Friday, August 16th

This morning brings sadness, relief, and joy to have finished such an incredible journey here in Ukraine.   Yesterday morning we were able to go to the SOS mission house again for a day of yard work and repairing of their fitness equipment.  The mission house has large grounds but they were were cluttered with broken bottles, trash, and rocks.  I am proud to say that over a day and halfr we cleared the entire area and it is now clean and usable for any outdoor activities. God gave us another cooler than normal day to work outside and we were thankful.

Yesterday afternoon we were honoured quests at a transition home (Martin’s House) where they took what little food they had, prepared it, and served it to us before they ate.  You could see the pride on their faces as we ate the wonderful soup (Borsht) and enjoyed the meats, bread and cheeses that accompanied it.  The small house originally started for unwed mothers, but has become an emergency or rescue home for orphans in need.  The home is overcrowded, in need of repair, and in a very poor area of town, yet a little light shines in this home for desperate orphans.  Humbling.............

The evening was a blast!  We were able to take the kids from the mission house and other orphans to an ice skating rink and to dinner before we said our goodbyes.  We’ve bonded with the kids and they laughed so much as they watched many of us (including me!) struggle to ice skate for the first time. 

There were many moments this week where I felt like we were watching a “family” form.  What incredible God moments!   Our team has been wonderful and so loving to the people here!  I would like to give a shout out to our team:

THANK YOU team:

Anne – You truly are loving, kind and the picture queen!  Thanks for being our photographer!

Ernie – You are the icon for Ukraine!  You are a workhorse and true model of being a team member!

Yulia – Our fabulous interpreter and comic!  We appreciated your humour and hard work this week!

Zhayne – Our muscle man and true inspiration of what God can do in an orphans life!

Karol – Our Babushca momma – the mother of Ukrainian orphans and Godly example of how “one lays down his life for another.”

“Nancy” Taylor – Your hard work, sacrifice, and heart for the kids was inspiring.  Your Mary Kay was a hit with the girls!!

Cole – You have the most wonderful and unique heart for the Lord for your age!!  There is NO doubt God has GREAT plans for your young life!  Thanks for loving SO much on these kids!

April – Your desire and ability to dream for a better life for these kids is touching!  You are a trooper, hard-working, and SO fun to be around!

Finally.....

Steve – My sweet husband......You are an incredible leader, encourager, and planner!  Thanks for all your hard work, love and sacrifice to help make this trip possible!  A special thanks for watching our money so closely so that we could give SO much back to the mission here!

Thank to our Lord for HIS love, mercy, and grace to us all.  I close with this verse and ask for continued prayers daily for Max, Ben, and Nancy as they work in the trenches fighting for the souls of these Ukrainian orphans.  This verse says it all:

James 1:27

New International Version (NIV)

²⁷ 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.

Pray for our journey home, it begins today.

Angie and the Ukrainiacs

Thursday, August 15th

As we come to the last few days of our stay here in Ukraine, we continue to thank God for the opportunity to see His hand and heart for “the least of these”.  We continue to have fun, build relationships, and love on the young men and women in the mission’s house.  It has been an honour and blessing to see them each day and communicate the message of love, value, and hope to each one of them in Jesus’ name.  Today the message was sent via a great water park and spa day!  They laughed, ate, and played so hard with us all day. 

In the afternoon, we hired three experts in hair, nails, and pedicures to help the young ladies feel very special.  Even the guys enjoyed watching the transformation and got a free haircut out of the event!  It was interesting to see the three beauty experts enter the mission house, look around, and I am sure they wandered why we were loving and caring for these orphans.  I pray they ask why we did what we did today and that God can reach them as well.  For me it was particularly special to see a young man, Dima, and a young lady, Luda, be pampered today.  They are the most loving, self-less, caring, and sacrificial young adults I have ever met and they are orphans in this home.   They always put everyone around them first!  It was a joy to see them be spoiled and to see the pride on their faces to be valued!

We have hung out this week over many meals with them.  We took them to a huge lunch today and they loved it.  On the way back to the mission, someone overheard a comment made today by one of the male orphans to another orphan that was terribly sobering for us all.  He said, “ I have eaten good this week......”.  This hit us hard and reminded me of the amazing, important, and vital work that must continue here...........  Thank you Lord for showing us YOUR heart and letting us be a part of it!

Matthew 25:35 - For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in.

In His Love,

Angie and the Ukrainiacs

Wednesday, August 14th

August 14

One more day has come and gone and God is good!  It was hot, but we have been so blessed by the weather conditions this week which is normally very hot and muggy each day.   We drove 2 ½ hours to an orphan camp to visit 75 or so children (ages 6-17). Most orphans are sent to camp for two weeks in August.  When you think of camp.....this is not what we would consider “camp”.  This camp had grounds and facilities are old, unclean, and in need of serious renovations.  The children were hungry and do not get much to eat at these camps. The showers do not work and the building is unsanitary, yet, hear awaits these precious orphans trying to find fun and joy in the midst of these deplorable conditions. 

We are incredibly impressed and blessed by the missionaries (Max and Ben) who have formed amazing relationships and reputations in much of Ukraine orphan world.  The kids flock to them when they visit and they trust them, which is HUGE here!  They TRULY are the hands and feet of Jesus each day and need lots of prayer to keep up the incredible work they are doing here!!

God always provides what we need....even with the details for crafts!  J  We had 40 sun catchers to paint and yes, 40 children who wanted to paint them.  We decorated crosses and the kids could not get enough crafts while we were there.  Outside consisted of Frisbee, soccer, and lots of “photos” for the next two hours.  The kids LOVED it!!!  It was hard to say goodbye again today.......... 

We were then able to visit an incredible monastery in hills of Ukraine not far from the camps.  It was truly breathtaking and an educational experience for us all!  In the evening, we shared in our circle time that we must not “lose the zeal” we have for the people of Ukraine and prayed for more people to come and love on these children we have been touched by this week.

Tomorrow we will be taking the youth to a water park in the morning.  In the afternoon, we have hired hairdressers to help create a “spa day” experience for the girls in the SOS/Grace/Heart for Orphans Home.  The girls are so excited and we look forward to bonding even more with the kids there.  Thank you for praying for the Holy Spirit to “prick” the hearts of the kids here by the love we have for them.

 Angie, Steve and the Ukrainiacs

Tuesday, August 13th

So yes today Steve asked me to type the update since it will be a little sappy!  Today was special in so many ways.  In the morning, we were able to visit an orphanage just for babies – 0 thru age 4.  As we pulled up, we could see 30 toddlers just waiting to be loved and played with in the backyard.  It was interesting to see their reactions to our arrival versus our departure.  Night and day!  It was such a blessing to see the children laugh, play, and scream with joy as we interacted with them for two hours.  It is amazing what one little jar of bubbles can do!!  I must say that the word “adoption” entered the minds of several of us!  J  Although it was really hard to leave, it was a blessing to see they were well loved and cared for in this particular orphanage. 

After a brief tour of downtown Dontesk, we shopped and prepared a huge barbeque with the orphans and staff from the apartments.  We sat around and made jewelry with the girls while the guys cook sausages on the campfire.  We can really see the orphans opening up to us the longer we spend time together.  It is a blessing.......they look forward and ask for when we are coming again.

Tomorrow we will visit some day camps and get to play with many orphans and we get to visit a monastery in the afternoon.  Thank you for your prayers for safe travels, favour with the people we meet, and that God’s love will grip their hearts and never let go!

Angie and the Ukrainiacs

Monday, August 12th

Today was a good day.  We spent the day at the apartment building.  We cleared a field of rocks and other debris so that it can be used for raising chickens, and other things.  We also painted weight lifting equipment in the gym/workout area.  The both looked good when we were done.

We had a traditional Ukrainian lunch with all the residents and the mission team today.  By the end of the day, the house residents were really opening up to these strange, loud Americans.  I’m constantly reminded in my mind, that missions are not about projects, it’s about relationships.  Jesus was so good at connecting and helping others feel valued and loved.  We long to be an extension of Him as we spend time with the people here.

Please pray that our time with the residents will be good.  They’ve had hard lives, and our hope and prayer is that our time with them will make them smile and will strengthen their relationship with Max (the Ukrainian missionary who created the ministry here) and Ben (the Australian missionary who has partnered with Max.

Steve and the Ukrainiacs

Sunday, August 11th

Our group experienced God today – Ukranian style.  We split into two groups and attended two different churches.  Although, the services were very different, they were similar in so many ways.  It always amazes me how, that despite such cultural and language barriers the oneness in Christ binds us together.  In the service, I had the opportunity to introduce our team and share our hearts for Ukraine and her orphan children.  We heard incredible sermons given by members of the congregation about God’s grace and mercy (followed by a quiz literally at the end of the sermons – so impressive!).

After lunch and a short rest, we went to the building to see the progress of “Grace House.”  It’s easy to say that we were all very impressed with the progress and quality of construction on the floor for girls that Grace Bible Church has sponsored through Heart for Orphans.  We are encouraged by the hope that this building will bring to many aged-out orphans in the future.

In the evening, we had a time of sharing with the young men and women who live (or will live) in the house.  It was an opportunity to share our stories.  They’ve lived very different lives than most of us.  We shared ice cream, played soccer, and finished out the evening with our circle time to share what the Lord is teaching each of us as we are His hands and feet in this country that so desperately needs His love.

We covet all your prayers.

In Christ,

Steve and the Ukraniacs

Saturday, August 10th

We finally arrived in Donetsk Ukraine.

I am especially blessed to have my lovely wife with me on this trip.  Last night’s update was three short sentences until she read it.  Of course she made it appropriate while I was fast asleep sawing some serious logs.

We've seen God already in some pretty cool ways:

Our departure from home was eventful.  One of our members, who stepped out in faith to come and was obedient to God’s call,  had emergency surgery the day before we left and could not come.  Although we are sad he is not with us, we recognize that God knew this was going to happen.  When we think about it – those who gave, are blessed for responding to God’s call, those who stepped out in faith to come (whether they actually could make it) are blessed for being responsive to God’s call.  But most of all this emergency surgery happened at home.....not far from home.  It’s Gods timing and blessing.

Similarly, Anne, was in a significant car accident two days before we left.  Although she is still sore, she's a trooper.  Again, God's timing was awesome.  The accident and necessary medical care took place at home.  Amazingly her treating emergency room physician just returned from Donetsk Ukraine on a medical mission trip!

Before we left, I was given donations of $200 to pay for additional bags (they're $100 each).  We try to carry gifts and supplies with us for the orphans we visit.  We had about 8 large suitcases with stuff.  This group is wonderful, they packed their personal stuff in small carry on size bags or shared suit cases.  Because of this, we only had to pay for 2 bags - $200.

Today was good.  As I think about our mission here, I’m reminded of the depth of God’s love for us.  The chorus of Matt Maher’s song “Alive Again” speaks to God’s heart for us  and how he is reaching for us every day. 

“You called and You shouted

Broke through my deafness

Now I'm breathing in and breathing out

I'm alive again

You shattered my darkness

Washed away my blindness

Now I'm breathing in and breathing out

I'm alive again”

Good night, and God bless.  Steve and the Urkainiacs (team’s nickname).

Friday, August 9th

You are receiving this email because you have expressed an interest in getting daily updates of the Grace Bible Church Ukraine Mission Trip.  We look forward to sending an email most days while we are here briefly highlighting some of the ways in which we are able to serve on our Lord's behalf while in Ukraine.

Tonight's will be short - we are a tired, but excited group!  We left early yesterday morning and drove to Dulles International.  We've had several hiccups in our journey to Ukraine, but God has been faithful and we are almost to our destination.  After our connection from Dulles to Boston, we experienced a delay due to weather which caused us to miss our connecting flight in Munich to Donetsk.  As a result Lufthansa (airline) has placed us in a nice hotel in Munich, Germany in which we were able to see the beautiful city for about 3 hours.  God blessed us with airline sponsored meals and a wonderful hotel to final shower and sleep!!!  We will leave early tomorrow morning and  catching a couple of flights and finally arrive in Donetsk, Ukraine in the afternoon.  Our team is such troopers, pumped, and so ready to see and minister to the orphans with the many toys, crafts, clothes, and spa day items that fill our seven extra bags!!

Continue to pray for travel mercies and that we and those we are going to serve experience God in a new, fresh and vibrant way.  Thank you for all your prayers for each team member that we would be Jesus's hands and feet - wherever and whatever that will mean in the next 10 days!

Thanks.  Steve de Mik & Team