Yesterday we were very tired and it was hard to get up. None of us wanted to miss telling the children good bye at the airport. My team, 4 older daughters, had worked endlessly with these children over the past 3 weeks. Volunteers had been scarce. This has been excellent training in missions for my children. I look forward to hearing what they learned and how they grew through this experience. Some things are evident in their lives. It is awesome to see God at work in your children and other children.
We love each of the hosted orphans. We spent time getting to know each of them. This is not the first time we have said good bye to orphans at the airport. This time was harder for me. Hopefully this is not the last time either. We have already begun discussing hosting next year.
At the airport, there are always people crying, both Americans and Ukrainians. I've listened to a song many times, "better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere." I've been asked if it was cruel to bring them here and then send them back. I go on vacation knowing that I have to go back home! I can't stay at the beach forever. Better to go on vacation than to never leave home (or the orphanage). Better to rest, relax, do new things, live life to the fullest than to stay home (in the orphanage). We tend to eat different foods on vacation too. These orphans ate as much fruit as they wanted on their vacation. They had milk, yogurt, and meat. These precious children have incredible memories of their trip! They made new friends, experienced new things and learned that we are praying for them. We encouraged them to talk to God and read His Word the Bible. We laughed with them and cried with them. We bandaged their wounds and were at times baffled by what they were saying. We gave our all because "to live is Christ and to die is gain." We died to our normal schedules. Serving God by serving these children became our goal. Die to self....live for Christ. Living for Christ includes some wonderful blessings. Oh, how I wish some of you had joined us on this journey. I wish you had seen their precious faces and laughed with them. I am at a loss this morning without them. Only 5 children in the house, not 18. This will take some adjustment and quickly because it is school time here and in Ukraine.
I want to say a special thanks to the Davies family for hosting the children the last week. They were a blessing in many ways. We enjoyed getting to know their family better. Their home became our second home for the week. We are grateful for the open home policy that they showed to visitors. Suzette and I both plan to work on the next job set before us. We will welcome home Sophia, Vicka and Dima. We rejoice at their arrival after a long journey.
Thank you to everyone that prayed, donated and helped. I feel compelled to say that in the last 3 weeks the money we received has been from a child's birthday party, and two young ladies that recently graduated from high school. I love that it is children helping children. I'm blessed to know all 3 of these young ladies personally and am grateful for their hearts and their giving to the orphans. We are still short of the funds needed to pay for the plane tickets. My heart is missions. For me to be doing missions is God's perfect will. Not that I am perfect because I am not. But that when I am obeying and serving God I am content and filled with joy. My husband's gift is giving. I'm so glad God put us together. He is also the rock that I hug when I don't need to cry. He gives me strength to endure the loss of children in our home. He quietly pays for my mission trip to Ukraine. We have not had a family vacation this year because of me going to Ukraine in Feb. Some of our children have been blessed to go on vacation with friends. My children know that I believe God provides as He sees fit to provide. He could have had someone pay for the trip in Feb. But that is not how it worked. We give our all to God. That means we give our time, money, work and energy our prayers, our hopes and dreams. People ask what happens if the tickets are not paid for this year. It is simple. We go to the bank and borrow the money just as we did last year. All that we have is God's. God is our provider. We are His servants. We do what it takes to get the job done that He gives us. We know He will provide for us through it all in the way He sees fit.
Thank you again for joining us as we serve God through missions to orphans. May God bless you and keep you, may His face shine upon you. Blessings and prayers to each and all.
Be Joyful in Hope....Hosting Ukraine orphans and providing camps in Ukraine for orphans.
