Our God is one who does miracles and it is exciting to have a front row seat to watch them in progress. And He has the power to overcome and bring light to the darkness.
At the beginning of August two containers filled with more than $20,000 of baby supplies left the United States for Ukraine with the hope and prayer that they would arrive in time for our team to distribute them at the orphanages which we would be visiting. The week before we left, we received a message saying that the supplies would arrive on time, but that customs would be holding on to it and not releasing for distribution until AFTER we had returned to the USA. Several of us began praying and claiming that God would intervene and the supplies would be released. Well...on the road out of Ivanik, 20 miles from Cherynobyl, while leaving an orphanage, after meetings with several people, lots of prayer, and an "expediting fee", we got word that the shipment is being released!! We're still working on figuring out how we're going to get it from Kiev to Donetsk, since we've now left Kiev and are 7 of 14 hours en route to Donetsk. But we know that because He released it, He'll also help us get it into our hands.
We left the celebration of the "miracle of the container release" to enter the darkness...through the power of the Internet, Facebok, and networking relationships, we were introduced to an American missionary (Andrew Kelly) who is in the process of building a camp in Ivanik. We pulled up to the drive of the camp - Pine Branch (www.jeremiahshope.org) - to discover that the bus could not drive down it due to its sandy nature (as in, welcome to the Ukrainian beach in the middle of the woods)...so out of the bus we tumbled, bags in tow, and through the woods, past the pumpkin patch we went. In the process learning that the camp had lost its electricity, which also meant that it did not have any heat. After a quick team meeting, it was decided that we would stay - even though temperature projections were for the low 40's. What a wonderful adventure it was. Candles were lit and blankets piled on. Nothing could diminish the joy felt, experienced, and memories being made.
Today was a much harder day at the orphanages. It was one where the director placed a higher priority on renovations than on care, and where we were not permitted to touch, photograph, or even play with the children - some of which were severely handicapped. But we know that God is there, even in the middle of their darkness.
Tomorrow it is another 7ish hour drive and more adventures to be had.
At the beginning of August two containers filled with more than $20,000 of baby supplies left the United States for Ukraine with the hope and prayer that they would arrive in time for our team to distribute them at the orphanages which we would be visiting. The week before we left, we received a message saying that the supplies would arrive on time, but that customs would be holding on to it and not releasing for distribution until AFTER we had returned to the USA. Several of us began praying and claiming that God would intervene and the supplies would be released. Well...on the road out of Ivanik, 20 miles from Cherynobyl, while leaving an orphanage, after meetings with several people, lots of prayer, and an "expediting fee", we got word that the shipment is being released!! We're still working on figuring out how we're going to get it from Kiev to Donetsk, since we've now left Kiev and are 7 of 14 hours en route to Donetsk. But we know that because He released it, He'll also help us get it into our hands.
We left the celebration of the "miracle of the container release" to enter the darkness...through the power of the Internet, Facebok, and networking relationships, we were introduced to an American missionary (Andrew Kelly) who is in the process of building a camp in Ivanik. We pulled up to the drive of the camp - Pine Branch (www.jeremiahshope.org) - to discover that the bus could not drive down it due to its sandy nature (as in, welcome to the Ukrainian beach in the middle of the woods)...so out of the bus we tumbled, bags in tow, and through the woods, past the pumpkin patch we went. In the process learning that the camp had lost its electricity, which also meant that it did not have any heat. After a quick team meeting, it was decided that we would stay - even though temperature projections were for the low 40's. What a wonderful adventure it was. Candles were lit and blankets piled on. Nothing could diminish the joy felt, experienced, and memories being made.
Today was a much harder day at the orphanages. It was one where the director placed a higher priority on renovations than on care, and where we were not permitted to touch, photograph, or even play with the children - some of which were severely handicapped. But we know that God is there, even in the middle of their darkness.
Tomorrow it is another 7ish hour drive and more adventures to be had.
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