FEEDBACK - LETTERS FROM OUR FRIENDS
 
EXTEND YOUR HAND, OPEN YOUR HOME, SHARE YOUR HEART WITH AN ORPHAN CHILD THIS YEAR

Just want to share my little hosting story with you guys. We hosted Arkadik, a boy from a Ukrainian orphanage. This has been one of the most memorable, most precious, most fun and most valuable experiences.

From my own experience I can tell you one thing - you will enjoy it and will never regret it!!!!! The process isn’t that hard at all. And I would encourage everyone to host a child.

Please think about it. Maybe like me, you have been dreaming of doing something like this all your life.
THE UKRAINIAN HOSTING PROJECT
Our dear Brothers and Sisters!

With great joy in our hearts, we thank God that together with you and your families that host children, we could organize the “Ukrainian Hosting” project.  This summer has left vivid and unforgettable memories for 11 more children, whom each participant had the opportunity to serve.
Some of them say that they want to stay there forever. One family that already has five children (two are adopted and three are biological) is currently hosting two children. They prayed and decided to keep them in their family. Now they are taking steps to prepare the necessary documents.
Looking into the eyes of each of these children, it is impossible to remain indifferent. Happiness that shines in them fills our hearts as well. Then you realize: o, Lord! Children need so little: just a loving, kind mother, a strong hand of the father, which gives absolute confidence and security, and joyful, happy brothers and sisters. In this environment these children currently live.
Happiness is experienced not only by the children, but also by the families that share their love, time and care. You also became a part of this happiness. Your financial contribution to this project is very important and much needed. It helped make possible many more trips and entertaining events. Many children already had a chance to attend Christian family camps and some will also go to the seaside. It will be the first time they will see the sea and they anticipate this trip with joyful excitement. Their days are filled with different events, games, trips and new friendships. They learn something new every day.
It would be so wonderful if this gift, the Ukrainian Hosting project, which the children have received, could also bring them another gift, called a FAMILY!
 
 
Let’s continue actively participating in this project!
We will pray for each child, so that each one of them receives this most desired gift!
In order for a child to grow up to be a kind person, it is important to put a part of your heart into him, to give him a part of yourself, to
sacrifice your time. A life-important requirement that helps a child to be growing up open to the world and happy is love, and he can
only experience it fully in a real family that has a father, a mother, siblings… Only in the comfort of the family, similarly to a flower
growing in the warmth of the sunlight, a child is growing up in the environment of kindness, warmth, care and light of parental love, in 
the image of our Father.

We bow our heads before the people who gave orphans hope and a new home - a family! It is true that adoption is a special gift! A
proof of that is a letter from a woman named Lyuba, from the city of Seattle. It has so much sincerity, warmth, and unbounded love
in it that we decided to share this testimony with you. Read…feel…and join us in the thankful prayer for a new life…


Having become a mother and putting all efforts and my soul into my children, I felt more and more compassion in my heart for children
deprived of parental love. In 2013 I unexpectedly heard about the “Hosting” program. Right away, I felt the desire to participate in it.

When I received a letter from the “Circle of Friends,” all children, unfortunately, were already
taken; there was just one boy remaining. When I looked at his photo, my heart started beating
faster, and when I read the words written under the picture: “It’s sad that there is no family for
him, he deserves one” - tears came to my eyes. Without hesitation, my husband and I agreed
to accept him for the summer.

Then an amazing experience has begun. I didn’t know this child yet, but my heart was already
overflowing with love. I was asking God to help me love the boy with all his shortcomings, just
accepting him and finding the right approach. My goal was to touch his heart.

The long-awaited moment of meeting him has come. Every day we learned more and more
about each other and that made us very close. After only a couple weeks, I couldn’t sleep at
night, thinking with tears about the fact that very soon we will be separated from this child,
our child. Forever!

I started having thoughts about adopting him, but I tried to push them away. “Adopt? At this
age? This is unreasonable! No one does that…” However, I didn’t struggle with these thoughts
too long…during one of my nightly prayers… I agreed.

And what will happen now? Will my family agree?! As I supposed, their reaction was negative. My daily attempts to convince them kept
failing, and I gave up.

And then God Himself intervened! I remember that night prayer: “Why did you give me such love for this child?! I give up! I did everything I
could… from this point You do everything.” I gave everything into God’s hands and fell asleep with peace in my heart - my mission was
accomplished.

The next day my husband said that he has been pondering the whole night and made the decision to adopt. At that moment I didn’t know
what to be happier about: the fact that we will be able to adopt the boy, or the fact that my God is alive and controls everything! He waited
for me to stop trying too hard and trust in Him, letting Him take the matters in His hands. Ahead of us was the difficult process of adoption,
and I didn’t want to do anything with my personal efforts only, and in fact, I wouldn’t be able to…
Vasya agreed to live with us right away. And the process of adoption has begun…
The most difficult part was to leave children with their grandmother and fly to Ukraine
during its time of unrest, to finish the process. Vasya turned 16. Despite all obstacles,
our love for the child gave us power to move forward, especially because God was with
us. I later recalled how difficult it was in Ukraine, and how God walked with us. No, He
didn’t just walk, He carried us in His arms, holding us tight! That’s how strongly we felt
His presence! I thank God for those most difficult moments because it was so good to
be with Him! It is true happiness and blessing to know that your God is with you, even
when nothing goes the way you wanted it to.

Then, finally, we returned home. Our joy was boundless. Children were very glad about
a new older brother while we, the parents, were happy that God gave us one more son.
This feeling is so similar to the feeling you have when you bring a newborn from the
hospital. Our adopted child was already big, but we didn’t have less joy because of that;
we probably had even more joy, because the Holy Spirit itself put love into our hearts and
gave us this boy.

People often say that God really loves our son because He found a family for him on the
other side of the world. He chose him. And I want to say that He loves us no less. He found
us to give us this unique boy in such and unusual way.

Vasya has been with us for two years. People ask us if it is difficult. Many things happened: we cried together, laughed, made peace and
prayed… With God’s help we overcame a lot and are still overcoming. Many things changed in our family, in our hearts and in our thoughts.
Because we believe that “whoever welcomes one such child in My name welcomes Me.” He came into our house and we can feel this. I
am thankful to Him from the bottom of my heart for this life that I have, for joy and tears. Aren’t earthly trials a blessing when you know that
your life is in God’ hand, that He is with you, close to you, and when it is especially difficult, He will carry you in His arms.

Currently three international adoption processes are being finalized in Ukraine. One of the children will be adopted by a family in Canada.
By the end of the year, we are expecting six more processes.