Not too late for Christmas in Ukraine

Orphans receive Christmas gifts at
 Christmas Celebration in 2011. This
 year's celebration is just days away.

Ukraine (MNN) ― While Christmas in the rest of the world is celebrated on December 25, it's not in former Soviet bloc nations. Ukraine is just one example, says President of Global Action Lars Dunberg. "They celebrate the Orthodox Christmas which right about the 7th of January."

Even in those nations, Dunberg says, "There are a lot of people that do not celebrate Christmas at all because there's no one to celebrate with them and for them, and that's the orphans in the orphanages that are run by the government."

That's not acceptable, says Dunberg, so Global Action is doing something to help at least a few of these orphaned children. "Every Christmas we put on a huge meeting -- a whole day for orphaned kids down in Crimea."

This Christmas celebration is more than a party. It's a production. Dunberg says, "They come in buses that we provide which take them to a huge auditorium that seats about 5,000. For the whole day we put on a Christmas program. Yes, there is the Christmas story, but there is also drama, skits and music." That's all in preparation for the time when each child gets a Christmas gift.

Dunberg says they still have a financial need for a 1,000 more gifts. "We're still trying get the last lot together where we actually buy the materials locally and put it in a box for them and wrap. If we could get a few people to provide $15 a [gift], we could get all these gifts ready. That would be tremendous."

Any leftover gifts will go toward helping the desperately poor in the region.

While getting a gift is special for these kids, Dunberg says, "This is a time when these kids come together and hear about Jesus, maybe for the first time."

According to Dunberg, this is a yearly effort, and it's having an impact. "We have built relationships with these orphanages and have an open door into all these institutions in Crimea. That is a great way for us to work. The orphanages actually call us and say, 'Can we come?'"

Because of the lack of resources, child care workers are happy to send these children to a place where their needs can be met.

If you'd like to help Global Action, time is short. Click here to donate $15 to provide a Christmas gift for a child in Ukraine. 

Ministry brings on new leadership in Latvia

Latvia (ORO) ― The Day Center in Karosta, Latvia, began as a pastor's dream long before its official opening in 2007. Sergey Garkusa, pastor of Russian Baptist Church "Light of the Gospel," invited children from the church to come during the week for instruction, activities, and one warm meal.

"We started with two teachers and about 15-20 kids from Karosta, or "Naval Port" as we call it," said Dace Rence, new Orphan Outreach director of programs in Latvia.

"Right now we are in a process of moving into a separate building given to us for rent by the local municipality. In the new building we will be able to separate children into smaller groups by ages and languages (we have a Russian and a Latvian group of kids)."

Currently about 50 children come to the Day Center, where they receive one hot meal--which is often the only one they eat each day--as well as educational activities, games, mentoring, and a chance to hear the Gospel.

When Orphan Outreach President Mike Douris heard that the Day Center might close because of financial problems, he decided to act. He had been instrumental in establishing an after-school program some years ago in Leiapia, Latvia, where he met and developed a deep admiration for Sergey Garkusa.

"The children in this community are at significant risk, and Sergey has a clear call from the Lord to minister to the children," Douris said. "Our hope is to be a blessing to this ministry and to walk alongside the church to meet the basic needs of the children, as well as assist in their education to provide hope for their future. The church provides spiritual guidance and discipleship so critical to their development. The staff members love the children unconditionally and help them face difficult challenges on a daily basis. Dace is a committed Christian and so passionate about orphan care. The kids love her, and she has such a heart for them."

It costs about $36 a month to give one child all that the Latvia Day Center offers. Twenty children have already been sponsored, and Orphan Outreach is urgently seeking more sponsors to care for the remaining 30 children.

"The staff are prepared to work long hours during the winter," Amy Norton, director of programs, said. "Many of the children end up [at the Latvia Day Center] for large parts of the day because it is so cold outside. We are so thankful that, due to a generous donor, we are able to provide a Christmas party and gifts to all the children and staff."

"The thing I remember most about that mission trip is the laughter of the children in that little room. Their home life was often abusive, hunger was constant, and parents with drug and/or alcohol problems all contributed to their unstable environment. But for these few hours each day they could eat, feel safe, laugh and play. Thirty members of the mission trip left in tears, but we knew Pastor Sergey and his workers cared for the children the best they could," said Joelene Key about her first trip to the Latvia Day Center.

An active member of First Baptist Church in Plano, Texas, Joelene has since rallied her Sunday School Class to support the Latvia Day Center with a monthly contribution for the past four years.

"I have been blessed in so many ways from my Latvian trips," Joelene said, "but a really wonderful blessing is seeing the ladies in my Sunday School Class get involved in missions. At my age, I can now help the Center better by staying home and helping the younger people go and serve Him." (Her 18-year-old granddaughter now is following in her footsteps, regularly traveling to Latvia).

Dace, a 31-year-old wife and mother, welcomes more people such as Joelene to come to the Latvia Day Center. Born and raised in Jelgava, Latvia, Dace graduated from Concordia International University Estonia with a Bachelor of Arts in media and public relations. She is a member of a non-denominational church in Jurmala, Latvia.

"Above all," she said of orphan care, "this is a spiritual battle for their souls and eternity. With God's help and strength we are trying to show the children a different path of life that they can take, radically different to the ones their parents and grandparents have taken-a life without abuse, drugs, and alcohol, but filled with hope, peace, and love."

Gift catalog helps kids

You can help a needy child today.

USA (MNN) ― You're familiar with the story of Christmas . . . it started with a child.

As a newborn, Jesus came first to the poorest and humblest people of His day: shepherds.

Today, Jesus still ministers to the poor, humble, and broken. God reaches out with your hands and transforms the lives of people broken and trapped in poverty. These gifts reach them in practical as well as spiritual ways.

Kids Alive International says orphaned and abandoned children desperately need to know our Heavenly Father cares for them. Bibles, Christian Story books, and Bible camp will share the life-changing message of Jesus with a needy girl or boy.

Second to the Gospel, a good education is the best way to learn truth, gain freedom, and end the cycle of poverty. Tuition, books, and uniforms will give children the tools needed to change their world and serve others.

Without the right food, children suffer. This Christmas, food, livestock, and seeds will help lay a foundation for healing and health.

You can help today. The Kids Alive 2011 Gift Catalog invites you to fulfill Christ's calling with gifts to transform a poor child's life. You can help bring health, healing, and hope to an orphaned and vulnerable child today.

You can find a whole list of gift items that will make a profound impact in the lives of people in needy areas of the world. Click here to see the list.

Mission Network News

Mission Network News:

Namibia orphans gear up for real-life

MNN Russia team home

Russia (MNN) ― James 1:27 says, "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."

On August 21, a team of 29 people with Mission Network News and Orphan Outreachreturned to the United States from touching the lives of orphans in Saint Petersburg, Russia. The team not only spent time with more than 200 orphaned children at summer camps north of Saint Petersburg, but they shared the Gospel and provided needed aid.

Team member Rebecca DeVries says, "I came [on the trip] expecting to give a lot, but I received much more in return--the love from the kids, especially on the last day. They were expecting nothing from us. They just wanted us to love them and play with them."

While DeVries is still trying to figure out what she'll take home with her, she says, "I want to try to figure out a way to work with orphans here at home, faithfully pray for the kids here [in Russia], and see what I can do for them--two kids in particular."

During the team's time in Russia, they told Bible stories, helped the kids learn memory verses, made crafts, and played lots of games. Team members reported a few kids praying to have Christ come into their hearts. Follow-up ministry will be provided by national workers who frequent the orphanages.

The group responsible for teen outreach performed a skit which depicted Jesus' love for us "in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." That skit led to open dialogue about choices, especially for one young person who will graduate from the orphanage in September. Pray that Masha will come to know Christ before she leaves the orphanage.

Team member Dr. Jamie Bedford says, "I feel more passionate about the beauty of adoption, how important it is, and how more people need to adopt."

One family watching the team's progress from afar has indicated their desire to adopt from Russia. Pray that God opens the doors clearly for this to happen and that the girl being adopted will understand her need for Christ and turn to Him.

If you'd like to see all the play-by-play of the trip, click here. To watch the videos, click here.

5 orphan camps served, seeds planted

Russia (MNN) ― The Orphan Outreach / Mission Network News mission trip to Russia is coming to a close. 29 Mission Network News listeners traveled to St. Petersburg, Russia on August 12 to reach out to orphaned children in the region. The outreach took place not at orphanages, but at summer camps.

MNN's anchor and executive Greg Yoder is there. He says, "There are over 700,000 orphaned children in Russia alone. This week we visited five orphan camps in five days."

The first camp was a replacement camp, says Yoder. "Since we weren't able to go to Crisis Center 15 because of a chickenpox outbreak, we were able to go to another camp which was hosting Orphanage 60. It was a beautiful camp, and the caregivers loved the kids."

That particular camp hadn't had any visitors this summer. "While it wasn't our plan for chickenpox, God's plan was to have us with Orphanage 60 kids. The skit we did had an impact, too."

Team member Robin Tomkins says it was a play depicting Jesus' love for sinners and had a significant impact. "The 'Everything' skit that we did left a big impact on kids, just watching their expressions. A lot of questions have come up from it, such as who Jesus is."

According to Yoder, another camp was displaced by fire and cold spiritually. "That camp appears to be run by a dictator, so I won't tell you which one it was. But the caregivers were cold, and the kids were cold. They hardly interacted with us. It was discouraging at first, but God allowed us to present the skit, and a few seemed interested."

The skit wasn't a stand-alone presentation; it was followed by team member testimonies. "I was able to tell them exactly what the skit was about and talk about the fact that they're either a slave to sin or Christ and that in reality, we have NO freedom," says Yoder. "I told them that Christ died for the unlovely sinners. He gave His life for people that are actually His enemy and it didn't matter the sin, it was paid for at the cross for those who know Him."

That presentation prompted one of the interpreters to share Christ with a girl who's set to leave the orphanage in the fall.
At that same camp, another girl asked many questions. While no professions of faith were made, seeds were planted and watered," says Yoder.

Pray for the kids as they return to the orphanages next week.

If you'd like to join Orphan Outreach on a trip, they have a medical mission trip to Guatemala coming in the fall. Nurses are needed. Click here for more information.

Hannah's Hands needs your hands

Russia (MNN) ― Thirty Mission Network News listeners are in Russia this week, traveling with Orphan Outreach. Anchor and Executive Director of Mission Network News Greg Yoder is with them.

The team started their journey August 12 with a few "issues." Yoder says, "One of our team members drove from her home in Michigan to Chicago. "Unfortunately she stopped on her way to make copies of her passport. She left it in the copy machine and didn't realize it wasn't with her until she got all the way to Chicago."

While leaders were thinking she'd have to catch the next flight a day later, someone suggested getting the passport to a "Good Samaritan" at the local airport and have them hand-carry the passport to Chicago. "There were doubts," says Yoder, "but all of the Mission Network News Facebook friends and group members praying, and God worked it all out. She got her passport just in time to board the plane and head to Russia."

Unfortunately, those weren't the only issues facing the team. Yoder says, "For the first part of the mission trip, we were scheduled to visit children who were just getting into the child care system. It's called a crisis center, or Hospital 15."

This is the place where all new children entering the system are evaluated and a plan of action is established for each child. This can take a number of days. For most, it's pretty traumatic. "We were going to just love on the kids and be a source of comfort for them,"explains Yoder.

But God had other plans, "A chickenpox outbreak hit the crisis center. Since we have a doctor on our team, she called infectious disease specialists who told us to stay out. If we caught the disease, we could spread it to all of the orphans we'll visit the next few days. So we decided not to go."

Instead, the team prayed for the kids in a prayer walk.

One part of the planned ministry to Hospital 15 was able to continue. It's called Hannah's Hands. Paula Hayes with Orphan Outreach says, "Hannah's Hands is a program where we hire Christian women to go into Hospital 15 and work most specifically with the babies and toddlers. Those little ones need to be touched and to have eye contact. They need to be spoken to."
As they do this work, they're also able to share Christ with the caregivers.

Funding is desperately needed for this program. Go to our Web site for more information.

Right now, says Yoder, "We're right in the middle of our Orphan VBS program. God's change of plans allowed us to go to a camp where nobody had visited all summer. It also allowed us to see kids we met last year. And because they already know us and trust us, it makes it easier to share the Gospel."

You can find photos , video and blog reports at our Web site.

Dire future dodged with the Gospel

Russia (MNN) ― Russian orphans are some of the most vulnerable, and thousands leave their orphanage each year, becoming high-risk for drugs, prostitution and suicide.

A saving knowledge of the God who loves them can literally rescue an orphan's life.

The largest short-term mission team ever sent by Mission Network News arrived in St. Petersburg, Russia this past Saturday to minister to these orphans. The team is partnering with Orphan Outreach and consists of 30 people from WAY-FM, MNN, and their listeners. The team will return next Sunday, August 21.

Over the next week, the team will be conducting vacation bible school for the kids, doing crafts, playing games and even holding a sports clinic. While there is a language barrier, team members will work closely with local churches and translators to communicate with the children.

Greg Yoder, Executive Director of Mission Network News, says their mission with the kids is "just to be able to love on them and care for them and show them that...we came all the way around the world just to care for them."
Yoder goes on to say, "The ultimate goal, of course, is to lead these little kids to Christ."

The team will be specifically working with orphans through a summer camp. Orphanage directors want to get kids out of the city as much as possible and away from the influence of gangs and drugs. Orphans at the summer camp get to enjoy the outdoors and will receive curriculum from the mission team.

Sadly, many of these orphans face a dire future with grim statistics. According to The CoMission for Children at Risk, about 15,000 Russian orphans between the ages of 16 to 18 graduate from orphanages each year.

Of those orphans, 40% get involved in organized crime, 40%t fall into drugs, 10%t commit suicide, and half the girls are trafficked into prostitution.

Furthermore, some orphans can be adopted out of the country. However, many aren't even eligible for adoption since they still have living relatives who visit them in the orphanage.

Yoder explains, "Basically the parents, or even some of the relatives, just put them in orphanages to kind of be the stop-gap measure to take care of these kids because it's not easy. It just becomes kind of a wasteland for many of these kids. It's really a sad situation."

The local church in Russia ministers to the orphans at least once a month, and the mission team hopes to encourage them by stimulating a little fresh energy into their efforts.

But most importantly, by coming in and loving on these orphans abandoned by society, team members hope to be the feet of Christ bringing His love and the mouth of Christ speaking truths of His Word to them.

Please pray for good weather this week, safe travel for the team, and receptive hearts to the Gospel message.

Orphanage forges through delays and economic crisis

Ethiopia (MNN) ― Despite harsh tides of political and economic issues, Bethany Christian Services has nearly emptied an orphanage in Addis Ababa of central Ethiopia.

Their last two orphans from Yezelalum Minch, a partner orphanage, have been placed with families and are just waiting to finish the processing.

This is incredible, considering the forces of change happening outside of their control. Since March 10, Ethiopian authorities cut their number of reviewed adoption cases from 50 per day down to 5 per day, as earlier reported. Outcries were heard as parents feared this would slow their adoption process.

Bethany's Sara Ruiter, International Services Coordinator for Africa, says, "The process itself has slowed down a bit because of these additional layers that have been implemented. But our agency continues to process adoptions and continues to accept families into our program."

From the standpoint of increasing economic issues, the price of food in Ethiopia has jumped by 50%. Surrounded by countries crippled in drought and famine, people of Ethiopia have tons of food but find it more difficult to buy now.

Both issues were faced head-on. Yezelalum Minch works in a microbusiness approach to reconcile the food crisis. Women in the community cook food twice a week for hundreds of children in the orphanage's feeding program. These women are able to make a living and fill the hungry stomachs of kids and families in need.

And despite new process requirements, the orphanage has forged ahead to find loving homes for the orphans. Yezelalum Minch has partnered with Bethany since 2008. When the partnership was first formed, Yezelalum Minch was very focused on institutionalized care for Ethiopian orphans.

Ruiter explains when they first entered the picture with Yezelalum Minch, "They had a few sort of group homes where they had probably about 20 kids...with house parents. But sort of how Bethany sees that [is] it's still institutional care in the sense that these kids don't have a family of their own."

Getting these kids into forever families became the goal. Ruiter states, "Probably by the end of this year, those group homes will be completely empty of those children. Yezelalum Minch is now very focused and committed to serving their community."

The orphanage is now developing programs such as orphans and vulnerable children support, social transfer programs, and funding for school fees and supplies. Staff members with Yezelalum Minch are also being trained to set up a foster care program in working with families from local churches.

In Bethany's entire mission, the Gospel is crucial. "Everything [the orphanage] does is very much centered on bringing honor and praise to God and really taking it seriously when He tells us to care for orphans and widows," says Ruiter.

As Bethany Christian Services works with Yezelalum Minch, they hope these orphans will grow in the knowledge of their Lord and Savior while experiencing the joy of belonging to a family. Pray for smooth transition as the orphanage moves on to minister to the community in Christ's name.

High Schoolers Build Home Where Orphans Find Love

Orphans in Haiti are finally getting
 a place to call home.

Haiti (MNN) ― This past month, high schoolers from Wheaton Bible Church broke a sweat under the hot Haitian sun doing construction work for Kids Alive International.

Kids Alive International (KAI) encourages church youth groups to join them on mission trips to some of the most impoverished countries where the message of God's love is desperately needed.

The youth group with Wheaton Bible Church did just that. They went down to Haiti and started building KAI's very first residential children's home in that area.

Residential children's homes are used by KAI to house a "family unit" consisting of several children and a set of their own Christian house parents. In this way, needy orphans live in a the context of family, learning from their "parents" that they are indeed loved by the God who created them and that we are called to love them in the same way.

Children who live in KAI's residential homes are cared for all the way through young adulthood. Several residential homes with KAI often are grouped together to form a community. The orphans are always brought up learning about the Good News of Christ and the direct ministry of their house parents warms them with God's love.

Orphaned kids in Haiti are at high risk to trafficking and poverty. According to KAI's Web site, as many as 2,000 children are trafficked to the Dominican Republic each year. The earthquake in 2010 only added to the already more than 300,000 orphans.

Thankfully, Haitian orphans find hope through the loving arms of staff with KAI. KAI has been involved in Haiti since 2002, providing schooling and orphanages. Since the 2010 earthquake, the number of orphans they help has tripled.

KAI is currently finishing up the work started by the high schoolers on their first residential children's home for Haiti. Soon they are planning on bringing in one of their "family units" from the rented space they are currently living in.

After the first residential house is finished, they are planning on beginning construction for the second residential house in a few weeks. A service team from Summit Church will be traveling down there to help them for the start of that project.

These residential homes are able to be built quickly due to special wall construction. Two panels of wire mesh with a panel of foam in between receive a layer of plaster over top to make a wall.

Electrical work and plumbing will be done to the first residential home before plastering the house. They hope to finish these last steps shortly.

Please pray that construction would be completed soon for both residential homes. Pray that the kids living in these homes would come to know Christ through their house parents' living testimony.

Food donations help feed orphans in more ways than one

Kids on the streets of Peru are often
 malnourished, and many die.
 Buckner International's food
 donations seek to fight this crisis.
 (Photo courtesy of Buckner
 International)

Peru (MNN) ― Malnutrition is a leading killer in Peru, especially among children living on the streets or in impoverished homes.Buckner International recently stepped up with the help of generous donors to fight the malnutrition crisis.

Donations provided Buckner International with the means to send two food shipments to Peru. These shipments together were valued at $93,049. The two food shipments were able to feed 15,100 orphaned children, youth and adults. Many of these food donations were given directly through orphanages.

Buckner International exists to carry out their commitment to God by ministering to orphans in their distress as Christ commands. They are Christ-centered in everything they do, from humanitarian aid services to counseling programs. Their hope is to minister Christ's love and tell of His saving grace to those at-risk.

In Peru, children are some of the most at-risk. The situations children face are multi-layered with many obstacles. One is child labor, with more than 2 million children having to enter into the work force. Because of this, nearly 9% of children in Peru are an average of three years behind on their education.

Also, between 35%-45% of the population is below the poverty line, living on less than $2 a day. Such poverty forces children and orphans to the streets where 10,000 die each year just in the capital of Lima alone.

On top of extreme poverty and child labor, sex trafficking is also an issue for children in Peru. The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child estimates that there are 500,000 child victims of sexual violence and trafficking in Peru.

With everything children in Peru have to face, the situation can often seem hopeless. But the hope of Christ can change all that. And bringing the hope of Christ is exactly why Buckner International is involved there.

Buckner International became involved in Peru back in 2005 when the government asked them to establish foster care and transitional services in the country. Since then, they have had several programs established in Peru to minister to children, orphans, and families.

Bringing food donations down to Peru is just one of the ways Buckner International is able to minister. By showing kids that they are not forgotten, they are able to tell them about the God who loves them and knows them by name.

But this ministry could not have been done without the fantastic support of generous donors. Buckner International can always use more support as they advance their ministry to follow Christ's call. Please pray for their ministry to the needy kids in Peru and that the Gospel message would feed their souls as their bodies are fed. If you would like to make a donation to their ministry, you can click here.