People often ask me, “What’s your favorite place in the world to visit?”

It’s hard to answer.  You see, I love all of my Kenyan friends.  I also have a big heart for Cambodia.  Haiti is an incredible place, and I’m enthralled by the adventures of India and Panama.

But when it comes to experiencing the sheer beauty and simplicity of the kingdom, it’s hard to beat Ukraine.

Where else can you find such joy?

Ever since my first visit to Romaniv Disabled Boys Orphanage, I’ve been left speechless by the work of Mission to Ukraine.  Bitter injustice is daily met head on by sincere compassion.  The men and women that work at MTU are shining examples of the love, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control we should expect from followers of Christ.

The best part is, they don’t even realize how incredible they are.  When they read my first article about their work at Romaniv, one of the MTU ladies said through tears, “We never knew we were part of something so big.”

Well guys, you are.  And as I witnessed in my return to Romaniv last summer, your work is bearing much fruit!

Click below to see for yourselves.  Want more?  Check out www.worldnextdoor.org/ukraine.

Posting this article on Facebook or Twitter for our contest?  Use http://bit.ly/dIEVvy

What can I say about little Peter?  He has stolen my heart.

Every time I get discouraged by the injustice of this world, whenever I feel like the kingdom of God is just too far away, I think of Peter.  He represents for me some of the most beautiful examples of hope, love and reconciliation that I have ever seen.

The last time I spoke with Peter, he was lying in his bed (sharing a room with his amazing adoptive brother Taras).  I was leaving Ukraine the next morning and wanted to say goodbye.

Peter and three of his new sisters.

Peter’s muscular dystrophy has continued to advance, so he was extremely weak when I saw him.  I came into the room and sat down on the edge of his bed.  When Taras told him that I was there, Peter turned his head, using his hand to push his head in the right direction.

We shared a few words and I prayed for Peter, trying desperately not to burst into tears.

But the tears didn’t come from his condition.  They weren’t tears of sadness.  My tears for Peter were ones of gratitude.

Peter has a father.  Peter has a mother. Peter has siblings.  Peter has a home.

The kingdom of God may not be big and flashy, but for one little orphan in Ukraine, it was very, very real.

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If you want to read the whole saga of Peter’s adoption, check out www.worldnextdoor.org/tag/peter.  Otherwise, click below to read “Welcome Home!”

Posting this article on Twitter or Facebook for our contest?  Use http://bit.ly/cE5Gd0

What a fantastic summer!  

This June and July I took our three summer interns, Lauren, Chris and Krystallin, across the ocean for a two-month cross-cultural experience in Zhytomyr, Ukraine.  They worked with Mission to Ukraine and Last Bell, two incredible organizations bringing hope and light into places that have long been in darkness. 

Because I wasn’t pursuing a specific “assignment” myself, I had the opportunity to float between the ministries and to follow up with a few stories that began when I first visited Ukraine back in 2009. 

Me and the interns early on in the summer. What a great team!

I caught up with little Peter, finally adopted into a loving family, I re-visited Romaniv Orphanage and I participated in MTU’s summer camps… something I had only heard about before. 

I also started two new initiatives.  One is a dream of mine to get another boy adopted from the Romaniv Orphanage by a Ukrainian family.  The other is a fun new project designed to let us see the world from the eyes of children around the world. 

To read these articles and more, take a look below.  Maybe through it all you too will find a way to jump in with what God is doing in Ukraine! 

The Summer Begins!

Can your life really change over a cup of coffee? 

Click here to read this travel journal… 

Return to Romaniv

Do you want proof that the kingdom of God is powerful?  Read on… 

Click here to read this article…

Photo Gallery: The Second Chapter

The time has come for Romaniv to be taken to the next level… 

Click here to see this photo gallery…

The Marika Project

What if we could see the world through Marika’s eyes? 

Click here to read this article…

Welcome Home!

For little Peter, being adopted was only the beginning of the story… 

Click here to read this article… 

The Marika Project Begins!

Now that Marika has her very own camera, the Marika Project has officially begun! 

Click here to read this article…

Dima

For one disabled orphan in Ukraine there is hope.  But he needs YOU to act… 

Click here to read this article… 

Apologies!

Oh, the woes of inadequate internet access! 

Click here to read this article… 

Photo Gallery: Marika’s Work!

Camp from the eyes (and camera) of a six year old… 

Click here to see this photo gallery… 

Behind the Scrim

Now I know what lies behind the curtain… 

Click here to read this article…

This summer I had the opportunity to live in Zhytomyr, Ukraine and work with Mission to Ukraine. I started the summer not knowing anything about the country of Ukraine and I only had minimal knowledge of the ways disabilities affect those living with them. Now I have fallen in love with the culture of Ukraine, and I have learned a lot about what life is like for those with disabilities in Ukraine.  

This summer I saw how MTU is changing the lives of the boys living at Romaniv Orphanage.

I spent my summer tagging along with MTU as they ministered to those living with disabilities. I went to classes at their center, visited homes, spent 20 days at camp, and hung around the office in Zhytomyr.  

I saw the kingdom of God at work in Ukraine in amazing ways as the staff of MTU ministered to those with special needs. As I saw God at work I learned a major lesson. God is good. Even in the midst of pain, tragedy, and oppression God is good to His people.  

I also came to a deeper realization of how important it is for those of us who follow Christ to be involved in the lives of those around us. We can do so much even through seemingly small actions; we simply have to make the choice to do something.  

In a City Called Zhytomyr

My first few days of immersing in the culture of Ukraine…      

Click here to read this article…

More Than Plastic

Round, plastic, and colorful… Is there more to a simple bead?     

Click here to read this article…

Curbs Without Ramps

One girl’s struggle for independence in a world of disadvantages…     

Click here to read this travel journal…

Culture Guide: Living without Language

What happens when you spend your summer in a home where no one speaks English?     

Click here to read this culture guide…

Treasured Possessions

Would you still be able to serve God if you lived with a disability?  

Click here to read this travel journal…

Part of the Family

What does being part of the family of God mean to kids rejected by the world?  

Click here to read this article…

The Dedication of Mothers

These moms dedicate their lives to caring for their children, but who dedicates their lives to caring for these moms?  

Click here to read this article…

Photo Gallery: Let the Games Begin!

How can bocce ball, volleyball, and baseball transform someone’s life?  

Click here to see this photo gallery…

Photo Gallery: 8 Reasons to Hope

There is hope for those with disabilities in Ukraine.  I’ve seen it with my own eyes…  

Click here to see this photo gallery…

Being a mom is a hard task. It requires love, dedication and bravery. Being a mom of a child with a disability requires even more of these things.

It takes love to say yes to keeping a child with a disability. It takes dedication to give up your own freedom to care for your child. And it takes bravery to face it all alone. Many moms of children with disabilities here in Ukraine are abandoned by their husbands and extended families due to the shame attached to disabilities.

Camp is a place where moms get to spend time away from their children and get some much needed rest.

MTU’s summer camp is a place for these moms to find the love and care they need. Cindy, an American volunteer who leads a small group for moms at camp, shared with me her simple goal: to help moms understand God as a God of love. With a look of sadness on her face, Cindy explained that every single mom at camp has been told numerous times that their child’s disability is a punishment from God for their sin. Because they hear this so often, they struggle to see God as a loving Father.

Moms are cared for at camp by people who take the time to hear their stories and pray for them.

Hearing this astounded me. Mothers who had been abandoned by their families were also blamed for something they had no control over. Knowing they had been told this for so many years, I wondered if there was any hope for these moms to understand the love of God. I found my answer in small group time.

Small Group

Small group took place outside under the shade of a tree. Cindy asked the women to share something about how camp had changed their lives. The stories I heard blew me away and made me realize what a beacon of hope MTU is in the lives of these moms.

First, I heard the story of a mom who has been to camp many times. Although she loves every year at camp, she remembers the first one the most. A volunteer offered to help her by taking her daughter to the bathroom. To this day, that small act brings tears to her eyes. She shook her head almost too choked up to speak, “No one had ever offered to help me with my daughter before, ever…”

The kids aren't the only ones who enjoy craft time at camp. Beading is a favorite past time of many of these women.

As she finished her story Cindy told the group, “When you see someone loving your kid like that, remember it is the love of God. We are just humans; we aren’t somehow superior to other people or more loving. That is God at work.”

Next, a grandmother spoke. She laughed as she told Cindy, “You told us to journal about camp. But what would I write? What words could I put down to express what camp means to me? There are no words.” She told the group her family rejected her grandson, so she raises him alone.

She pulled the journal out of her bag, clutching it tightly in her hands, “I didn’t decorate the journal either like you said to. It’s too pretty, too nice. I want to show my coworkers, so they will know about my time here.” She had come to understand God’s love through something as simple as the gift of a journal.

As she finished, another grandmother began to speak. Tears streamed down her face. “At home I always sleep with my hands clasped together on my chest. I don’t sleep well. I am alone, no one cares about me and my grandchild. But then I came here. Now I am surrounded by people who love me and people who love my grandchild. Last night I slept with my arms above my head… like a little baby. I have found rest here. I don’t know how I’ll leave you all.”

The stories continued. Moms, sisters, and grandmothers alike shared about struggling through life alone. One woman cried as she said, “I just want to understand my son, but no one will help me learn how.” Another mom, tears spilling from her eyes, said, “I want to find a church where my son will feel comfortable, where people won’t stare at him because he’s different.”

A grandmother who found rest for the first time at camp, “Last night I slept with my arms above my head... like a little baby.”

The isolation and rejection these women face is overwhelming and tragic. But watching the moms’ faces at camp light up as they recalled the way MTU had shown love to their children gave me a glimmer of hope.

It’s not a lot – camp is only ten days out of a very long year – but it’s a start. And along with MTU’s year long classes for these moms, I can see the kingdom of God moving. MTU works hard to build a network for these women. They try to provide a safe place where moms can learn and take time to relax.

Whether I’m watching a mom pick up her twelve year old son to rock him in her arms, or looking on as a mom struggles to carry her adult son up the stairs, I know one thing—the mothers I have met here are my heroes; they are women of strength and dignity. I pray that they will also be women embraced by the love of God.

I used to participate in my high school’s musical theater program.  Singing, dancing, acting… It was a blast.  And although I was usually up front in a costume myself, I loved watching our tech team “wow” audiences with interesting lighting effects, cool set pieces and dramatic sound effects.

One of the most versatile tools they used was called a scrim, a semi-transparent curtain that could be lit from different sides to make it anywhere from see-through to completely opaque.  Actors would often perform behind the scrim, visible only as shadows. Throw in a fog machine, and the tech team could create quite a bit of ambiance. 

Me with my new friend Sasha at camp.

But then, in just about every musical, there would come an especially dramatic point in which the scrim would be lifted and everything behind it would be instantly revealed in all its color, brightness and vibrancy.

What was once vague and undefined became crystal clear…

Raising the Scrim

Well, I’ve thought about scrims quite a bit this summer as I’ve floated between the ministries of Last Bell and Mission to Ukraine. 

You see, back home in suburban Indianapolis, things like injustice, joy, evil and the kingdom of God are sort of hard to see… They are like shadows, fighting and dancing behind a scrim.  With a constant barrage of advertising, entertainment, fast food, technology and work, it’s easy to let the important issues of this world slide out of our minds.

Oleg, who had a fantastic time at camp this year!

But for me, coming to Zhytomyr and joining in with the work of these ministries was like having the scrim raised.  Brokenness, justice, life, evil and joy came into sharp focus in ways I never would have expected. 

Here in front of me was a concrete realization of the kingdom of God breaking into this world. 

So, for my sake as much as yours, I’d like to share a few of the things I saw behind the curtain.  I want to get them down on paper.  Because in just a couple of weeks, I’ll be back behind the scrim of suburbia… and I don’t want to forget what I saw.

Part of the Family

Every summer, Mission to Ukraine holds several camps.  Children and young people from all over the region come to participate in an experience that is hands down their favorite part of the year.  Our interns Krystallin and Lauren have already written a bit about the camps, and as you can see from their articles, these summer programs are unbelievably life-changing for the kids.

I was lucky enough to participate in two of these camps myself.  But because my Ukrainian and Russian language skills are pretty much limited to “hello,” “thank you,” and “Please give me apple juice for my elephant” (true!), I couldn’t communicate much with the campers.  So I spent most of my time just observing.

I watched as disabled children were loved on in ways they have never experienced before.  I saw beautiful kids from MTU’s Life-Savers program (here only because their mothers chose not to abort them) run and dance and play.  There in front of me were elderly babushkas smiling as they heard about Jesus for the first time. 

It was the kingdom.  And it was beautiful.

Alyosha, one of MTU’s life-savers kids. If it wasn’t for the caring counselors at MTU, he wouldn’t be alive today.

Images from both camps have been seared into my mind forever.  Little Bagdan, struggling with muscular dystrophy, running as best as he could to give me a hug.  Sweet Anton, unable to communicate with words, smiling from ear to ear.  Lovable Oleg, out of his village for the first time in his life, singing quietly along to his favorite camp tune…

In the “real world,” these kids struggle to be accepted, loved and understood.  But at camp, they are all just part of the family. 

Not Alone

Another powerful image from the summer came from time that I spent with the Shelter, one of Last Bell’s two community centers for at-risk orphans.

These kids, though still a little rough around the edges, would literally be out on the streets if it wasn’t for the Shelter.  After years of abuse, trauma and abandonment, these teenage orphans have every right to be cynical and furious with the world.

But they aren’t. 

If you read the articles by our other intern, Chris, you can see just how alive and hopeful they are.  Surrounded by a surrogate “family” – with mothers, fathers and even younger siblings – these young people are blossoming. 

Just the other day, I spent the night at the Shelter.  Chris and I went with some of the boys to play laser tag at a nearby mall (and got clobbered!).  We grabbed ice cream at Zhytomyr’s only McDonalds and later sat around eating watermelon in the Shelter’s small kitchen. 

Instead of drinking, doing drugs or getting into prostitution to make a few extra bucks, these kids were enjoying life with their family.  It was beautiful.

Kids from Last Bell’s other community center, the Haven. Photo by Chris Cambell.

The next morning, we sat around the breakfast table telling jokes and eating pancakes.  As I looked from face to face, the kingdom was once again was thrown into sharp focus.  Jesus spent most of his time hanging out with the outcasts and “ne’er-do-wells” of this world.  Now I can see the reason why…

Hope.  Where there should, by all accounts, be none.

The Sea

There is one final image I’ll leave here that I think sums up the summer really well.

Every year, MTU brings six or seven boys from the Romaniv Disabled Boys Orphanage to their summer camps. 

The boys, wearing bright, brand new t-shirts in all primary colors, get to participate in each of the camp’s many activities.  They play games, hang out with super-cool volunteers, sing songs… In fact, it is such a highlight of their year that they think camp is called something it’s not. 

Vitalik from Romaniv Orphanage. He had a blast at “the sea”!

Here in Ukraine, the ultimate, ideal vacation is a trip to the sea.  Many people here talk about going, but few can afford to make the trip.  It shouldn’t come as a surprise, then, that the Romaniv boys repeat one thing in the weeks and months leading up to camp…

“We’re going to the sea!”

The Front of the Parade

Such hope.  Such life.  Here in Zhytomyr it is all so crystal clear.

The broken, lost and powerless are being loved, honored and respected.   The abandoned, forgotten and outcast are being drawn into a long and steady embrace.

I’ve realized recently that “The last shall be first in the kingdom” is not just some saccharine ideal.  Looking into the faces of disabled children and abandoned orphans this summer, I’ve come to a new understanding of the upside-down kingdom of God.

These are the people standing hand-in-hand with Jesus.  These are the children cradled in the arms of God.  When the kingdom someday comes in all its power, they will be the standard bearers marching at the front of the parade.

In the States, we tend to think of the kingdom of God as a vague and blurry future thing.  Nothing more than shadows dancing behind a scrim. But here in Zhytomyr with Mission to Ukraine and Last Bell, the scrim has been raised.  In sharp clarity and color, the true message of the gospel is shouted out:

“The kingdom of God is at hand!”

Last week I sat down with Ira Venglovska, Director of Mission to Ukraine (and my most wonderful hostess for the summer) to get her perspective on the ministry. Because she manages the day-to-day operations of MTU, she has a unique insight on the organization and all that it is.

Ira has seen the ministry grow and change since the beginning, and has witnessed firsthand the miracles that brought the organization together. Her words and stories tell of how the Lord is working through this ministry and how she can see it every day…

Ira has been with MTU since it first started. She interpreted one week for the Mission’s founder, David Bentley, and within that same week met the head of the maternity house who would later help them open a crisis pregnancy center.

World Next Door: How long have you been with Mission to Ukraine? 

Ira Venglovska: From the very beginning, since 1997.

WND:  Is there one thing, or one experience that you’ve seen or you see on a daily basis that keeps you coming back to Mission to Ukraine?

Ira: There is, actually. I have known, and I have felt, and I still know that MTU is the goal of my life. It is what God has given me His gifts for, because I can see exactly why I studied what I studied, and why I did what I did. And that’s really where I feel I bring glory to the Lord. That’s what He created me in Christ for.

Of course I’m prejudiced for sure, but I think once you come to MTU, it’s hard to forget about it. Because it’s a place where we see God at work literally every day. There is always a story happening, a life changed, a heart changed… something every day. Where the Lord shows his presence, so much will happen. So for us, work is not work. It’s really a ministry.

WND: How have you seen Mission to Ukraine’s effect on the community of Zhytomyr?

Ira: When we started, we were the first crisis pregnancy [center] in Ukraine. It’s still the only place in Zhytomyr that is trying to fight for the lives of babies. They cannot protect themselves.

Many staff members have spent several years working at the Romaniv Boys Orphanage. Each week they go and teach lessons, bring crafts and share God’s love with boys who don’t have the opportunity to see it every day.

And I know it’s the only place where parents with disabled children can find comfort and real help. And Mission to Ukraine does help them, unlike anybody else that I know.

And we are not just trying to serve the children and help them materially. It is a life matter for some of them. I mean, we are meeting with families that literally don’t have food to eat, diapers, don’t have money for medicines, and I don’t know how they would survive otherwise. And physical rehab and social rehab is just not available in the city [as it is at MTU].  Spiritual rehabilitation is not either.

That is what we are praying for – for the Lord to allow us to have a bigger impact and see how we could stir the churches to pick up the work and go to these people. Because we believe that’s what the Lord wants us to do – to go to those who are mostly broken, who are broken in their hearts and in their bodies. We see some of that happening already but we still have a long way to go.

Mission to Ukraine has had a new addition this summer! What used to be a concrete yard has been transformed into a playground, a garden and a beautiful outdoor patio and fireplace. The opening day and the chaos of the children running around was enough to know that this was a good idea.

Our goal is to affect the whole of society, at least in our area. And to notice these people, and see the value in them. View them as people with special needs, not disabled. You know, disabled is not their status. And you saw the kids at our camps. Remember at the closing? These groups of kids, they don’t feel their disabilities. They were singing! They couldn’t say a word but they were singing. And that’s what it’s all about.

We say that’s our big goal. But for the families that we serve, I literally don’t know how they’d survive [without MTU]. Not to mention the change of life that they’ve had once they come to our camps. Many of them became Christians, and that’s what it’s all about – trying to show the love of God in words, and not just in words, but in actions.

WND: I’m sure a lot of it is that you’re trying to help people holistically, instead of just materially or physically. You’re there to serve people spiritually too.

Ira: Well we don’t view ourselves as a social center. We’re trying to show God’s love in action. If we see a need, we’re trying to meet it. Then they ask, and we can answer why we do this.

Many volunteers give their time and love for many aspects of the Mission’s work. From camp leaders to interpreters to crisis pregnancy work in surrounding villages, this ministry flourishes because of all the members working together for the same goal.

For children with disabilities, it’s really rehabilitation in three aspects: physical, social and spiritual. Spiritual is the key, but we cannot get to the spiritual until we meet the physical needs, and we’ve seen it work very effectively. It’s the same with the women’s department. Again, they come in crisis and you cannot just tell them, “This is not a good decision, there is a better decision.”

I think a miracle is when someone’s life changes, when someone’s heart changes. We cannot do it on our own, with our own effort, but God can. I think it’s the most beautiful thing to see.

We actually feel privileged, because it is God starting this ministry, and designing it and doing it. We’ve known it from the very beginning, and we just feel privileged to be a part of it. It is an exciting place to be every day. It can be hard, it is a spiritual warfare, in many cases, but it is very real. I think that’s what life is, living in the center of God’s will. It’s very exciting.

WND: Anything else?

Ira: Well, I don’t want to make it sound very easy, we can only do it because there are so many other people involved in the ministry, not just here. What you see here is just like a team on a battlefield. But it would not happen if it were not for the money, the resources, for the time, for the prayers from so many other people. The army the Lord has given us is actually much greater.

This mother and child is proof that God is working through Mission to Ukraine. See the way she looks at her baby? And to think that he’s only here because MTU helped her decide not to have an abortion…

There are so many brothers and sisters in the US who are helping us in all these ways. It’s not like we are sufficient and everything is great because we still have so many more needs.

It’s a continuous prayer for the Lord to do something. And sometimes He does, and sometimes He doesn’t. It’s hard to know how and when. But that’s how we operate I think. It’s a faith-run ministry. Which means if we see a need, we pray. We don’t have a [big] bank account we can withdraw money from, but we pray.

Sometimes the Lord just performs miracles because people cry out to him. And I think it’s interesting that the Lord has arranged this ministry to consist of people from different churches. It’s not about denominations, it’s about Christ. We can all work together for a good thing that the Lord has in mind.

I think it’s a very organized plan on the Lord’s behalf. We view ourselves as a place where people come in crisis and once we hopefully introduce them to the Lord, then they need to be surrounded by the Body of Christ. So our next step is to take them to church. And that’s why we need all the churches to be ready, to just grab this person and surround them with love.

This can be hard, because sometimes churches lack training or finances or something else, so we’re still just moving into that direction. But that’s how we are trying to do it. And this way, they get served from all different perspectives.

A few weeks ago, I announced the beginning of a new idea we had here at World Next Door.  It was called The Marika Project.

The idea was to give donated digital cameras to children so that they could show us their perspective on the world.  As a pilot run, we gave a camera to a feisty little six year old named Marika (hence the name of the project).  Her “assignment” was to capture Mission to Ukraine’s summer camp from her point of view.

On our upcoming trips to Haiti, India and Cambodia we will continue to give cameras to children so that we can post their work here on World Next Door.

But for now, it’s time to kick off our inaugural Marika Project Photo Gallery…

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We are continuing to collect gently used digital cameras for future Marika Project locations.  If you would like to donate yours, please fill out the form below.