prices there have steadily increased, and the dollar buys less now. Your contributions to the Christmas Fundraiser will help to support existing programs in the following ways:

Marganets Orphanage: Every month we send money to provide clothing for the children, and at the end of the school year, graduates receive appropriate clothing to start their new lives. In the fall, we provide money for their seasonal cold prevention program. Anitoliy told me that, when the city is at epidemic status with the flu, our children remain healthy.

Over the years, we have initiated four programs to help the children better prepare for their lives after they leave the orphanage. The computer program provides skill training important to their futures. Six years ago, there were no computers. When the government provided some computers, there was no money for an instructor. The massage program, which we initiated as a normal part of their health program, is specifically for children who have cerebral palsy. The drug and alcohol prevention program, taught by a woman from a local church, instructs the children about morality, addictive behavior and spiritual development. The music program encourages the children to develop their talents to their maximum. Most of all, our continual support provides the children with better self-images and hope about their future. They feel loved!

The Emmaus Food Program for children from difficult homes, operated by the Illichevsk Baptist church, continues to be in financial straits. Aside from providing money to improve the quality of food each month and supporting the life skills program, the biggest opportunity that we have been providing for the past three years is the transportation scholarship program. We believe that higher education is the answer to breaking the cycle of poverty, and three students are now able to attend university in Odessa, with transportation costs provided by MUCH supporters.

The Massage Clinic continues to make huge differences in the lives of the children, particularly with our early-intervention efforts. The other day, one of our masseuses shared that she is seeing results that are better than she had expected. We serve ten children a day with a 20 day treatment program, with a maximum of about 65 children each year. Because of the clinic, the city and the region took notice and created a Center for Children with Disabilities. MUCH is causing the communities where we work to change their views and actions toward our children.

Last year at this time, I wrote that God has provided for the needs of the children through your giving hearts. It is not about me asking you, but it is about your responding to the gifts that God has given you to share with those less fortunate. A year has passed, and your support has continued to change children’s lives in so many ways. As our Christmas Fundraiser gets underway, the children and I are so grateful for all you have shared with us these last eight years. We thank you for being a part of our lives. If your gift is intended for the Christmas Fundraiser, please make a note of that on your check or your online gift.

Blessings of love and healing,
Mark

August 2010 MUCH Newsletter

Hello family and friends,

The last week in July and two weeks in August have been the hottest days that I remember since I moved here in 2002. Russia is having big problems because of the heat. Fields are burning and forests are being threatened by fires ignited by the extreme heat and dry grass. It seems that there is always someone who has bigger problems than I do. That helps me balance my attitude.

I had a very pleasant surprise last week. The children of the family of thirteen that I stay with when I visit Froonza, Crimea visited Ira’s church. They are a musical group, singing and playing Ukrainian folk instruments. It was wonderful to see them here in Illichevsk. I will see them again in September when I go to Froonza to check on our new massage program. We will begin treating thirteen disabled children in the village. This is the beginning. Only God knows how it will blossom.

Recently, I met a woman who is interested in my work with disadvantaged children. She lives in a city on the other side of Odessa. She and friends from her church had begun to visit orphanages in her city and nearby. After a short time, as I understand it, one of them wanted to adopt one of the children. It was not long before they were no longer allowed to come. You see, the income of the orphanage depends on the number of children. Doesn’t that break your heart?

In our communication, this woman told me about her desire to help the children. Her desire was great, but she had no direction. She didn’t know how to connect the love that God had put in her heart with the children whom she saw with such great needs. I will visit these children in the near future and learn what I can about the administration. This could open a new door in the future for MUCH to reach out to another group. So, I will ask that you pray with me about the possible new door that could open for MUCH to help these children.

I have been invited to visit the transition home ministry in Tiraspol, Moldova in October. They are supported by the church that I visited in Akron, Ohio. The goal is to help children transition from life in an orphanage to life in the real world. I look forward to learning how we can help our children become more successful in life. I will give you a report about my visit in the October newsletter.

Thank you for your interest, help, and prayers for what God is doing through MUCH here in Ukraine. Many lives are changing; many children are being given a second chance to succeed in life.

Blessings of love and healing,
Mark

July 2010 MUCH Newsletter

July brings lots of sunshine, wonderful summer rains, the never-ending sea breezes, and some wonderful stories about the children. This letter will focus upon our activities in Illichevsk, where I live. Great things are happening!

I will begin with the Massage Clinic. During the first six years of operation, there was a difference of opinion as to who would receive services and how often. With my American mentality, I wanted children with disabilities to receive the best overall treatment. But the Ukrainian mentality was to share a little bit of this wonderful American-supported provision with as many children with disabilities as possible. Two years ago, we introduced the concept of early intervention that would provide, as early as possible, massage for infants showing neuromuscular abnormalities.

It seemed that many people had conflicting ideas of how the massage clinic should be operating. Because our massage clinic is in a donated space in Illichevsk Polyclinic, and is under the authority of the doctor who manages all of the medical practice in Illichevsk, my opinion didn’t hold much water. Recently, the chain of operations changed hands. Now, the director of the Polyclinic and the head of the Rehabilitation Department will make the decisions. My natural reaction was to meet the director and talk with her about the massage clinic. Once again, the Ukrainian mentality won. Ira did meet with the director, learning that she was in full agreement with the early intervention concept. But, the children with disabilities, meaning children who had been legally identified as having a disability, would receive first opportunity.

On another subject, a wonderful group of women, The East Sunrise Quilt Guild from Florida, sent about sixteen quilts to Ukraine with me on my return trip. I had decided that these quilts would be a wonderful gift for the mothers with infants in the early intervention program. On Friday, I was at the clinic to distribute three of the quilts. I watched Tanya give massage to three girls, ages four months, five months, and one year old. As I watched during this three-hour period, I realized what a precious opportunity massage is for these girls. Through massage, they are being given treatments to their neuromuscular system before it has the opportunity to develop inappropriately. As the neurologist in this department identifies an abnormality, she will recommend treatment at our massage clinic. It is working!

Later that that day, I went to the Center for Children with Disabilities. This Center operates as a multifaceted facility providing social activity and physical therapy. A psychologist from the city is on staff, a lunch is provided every day for those who attend, and it is a respite opportunity for the parents. It continues to grow in vision and function. It is a result of MUCH influencing the city and region through the operation of our Massage Clinic. We set the example. The city of Illichevsk sat up and took notice. I distributed three more quilts at the Center. Each time that I visit, I learn more about what they are doing, how the government is involved, and how I can help to provide more equipment for them to use with the children. One woman had a vision of what should be available in Illichevsk. Six years ago, God started the ball rolling. The uphill battle is not so difficult any more. We are making great progress.

Ira has a touching story that will stir your heart and make you want to shout with joy. She tells of how the work of her church and the support of MUCH are intertwined to change the lives of children who live in difficult homes controlled by drug and alcohol addiction.

Throughout Ukraine, there are many children in need of help, care and love. MUCH is doing something about that need for about 400 children, to some degree. The problems aren’t easy to solve. It requires a long-term commitment to see long-term results. God has blessed me with direction and has provided local people with hearts for the children. If God is tugging on your heart to get involved with our efforts here, please join us in whatever way you are feeling called to participate. I have committed the second half of my life to helping the children. Thank you for reading and following my news. I will talk with you some more in August.
 
Blessings of love and healing,
Mark

June 2010 MUCH Newsletter

Hello family and friends,

It is summertime here in Ukraine. The leaves are on the trees; the children have completed another year of school; and they are enjoying the day camp programs that the city runs in June. The weather is in the 70s and mid 80s. Mixed with a rainy day, the cool sea breeze floats through the streets of Illichevsk. In the midst of the economic problems in Ukraine, there appears to be plenty of activity. I don’t hear grumbling or discontent. The great challenges that they face bring them back to the life that is normal for them.

Eight years ago when I first visited Marganets, I met Pastor Oleg through a classmate of his in Seminary. His friend taught at the missionary school that I attended, and he gave me his address. Pastor Oleg’s charismatic church was only a handful of people, but had a vision for the city of Marganets. Three years ago, we met again. At that time, he had a translator in his congregation of 150. His church has a powerful outreach program to heal the needs of the community. They agreed to run a drug and alcohol prevention program for our children at the orphanage. This was the beginning of a wonderful relationship between them and MUCH.

When I communicate with their translator, Inna, an invaluable team member of mine in Marganets, she updates me on what is happening with our children at the orphanage. Recently, she sent pictures of the “You Are Special” program that they presented for the children of the city. She told me that most all of the children from the orphanage attended and were delighted with the program. From what I could see, this was the beginning of some big changes in the lives of our children.

The Baptist church in Marganets will have Vacation Bible School in July, thanks to the support of Concord Baptist Church in Granite Falls, NC. I believe that the youth group will also invite our children to participate. They have a close connection with our children. It has been a slow process in eight years time, but MUCH has made the local connection. Now, the physical needs as well as the spiritual needs of the children are being attended to. I am seeing the children change. It is wonderful to see and experience.

We are all God’s children, but some of His children are in greater need to receive love than to give love. My need, as is with the people of MUCH, is to give love. In giving, we receive, and as the children receive, they give. Little do they know how they bless us as they receive our gifts of love; but sometimes I think that the love that I receive from them is greater than what I have given. I hope that is experienced by you, also.

Blessings of love and healing,
Mark

May 2010 MUCH Newsletter

Hello family and friends,

I have arrived safely in Ukraine as my Austrian Airlines plane passed through a window of opportunity, although the volcanic ash continues to cause havoc for European flights. The four flights that took me from Greensboro, NC to Odessa, Ukraine were uneventful and pleasant. I chatted with a couple of women about my work with children in Ukraine during two of my flights. I never know where God’s provisions might appear.

Throughout my journey in America, many people have been very generous to MUCH. Their sincere interest in the needs of the children continues in the midst of their own financial challenges. God continues to bless the children, bless the giving hearts, and to direct me, which is a blessing of its own.

My three months of fundraising and visiting family and friends have come to an end. Now it is time to set into action the new information and contacts that I have found. It seems that each year new opportunities arise to help specific children in addition to the 400 children in three cities and one village that we help on a monthly basis. Sasha, the little girl whom Ira wrote about in the March newsletter, was the topic of conversation at a number of the dinners that I attended in Florida. Another child whom I have not written about yet, lives with his single mother in Marganets. There is limited medical help for him there, and he has some severe disabilities. I will be looking into his situation by phone and when I visit Marganets in September. At this point, I believe that these two children will be the focus of our additional outreach this year.

As MUCH grows in different ways each year, what I do also changes. Social media on the internet has been suggested to me. If you are on Facebook you can now find me there, also. I will be developing a number of new concepts to share MUCH with the world at large. It will take some time, but I am encouraged. I will have some help figuring it all out, but I see that there are many people, old friends and new, to say hello to.

Ira and her husband, Platon, were happy to meet me at the airport in Odessa. Here is more from Ira.

My greatest need remains. Without prayer, I am very limited in my ability to flow through the situations that my daily events offer. Please continue to pray for the children and me.

Blessings of loving and healing,
Mark

April 2010 MUCH Newsletter

Hi family and friends,

I hope that spring has sprung in your neck of the woods. Here in NC, the trees are full of green leaves. The re-creation of spring every year is pretty amazing. I have been in America almost two months. So far, I have visited friends and family in Indiana, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and North Carolina. I will be in Florida for a week in April and a week in May. I’m very pleased with the number of people who are interested in our children in Ukraine and my work with them. God continues to open doors and touch hearts!

Looking back over the past eight years, many doors have been opened to me. The first massage program was in Illichevsk where we now serve 24 children. The second began a few years ago at the orphanage in Marganets, where six children are treated. As you read last month, we will start a third massage program, this time in Froonza, Crimea for 12 children. Several groups of people in Michigan and Indiana have contributed enough funds to operate the massage program in Froonza for eight months. When I visited Froonza in January, I learned something very interesting. One of the mothers who has a child with a disability said, “I can’t believe that an American has come to our little village of 3,000 people to help our children. Most medical attention goes to the big cities.”

How do we value the life of a child? Is a child from the city more valuable than one from the village? Who are we to make that decision? They are all the children of God. As He opens the doors, I will gladly walk through. If He is showing us the children to help, surely He will provide. In the past eight years, I have seen many children with needs. I had some big ideas, but they were my own. When I tried to move forward with my own idea, a roadblock would appear.
There are so many children throughout the world who are in need. God’s love for His children is great. In His wisdom and His perfect time, their needs will be met. As I travel through America to raise funds for our children, I must listen to learn who the people are whose hearts God has touched to help our children. As I spend my final four weeks in America, I will seek out those people.

Here are some of Ira’s thoughts!

I am in the midst of people with giving hearts and children with great need. I am in awe of what God has done these past 8 years. As a team, making ourselves available, God will continues to use us according to his perfect will and timing.

Blessings of love and healing,
Mark

March 2010 MUCH Newsletter

Hi family and friends,

I wish to extend to all a blessed holyday season. Easter and Passover, along with other religious holydays bring people together to focus upon the mercies and graces that God shares with us. Let us seek a closer relationship with God during these holydays.

After some down time adjusting to the American culture, I began visiting friends February 27th. I had dinner with a long time sponsor in Greensboro. March presentations began in Greensboro; then Michigan was the site where an old friend and her husband introduced me to their church families. Pennsylvania brought me in contact with old friends and new. The third week provided eleven contacts and presentations, including a visit with the Maranatha church in Akron, Ohio. They sponsor a mission in Tiraspol, an offshoot country of Moldova, bordering Ukraine. This week I will be in the Mount Pleasant, PA area, visiting relatives and friends.

Many of you will not see my presentation, so I will share some of the highlights At the Marganets orphanage, we are doing many things, as you have read during our Christmas Fund Raiser. I visited the children in January before I came to America. Back in 2003, we provided an amplifier system to encourage their music and dance program. I'm happy to report that they have come a long way in the past seven years. This is the first year that any of the Marganets orphanage children have been invited to enter the music school (see the October 2009 Newsletter). Not only that, but the music and dance team from this orphanage has won the regional competitions and will go on to compete in the National competition in Kiev, Ukraine.

The Emmaus Food Program in Illichevsk continues to encourage children from difficult homes to move forward with their lives. Kristina, studying law, and Viktoria, studying to be an English teacher, are in their third year of university, using our Transportation Scholarship Program. Vika is waiting in the wings to begin in September. These children will break the cycle of poverty in their lives by enriching their knowledge and seeking their highest potential. Also, they are setting great examples for the children who continue to seek answers for their own lives through the Emmaus Food Program.

Also in Illichevsk, we are seeing the children at the Massage Clinic make great progress. The report is that at least ten children who could not walk last year are attending school this year because they are now able to walk. What a great result! Six years ago, nothing was available in Illichevsk, population 62,000, for children with disabilities. Today the clinic is providing massage for 12 children each month, but equally as important is the example of what love and compassion can do to change the lives of children with disabilities and their families.

Our newest program, recently approved by the MUCH Board of Directors, beginning in September, is a massage program for 12 children in Froonza, a rural village on the Crimean Peninsula. The peninsula attaches to southeastern Ukraine on the Black Sea. The mothers of these children are ready to open their homes to provide a place for massage treatments. A masseuse is ready to work with four children a day, 20 days a month for the small fee of $100 per month. Small by American standards, but it is normal for this village. What a wonderful opportunity!

I will continue to travel in North Carolina and Florida to share my story with all who are interested in hearing about our children in Ukraine. Please continue to pray for my safe travel and that God will continue to give me words to tell the stories of the children.

Blessings of love and healing,
Mark

February 2010 MUCH Newsletter

Hello family and friends,

I arrived in America safe and sound on February 17th. The journey included four separate flights within a 24 hour period. On two of those flights, I met people from two churches, one from Akron Ohio, and the second from Alpharetta, Georgia. It was very interesting to meet other people involved in mission work. I hope to visit both churches while I am in America.

On the plane from Vienna I talked to Lynda H. from Akron about a transition home that they run in Tiraspol (Moldova). A number of years ago, I proposed a transition home for the girls at the Marganets Orphanage, but the idea was not well received. After speaking with Lynda, a new vision came to me of how to do this through a local organization. I have read about transition homes for orphanage graduates in other areas of Ukraine. It seems to be the final opportunity to help a teen, not only to prepare for the work world, but a time to build spiritual community with others in the real world.

In January, I visited the children at the Marganets Orphanage. It was so nice to see the children playing in the snow, wearing warm coats and boots. This was a delight, compared to my first winter visit in December of 2002. Some of the 156 children had received coats and boots from MUCH, but not many. And playing outside in the snow was not so desirable. Staying warm in buildings that were heated only to forty-five degrees Fahrenheit was the main goal.

The children of the second grade that I met in 2002 will graduate this year. I will miss them very much. One in particular is Luba. She was traumatized when I met her. At seven years of age, she had witnessed a murder that completely disrupted her mind. She has family but could not attend a regular school, so she has lived at the orphanage for the last ten years. Each time that I would visit, I would look for her. In the early years, I would pray with her. Every time that I would leave her, she would burst into tears. This went on for a number of years. When I saw her in January, she was wearing a very nice coat and seemed happy. We chatted for a while, parting after long hugs. I most probably will not see her again. I am sad to say goodbye to this child. I fear for her future. She remains withdrawn and without much direction. I know that MUCH has improved her life during these years; and the school has helped prepare her for her future, but I see that she needs more. A transition home would have been a wonderful option for her.

In Marganets, I have connected two churches with the orphanage. Both are having significant effects on the children during their most influential years. The children are being taught to pray, and in turn they are praying for/with other children. It has been a long process to be able to include spiritual direction along with MUCH humanitarian efforts.

I will be visiting churches and other groups until the middle of May. Please pray for my travel, that I will continue to be safe as I go to different cities. I will be sharing my story of what God is doing through my teams and me in Ukraine.

Blessings of love and healing,
Mark

January 2010 MUCH Newsletter

Hello family and friends,

Happy New Year 2010 to each of you! We have begun the new year in a positive frame of mind. We worked hard to make the Christmas Challenge a success, and we did meet our goal of $5270. It was close, but we made it over the top. The entire MUCH staff and the children who will benefit from these programs send you a very big THANK YOU!

In preparation for my visit to the states on February 17, I have been shooting some video and taking pictures of the children who are receiving massage this month. Of the five children who are receiving treatment from Tanya, one of our masseuses, four children are less than five years old. I wrote a few words about Sasha in the December newsletter. She is seven years old. She has the sweetest personality and it is clear that her mother loves her very much. Sasha has a good mind, but it will break your heart to see her body. She has a very noticeable curve in her spine. Between her right and left rib cage, her chest is sunken in. Her feet are twisted inward. If she could walk, and she is working toward that end, she would walk on the sides of her feet.

I met Sasha last year during her massage treatment. I see some progress this time, and will video her at the end of her treatment this month. She is one of the many children who have severe physical challenges that can be altered significantly. This year we will work with twelve children every month. The more often each child can receive a twenty day massage treatment, the better the chances are that the child will have new abilities that will last a lifetime. Thanks to the success of the Christmas Challenge, at least four additional children’s lives will be changed because of massage.

I visited the Dobromel Orphanage early in December on my return trip from Warsaw, Poland. Pastor Volodya continues his outreach work with the children of this orphanage. As a pastor, he works hard to touch their spiritual lives. As a humanitarian, he wants to help the children improve their quality of living. This may mean a new pair of shoes, clothing, or even a much needed pair of socks. This is where MUCH makes his work possible through the Christmas Challenge. Even though he lives in Borislav, two hours from the orphanage; his passion for these children continues. I saw and photographed the evidence of the relationships that he built with the children during the past eight years. I see it in the eyes of the children. One of the boys wants to go to the Borislav seminary and study to be a minister. He is always sharing with Volodya some scripture that he has been studying. I see hope in the eyes of the children; hope that they can have a life of purpose.

Let’s see what Ira has to share with us about another child named Sasha!

I do not have the gifts that each of my team members in three different cities has, but I do my part to make it possible for each of them to do what God has called them to do. That is what MUCH is all about. We are helping the people of Ukraine help themselves. What a joy it is to see the people of Ukraine receive the opportunity to do what they were created to do!

October 2009 MUCH Newsletter

Hello family and friends,

Many leaves color the ground, yet many remain green upon the trees. People from all around await that autumn freeze. October 15th is the annual day when the city turns the heat on in Ukraine. This fall has been mild thus far, so we have no heat as of October 16th. I think the first frost will come soon.

First, the frost is on the pumpkin, next the turkey and fixin’s, then chestnuts are roasting on an open fire. Soon, the Christmas season will be upon us. Our Christmas Fundraiser will focus on the futures of our children. At the Marganets Orphanage in south central Ukraine, we have four programs that have been supported, not by our annual budget, but by the Christmas Fundraisers in the past several years. I want to share with you some of the results that we are seeing:

The computer class that we support has come a long way in one year. For the low cost of $180 per school year, children are learning to use Word, the Microsoft word processor for writing text; they are using Microsoft Paint to create graphic art design, and Microsoft PowerPoint to create professional presentations. These children who have learning disabilities now have more skills to compete in the work world in the future. Andre, the teacher, is passionate about teaching the children computer skills.

Unfortunately, physical rehabilitation for the children is not a part of the orphanage budget. The massage program that MUCH supports here costs $360 per school year, providing two children each day with massage treatment. Eight children will receive massage treatment this school year. The results provide children with that personal attention, neurological and physical stimulation, and emotional encouragement. The doctor tells me that she is seeing changes in the children because of each of these activities.

The music and dance program is producing big surprises. Leonid, the music master, is creating new challenges for the children. Two of them, see the pictures below, have started to attend the local music school, an after school program. Children from this orphanage have never been considered for music school. To everyone’s surprise, they have been given free tuition. Music has always been a big part of their program at the orphanage, but with the MUCH contribution of $180 per school year, they are making leaps and bounds in their resourcefulness and learning opportunities. Leonid even composed music for a song that I wrote for the children, and taught these two children to sing it. It is very beautiful.











Olga is connecting with the children through her introduction of morality, self image, maintaining control of self, and the understanding of addictive practices. She is influencing the children most, I think, with her love and compassion toward them. If you were to see her work with the children, you would see that special light in her eye. Olga is not on staff at the orphanage. MUCH supports her work with the Drug and Alcohol Prevention Program at the cost of $450 per school year. The big result that I see is that the children are attending church. His Spirit is at work!

Also in Marganets, we support the Transition Home, where children stay for ninety days, sometimes more, as they are being transitioned from difficult homes to an orphanage. For the cost of $500 per year, MUCH provides the basic underwear, socks and shoes that are needed as these children are removed from their families. This is a very fragile time for the children. MUCH helps them to maintain dignity and self-image during this time.

At the Dobromel Orphanage in western Ukraine, close to the border of Poland, we support the work that Pastor Volodya has been doing for eight years. MUCH provides funds for the purchase of clothing, shoes, some food, and fruit juices. As he provides a spiritual program to build Christian character, MUCH provides $1800 a year to clothe and nourish the children. I see the great relationship that he has with the children! His work is changing their lives. MUCH is helping Volodya continue this great mission.

So many children with disabilities are in need where I live in Illichevsk, south western Ukraine. MUCH wants to provide two more hours of massage. This will cost $1800 per year. We have a proven track record with our massage program at the Clinic. Children, who could not walk, are walking. Some of our children are entering the regular school system. Most of all, our Early Intervention program is showing great and permanent results.

The total amount of the MUCH Christmas Fundraiser for 2009 is $5270. If everyone who reads this newsletter were to contribute $20, less than dinner for two, about 300 of the 400 plus children that MUCH serves will be able to continue to receive the services provided through our 2009 Christmas Fundraiser.

Seven years ago, I answered the call to live the remainder of my life in Ukraine, serving the children of lesser provision and ability. I had a lot of questions, but I stepped out in faith. God has provided for all of my needs, but more importantly, He has provided for the needs of the children. He has provided through your giving hearts. This is not about me asking you, but it is about you responding to the gifts that God has given you to share with those less fortunate. So, I will ask you to read this letter again, and ask God what He wants you to do for His children. The children and I are so grateful for all that you have shared with us these past seven years. We thank you for being a part of our lives.

Blessing of love and healing,
Mark

September 2009 MUCH Newsletter

At the end of August, I spent fourteen days in the village of Froonza, Crimea with a family with thirteen children, two of whom have physical disabilities. I had met fifteen-year-old Vanya six years ago. He has been in a wheelchair for the past five years and has had little or no therapy since that time. With massage and the use of a muscle stimulator that we provided, his leg swelling was reduced and he felt his leg muscles were responding to the stimulator. I'll visit this winter to check on his progress.

Seven years have come and gone since I moved to Ukraine, most unaware what plans God had for me. He opened three doors to minister to children in two cities in the first two years. During the past five years, two of those doors have opened wider, and additional doors have opened. Marganets orphanage, our first outreach mission, has four additional ministries that we are supporting: computer, massage, music and dance, and the drug and alcohol prevention program. In the same city, we began a program to cloth children in the Transition Home. A door opened in northwestern Ukraine at the Dobromel orphanage. We began to support this program that Pastor Volodya has been operating for eight years. This year we would like to add two more hours of massage to the program in Illichevsk. The city of Illichevsk, population 62,000, has much bigger needs than we can handle, but we want to do our best to help the children.

Two years ago, we began a Christmas fund raiser to provide money for these six additional programs, to be supported on a yearly basis, instead of adding them to our regular budget. So far, we have been successful in raising the money needed to operate the programs. They touch the lives of four hundred children in some direct or indirect way.

The October newsletter will launch the 2009 Christmas fundraiser. I will detail each ministry and share some of the results from each. These children are growing beyond a maintenance level of existence. It is because of your support that we can supply what the children and staff need to enhance rehabilitation, learning and social development. We have brought them all a long way in these seven years. Let’s not drop the ball. Let’s continue to love these children through these programs of clothing, education, and rehabilitation.

There is so much need in the world, particularly for children. But how do you know what children to help? I know the children that I am to help because God shows me. If you want to help children anywhere, ask God to show you; ask Him to give you peace about what He shows you. Our children and staff are thankful to God for all that He has provided. They wait, believing that God will continue what He started seven years ago.

Blessing of love and healing,
Mark

August 2009 MUCH Newsletter

August continues to be an interesting month. In the beginning of the month, I was in the Carpathian Mountains. The children of the Dobromel orphanage were in different camps throughout the region. Most were in the village of Yacinya, 3050 feet above sea level. They were located in a beautiful setting, surrounded by scenic foothills. We drove four hours to be with them for a couple of hours. It was the highlight of their camp. We did an AWANA program (children’s ministry) for them.

Volodya has been ministering to the children at Dobromel orphanage for eight years. When I visit the children, I stay with his family in Borislav. This visit, I learned more about the economy of this area. They haven’t had hot water in their city for fifteen years.

Back in Illichevsk, I was having adventures of my own with the dentist. She is a very good and gentle dentist. But just in case, I always tell her a joke to put her in a good mood. I guess that the economy has been such a challenge, it was not always affordable to pay for a pain killer. This was a big surprise for me. While you are there, be sure read The Seashell Girl. I’m sorry for those of you who don’t use computers. Maybe a friend could print it out for you. Or, maybe I’ll put my blog stories in a book in the future.

I think that it was in the fall of 2003 that I was in Saki Crimea for the first time. During that visit I met Vanya. I wrote an article about him entitled, “Waiting for a Miracle.” During an operation soon after his birth, a nerve was accidently cut. This nerve controlled the muscles that allowed him to turn, or evert, his foot to the side. This left him with what is commonly known as club foot. He has been on my mind all of these years. He is 12-years-old now, and on August 25 I will visit him and his family. I will share what I know and have learned these past six years. I’m not sure what kind of miracle will happen, but I think this will be the time that God will bless this child in a special way. I’ll let you know the results next month.

Through the hearts of those who support MUCH, we know that God is moving through our efforts. Through the results of our efforts, we know that God wants us to continue. My wish is that you could see the faces and hear more of the stories from the mouths of the people whose lives are being changed by MUCH.

Blessings of love and healing,
Mark

July 2009 MUCH Newsletter

Hello family and friends,

July is a hot one in Illichevsk, 90 F in the shade with high humidity. But then, everything is relative, isn’t it. I got some good exercise walking around Marganets when I visited the orphanage during the first week of July. And have I got some stories about that week! See International Riot in Marganets and Promise, Provision, and Progress. For those who don’t have access to a computer or the internet, the problems in Marganets began in a bar and were not politically related. It was all contained prior to my arrival. The other story refers to the concert that the youth of the Marganets Baptist Church gave to the children at the orphanage and the Transition Home.

While in America, I was given three sets of items to bring back to Ukraine to give to our children. I had a great time watching the enthusiasm of the children at the Transition Home. First, I gave them the stuffed animals that Jenny Renner, National Champion in synchronized trampoline competition, provided for them. Next, the picture story books written in English and Russian, from Jessie Bullock and Kate Bullock Price, captured the imagination of the children. Finally, the children from Lighthouse Christian School in Pompano Beach, Florida made bookmarks for our children. The bookmarks were filled with colorful designs and messages of love. My Marganets translator and I took pictures and videos of this great event.

My big surprise happened one evening as I was out taking a walk. There were so many militia patrolling the city, I felt quite safe. All of the sudden, a young man walked up to me and said, “Prevyet!” That means “Hi” in Russian. I replied the same. Then he said, “It’s me, Bogdan!” I made the connection, and we began to chat as we walked. Bogdan was my first translator in Marganets seven years ago. He was twelve years old at the time. We met up with his wife and his second child, six months old, and walked across town to his parents’ flat. What a wonderful evening. After a short visit, his mother, his wife, and he walked me back to my street. What an interesting evening.

Progress can be seen in different ways. MUCH has accomplished many things in the past seven years. The big building blocks have been relationships. These are the keys to progress. In Marganets, we have built relationships with the orphanage administrators, and the children. Recently, we have been reaching out to the churches to help us. The youth group concert for the children at the orphanage is what I see as GREAT PROGRESS.

Blessings of love and healing,
Mark

June 2009 MUCH Newsletter

I’ve been back in Ukraine for 17 days. My body and mind have adjusted; my twice-a-week cook has returned from her vacation in the village, visiting her grandmother; and I still have hot water. What more could I ask for? It is good to be back to the sights and sounds that I call home. See my post Home Sweet Home. Natasha and Vika took good care of my flat while I was away.

What’s happening this summer? Summer is an organizational time for me. Even so, I will visit the children in Marganets in July. I hope to visit the children in Dobromel, too. I want to have the neurologist from Borislav come to Illichevsk to share his specialties with our massage clinic team. Ira tells me that her church will provide camp for the disabled in September, but that is not a final date.

I met a friend while I was out walking the other day. He is now working with a realtor, specializing in summer rentals. He said the cost for a small flat is about $60 a day. I’m not sure if that is with a view of the Black Sea or if it is anywhere in Illichevsk. How things have changed in the past seven years!

As Ukraine develops as a country and as an economy, the problems of the children remain. The biggest need for most of our children is to have regular activities that they can participate in during the summer. This is nothing new, of course, but finding a solution would be something new for our children. At the Marganets orphanage, the problem was solved last summer by purchasing some sports equipment for summer use. Here in Illichevsk, church camp is offered to the Emmaus children and a special camp for the children with disabilities. Pastor Volodya provides a camp for the children at Dobromel Orphanage. Summer is a long time. The camp activities last about a week, so what else can we do?

Ira has some news about one group of our children who are dear to her heart.

The minds of our children are fertile soil waiting to be planted. The big question is, who will be the first to plant in this soil, and will it be good seed, or not? I am here to set the example, as God leads me. It is a big job. Our team continues to grow as time goes on. I say thank you to all of the team who reach out, each in their own special way. To others, I want to encourage you to see things through Ira’s eyes. Don’t hesitate, step up to the plate, get involved, and change the world of tomorrow by changing the children of today!

Blessing of love and healing,
Mark