March 2009 Trip to Donetsk & Kharkov
Hearts for Ukraine Newsletter 2009-1
Thursday, 19-March-2009Dear friends,
My flight and connections were as smooth as could be. I write to you now at the end of a 3-day conference sponsored by the Co-Mission for Children at Risk on orphan problems and solutions in Ukraine. I was dazzled with statistics, i.e. how many orphans there are, how many street kids, and are these numbers increasing or not. There are some good news and some not so good, however I come away with tremendous encouragement overall.
Some churches and organizations here in Ukraine have done and are doing so much that the government is in some cases taking a hands-off approach and letting good things happen. One very encouraging story was how a team visiting an orphanage about 2 years ago, not only brought the hope of the Gospel to the orphans there but shared Jesus with the Director who accepted him as Savior and Lord. This orphanage was very run down at the time and facilities neglected. About a year later the same team returned and found that all the teachers were now Christians and the building had been renovated and there was an all-around much more pleasant environment. Of course we want orphans to be as comfortable and as well cared for as possible, but this is not the ultimate end. The goal to strive for is adoption for all children.
And what amazing news I have heard on this front. Adoption and foster homes by Ukrainian families is rapidly increasing. Today I visited a wonderful ministry in Mariupol where one man and his team are cleaning up the city of street children by rescuing them and giving them rehabilitation, then placing them in foster homes. He and his wife have adopted many children themselves and places hundreds in foster homes and families.
This is just one of many stories of the encouraging work of many people and organizations committed to freeing orphans and street children. There was a "word" that someone received recently (for those unfamiliar with this term in this context, it is a revelation from God one gets by praying and then listening for God's voice.) It was that within 5 years there will be no orphans left in Ukraine who do not have a Christian person caring for them. This does not mean necessarily that by 2014 that all the orphanages in Ukraine will be closed, but it does mean that the ones remaining in them if not yet fostered or adopted, will be visited regularly and supported by a Christian. Certainly, we pray that this is God's will, however such prophecies thru words of knowledge do not always come true, although many do. But it does give us all a goal and direction in which to pray for earnestly and without ceasing until it comes to pass.
I urge everyone to remember these orphans in your prayers. There are 10's of thousands of orphans here in Ukraine, but there are also almost 30,000 Bible believing churches here. So it is quite plausible, that this goal can and will be achieved. Tomorrow I will begin 5 days of orphan ministry here in Donetsk Region with my friends Pastor Peter and Natasha. I will certainly write again soon.
Sincerely yours with God's hope for the children,
Al Scoglio
Hearts for Ukraine
Hearts for Ukraine Newsletter 2009-2
Monday, 23-March-2009Hello friends,I am so happy to write again and share with all of you what wonderful things are happening here in Ukraine. I see God’s hand moving on the people, especially the local church and yes in the orphanages, too. As I said in my last email, things are very encouraging.Last year was my first visit to Donetsk. I met a wonderful couple who pastor a local church here. In May of 2008, they took me to several orphanages because I requested their help, but other than with me, they had not before had anything to do with orphan ministry. At the end of my visit with them last year, they said that working with me in orphanages had opened their eyes to the scope of the orphan problem. (Even though right under their noses!) They just were not aware of the problems and needs that these children have. The pastor’s wife even went as far as to tell her church one Sunday that she was sorry that they had never paid much attention to orphanages and asked for God’s forgiveness! They promised to never ignore the orphans again.So here I am again with them, only 10 months later and they now have their own orphan ministry!! Praise God for what they do. They have put together a very elaborate program using about 10 church members as a cast for a play and puppet show. This program has been such a blessing to me and my ministry! Some orphanages don’t want to let you in if you say that you are only going to talk to the kids about God. But if you tell them you have a big production coming to town and it won’t cost them one grivna, they like that! In the middle of the performance, a clown introduces me and I share the Gospel with the children and give them a m invitation to accept Jesus. Then the show continues focusing on the theme of good and evil. What a wonderful and effective way to reach these kids! I thank God for this opportunity to work with Pastor Peter and his wife Natasha. And I of course, thank God for their new and exciting involvement with the orphans.This weekend, we took the show on the road for 3 performances in 3 different orphanages, all quite some distance from Donetsk City. The financial investment was great to pay for gas for 3 vehicles, gifts and spiritual handouts. But the benefits of seeing smiling faces and knowing so many children have a new love and acceptance of Jesus as their Lord and Savior is priceless!!! I’m talking about more than 300 children in all we visited in just 3 days.Thank you Jesus, for blessing my time here and the orphans of Donetsk Region!In 2 days I will take a train to Kharkov for more Godly fun!Gladly sharing the Father’s Love,Alfred ScoglioHearts for UkrainePS For all of those who have prayed for and supported the Hearts for Ukraine ministry, I am so appreciative! May God bless you for your faithfulness!
Al ScoglioHearts for Ukraine
Thursday, 19-March-2009Dear friends,
My flight and connections were as smooth as could be. I write to you now at the end of a 3-day conference sponsored by the Co-Mission for Children at Risk on orphan problems and solutions in Ukraine. I was dazzled with statistics, i.e. how many orphans there are, how many street kids, and are these numbers increasing or not. There are some good news and some not so good, however I come away with tremendous encouragement overall.
Some churches and organizations here in Ukraine have done and are doing so much that the government is in some cases taking a hands-off approach and letting good things happen. One very encouraging story was how a team visiting an orphanage about 2 years ago, not only brought the hope of the Gospel to the orphans there but shared Jesus with the Director who accepted him as Savior and Lord. This orphanage was very run down at the time and facilities neglected. About a year later the same team returned and found that all the teachers were now Christians and the building had been renovated and there was an all-around much more pleasant environment. Of course we want orphans to be as comfortable and as well cared for as possible, but this is not the ultimate end. The goal to strive for is adoption for all children.
And what amazing news I have heard on this front. Adoption and foster homes by Ukrainian families is rapidly increasing. Today I visited a wonderful ministry in Mariupol where one man and his team are cleaning up the city of street children by rescuing them and giving them rehabilitation, then placing them in foster homes. He and his wife have adopted many children themselves and places hundreds in foster homes and families.
This is just one of many stories of the encouraging work of many people and organizations committed to freeing orphans and street children. There was a "word" that someone received recently (for those unfamiliar with this term in this context, it is a revelation from God one gets by praying and then listening for God's voice.) It was that within 5 years there will be no orphans left in Ukraine who do not have a Christian person caring for them. This does not mean necessarily that by 2014 that all the orphanages in Ukraine will be closed, but it does mean that the ones remaining in them if not yet fostered or adopted, will be visited regularly and supported by a Christian. Certainly, we pray that this is God's will, however such prophecies thru words of knowledge do not always come true, although many do. But it does give us all a goal and direction in which to pray for earnestly and without ceasing until it comes to pass.
I urge everyone to remember these orphans in your prayers. There are 10's of thousands of orphans here in Ukraine, but there are also almost 30,000 Bible believing churches here. So it is quite plausible, that this goal can and will be achieved. Tomorrow I will begin 5 days of orphan ministry here in Donetsk Region with my friends Pastor Peter and Natasha. I will certainly write again soon.
Sincerely yours with God's hope for the children,
Al Scoglio
Hearts for Ukraine
Hearts for Ukraine Newsletter 2009-2
Monday, 23-March-2009Hello friends,I am so happy to write again and share with all of you what wonderful things are happening here in Ukraine. I see God’s hand moving on the people, especially the local church and yes in the orphanages, too. As I said in my last email, things are very encouraging.Last year was my first visit to Donetsk. I met a wonderful couple who pastor a local church here. In May of 2008, they took me to several orphanages because I requested their help, but other than with me, they had not before had anything to do with orphan ministry. At the end of my visit with them last year, they said that working with me in orphanages had opened their eyes to the scope of the orphan problem. (Even though right under their noses!) They just were not aware of the problems and needs that these children have. The pastor’s wife even went as far as to tell her church one Sunday that she was sorry that they had never paid much attention to orphanages and asked for God’s forgiveness! They promised to never ignore the orphans again.So here I am again with them, only 10 months later and they now have their own orphan ministry!! Praise God for what they do. They have put together a very elaborate program using about 10 church members as a cast for a play and puppet show. This program has been such a blessing to me and my ministry! Some orphanages don’t want to let you in if you say that you are only going to talk to the kids about God. But if you tell them you have a big production coming to town and it won’t cost them one grivna, they like that! In the middle of the performance, a clown introduces me and I share the Gospel with the children and give them a m invitation to accept Jesus. Then the show continues focusing on the theme of good and evil. What a wonderful and effective way to reach these kids! I thank God for this opportunity to work with Pastor Peter and his wife Natasha. And I of course, thank God for their new and exciting involvement with the orphans.This weekend, we took the show on the road for 3 performances in 3 different orphanages, all quite some distance from Donetsk City. The financial investment was great to pay for gas for 3 vehicles, gifts and spiritual handouts. But the benefits of seeing smiling faces and knowing so many children have a new love and acceptance of Jesus as their Lord and Savior is priceless!!! I’m talking about more than 300 children in all we visited in just 3 days.Thank you Jesus, for blessing my time here and the orphans of Donetsk Region!In 2 days I will take a train to Kharkov for more Godly fun!Gladly sharing the Father’s Love,Alfred ScoglioHearts for UkrainePS For all of those who have prayed for and supported the Hearts for Ukraine ministry, I am so appreciative! May God bless you for your faithfulness!
Al ScoglioHearts for Ukraine
posted by Alfred from Plymouth | 4:07 PM
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