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

Ira’s Insight

What can touch people’s hearts? Sometimes, it is amazing or shocking pictures, news, or video that we see on TV. Our life is full of such things. I remember that once I was shocked by a picture of dying African girl. But the information about the photographer who took picture of it was more shocking. He didn’t care about that girl; he just took a picture of her and left that place. Later, that photographer committed suicide because he just couldn’t live with the fact that he hadn’t helped her. The picture of the girl and the end of the life of the photographer are still alive in my memory.

Since I saw the picture it has been reminding me about many people, especially children who are in need. Many people live in “a box”. Sometimes we don’t know what happens to our neighbors or people close to us. It happens that we say: “Oh, I am sorry to hear that, I would have helped him if I had known.” I could say that I had lived in such a box before I started to work with MUCH. I hadn’t been aware that in Illichevsk there were so many children in need. It had seemed to me that such people had been far from my city; they had lived somewhere, but not close to me. I am really happy that it has changed and now my heart is ready to do my best for those who need help.

The girl about who I would like to tell you could break your heart if you saw her. All her life she has been suffering from some kind of severe palsy. Her lower and upper extremities are deformed. The girl can’t walk. She can just crawl because of the deformation of her feet. Also she has problems with breathing (her lungs). Her chest is concave. She has been suffering all her life. She is just 7 years old. The relief that she gets is just massage treatment. It helps her to breathe better for some time.

She is one whose smile is in my memory. This girl is very intelligent and in spite of her severe disability, she has never been unsatisfied. I would like to help her with something. I have begun to pray for this small girl whose life can be changed. I hope this letter will reach hearts of those who are not indifferent to the life of Sasha. There is some good news for her – she can be operated on. It means that the deformation of her chest, problems with her hands, elbows, and feet can be corrected. But the problem is that it is a very expensive process. Please pray for Sasha.

Until next time,
Ira

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

Ira's Insights (February 2010)

More than three years ago Nastya G. became a patient of MUCH clinic. At that time she was three-and-a-half years old. Because of Cerebral palsy she couldn’t walk by herself. She walked on her tip-toes holding on her mother’s hand. She had much spasticity in her lower and upper extremities. The girl manipulated with her hands very badly. It was difficult for her to hold a ball or to hold a pencil to draw.

Time has passed and today she is a real beautiful young girl with big brown eyes and nice smile who can walk by herself. Nastya is a student of the first grade at the special school for children with mental and physical disabilities. She is a clever girl who studies well. She likes to draw; she likes to play with play-dough, a ball and the most of all she likes to walk.

Nastya’s mother wants her daughter to enter another school this year. That school is a regular secondary school that is situated very close to the place where they live. Nastya’s mother thinks that it will be easier for her daughter to go to the school that is close to her house. The current school is like a preparation for Nastya for the first grade of a secondary school.

Yes, the mother can choose a school for her daughter for one big reason – her daughter can walk by herself. To walk is a great privilege for any child with Cerebral Palsy diagnosis. A great input has been done by MUCH organization for Nastya to walk today. Nastya’s ability to play started with MUCH.

Nastya’s achievements are rewards for many people – her mother, masseuses and of course people who send their finances to help such as Nastya. For me Nastya is an obvious example of how God works through our hearts, how He changes not only lives of such children as Nastya but also changes hearts of adults.

Until next time,
Ira

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!

Ira's Insights (January 2010)

Stories That Touch Your Heart

How often are you overwhelmed in your life? What can stop you from thinking about yourself, but cause you to think about others? All people have vital needs – they want to eat, drink, and they want to be happy. But I am sure that in your life you have met special people who want to be as “everyone else is.” Their needs are special. They want to be healthy and do what other people do without any limitations.

Last week Mark and I visited one family where there is a special girl. Her name is Sasha L. She will be 5 years old in the end of January. She is the second child in her family. When she was born, no doctor told her mother that this child had some problems. On the contrary, they assured her mother that everything was well with Sasha. The mother saw some strange things in the physical development of her daughter and she addressed the doctors not only one time, but they didn’t see any serious problems. In spite of the assurances of the doctors, Sasha’s mother continued to show her child to doctors. When Sasha was 2 years old, the doctors had to acknowledge that this girl had the special disease that is called Cerebral Palsy. In her second year, she couldn’t walk and jump as children of her age. At that time Sasha’s mother learned about the massage clinic of MUCH, and she joined it. Also they started to visit “Gold Angel” – the rehabilitation center in Odessa. It was the beginning of a new life for Sasha’s family. They knew with what they had to fight. In her small cozy flat where her family lives, there is some nice equipment for Sasha’s physical rehabilitation that her father made with his own hands.

Sasha has had much progress since she was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy. Today this girl is “a ball of fire”. She likes to dance, do crafts, learn poems, and walk. Although her balance is still developing, every new step is a great joy for her mother. Looking at this girl and her mother, I was overwhelmed with the progress that this girl has, with her desire to move forward to have better results.

Each little bit of progress, her new steps, are a great gratitude to those who support the massage clinic for such children as Sasha. I am sure that Sasha will have a nice future because in my city there is a massage clinic from MUCH!

Until next time,
Ira

December 2009 MUCH Newsletter

Hello family and friends,

It is the happiest season of the year. Around the world, people pause to celebrate Christmas. Some celebrate for a whole season, some for a day, and some, only for a few hours. There are many different faiths and beliefs about God, but there seems to be a common season of joy around the season some call Christmas. Children, most of all, look forward to this time. There is such mystery and anticipation of what Christmas morning will bring.

Here in Ukraine, Christmas is celebrated twice, on December 25th and then again on January 7th, the traditional Ukrainian Christmas. At Marganets, we have been giving small bags of candy to the children for Christmas. When I visit, some of the children, carrying their treasured bag of candy with them everywhere they go, always want to share a piece or two with me. They certainly have the Christmas spirit deep within their hearts. In the midst of all of the problems of their everyday lives, they still have an innocence that has not been crushed by the troubles of this world.

Earlier this year, I visited little Sasha, 7 years old, at the massage clinic. As I think of Christmas for her, I think of the wish for her scoliosis to be corrected and for her legs to be straightened and untwisted. For her, Christmas is a time of hope. When I visited Vladik, age 2, he was already seeing the results from the massage clinic. His once bowed legs are now straight and he is walking very well. For him, Christmas is a time for rejoicing. Seven of the children who received services from the massage clinic are attending regular school for the first time, because they can walk. For them, Christmas is a time of great joy.

Every group of children that has been helped by MUCH is entering the Christmas season with a little more hope than they did in the past. I see smiling faces on the children that I visit in the three cities where we serve. God is doing great things through MUCH with your gifts throughout the year, and there is still time to give to our Christmas Fund Raiser. Not only the children are being helped, but here is the story of how one of our own, Anatoliy, has been helped. For seven years, this Ukrainian man in retirement has served the children through MUCH. Ira tells the story of his rejoicing this Christmas season.

We wish each of you a very blessed Christmas season. May it continue with you throughout the year. May God bless you as you in turn bless others. From Ira and me, and all of the MUCH team on two continents, may God be with you, protect, and guide you throughout 2010.

Blessings of love and healing,
Mark