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.

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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.

———–

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!”

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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…

This summer I had the privilege of working with Last Bell Ministries in Zhytomyr, Ukraine.  Their mission is to reach the children coming out of the Ukrainian orphanage system for Christ.  Through their daily lives and interactions, they teach these kids what it means to be loved by man and by God.   

As I walked alongside these wonderful people this summer, I was struck once more by the incredible power of community.  Statistics show that, if nothing is done, 70% of the boys will end up in prison, 60% of the girls will turn to prostitution, and 10% of all Ukrainian orphans will commit suicide before their 18^th birthdays.  Fortunately, the leaders at LBM are committed to creating a healthy community for these kids to live and grow in.    

This is Olya, a leader from The Haven with one of the amazing girls that just graduated from Orphanage number 4. Their relationship is just beginning and I can’t wait to see the good that comes out of this “family”.

And it’s working.  Change is possible if people are prayerfully committed to breaking the cycle of abuse and neglect.    

Though I only spent two short months in Ukraine, I did my best to chronicle the many stories of faith that I witnessed there.  You can read the articles I wrote on this journey below.   

Home for the Summer

If you like to dance disco or enjoy hitting mud with sticks, you just might be Ukrainian.   

Click here to read this article…   

Culture Guide: Learning Ukrainian like Evel Knievel

How to learn Ukrainian in five seconds flat…wait…I think my watch is busted.  

Click here to read this article…

Struggling to Find an Emotional Anchor

One just got out of prison. The other beat a kid half to death with a metal pipe.  What do they both need?  

Click here to read this article…

Training ‘Cross Country

I was dirty, I was smelly, I was smiling.  

Click here to read this article…  

Photo Gallery: Holiday at the Sea

Water, water everywhere but what’s the point of it all?  

Click here to see this photo gallery…  

Trying My Patience

Is he a beast or a baby?  

Click here to read this article…  

Photo Gallery: Let’s Go Camping!

It started out as a simple vacation, but it turned into something far more significant.  

Click here to see this photo gallery…

Breaking the Cycle

Can a tortured child ever learn to forgive? 

Click here to read this article…

When I look back at the past two months of my life, there is one word that I think particularly suits how I feel: adventure. I got to live in a country I’d never been to, be with people I didn’t know, use my love for writing as I had never done before and see God in ways I could have never imagined.       

Mission to Ukraine overflows with stories of redemption and life, everyday visual reminders of God’s active hand in their work.

I worked with Mission to Ukraine, focusing on their crisis pregnancy center. Between counseling sessions, small Bible studies, home visits and abstinence talks, these women are busy. But in spite of all the work they had to do, they always invited me to come along with them! I got to truly experience this mission and see with my own eyes how they are impacting their society in Zhytomyr.       

It was incredible to see the ways God is currently working through the lives of these brothers and sisters. He transforms lives in the midst of poverty, sadness, death and crisis. He opens hearts to His love through the Mission to Ukraine staff. He provides for people in unimaginable ways. Nothing was more encouraging for me as an American college student than to see God working right in front of me.       

My adventure took me many places and opened my eyes to new things, but the best part of it all was the way I saw God in different ways throughout it all.       

Learning Life

What do babies, beets and coffee have in common?

Click here to read this article…

No Choice

What happens when you don’t take the easy way out?

Click here to read this article…     

Time Away

April brings showers, May brings flowers, but what does June bring?     

Click here to read this travel journal…      

Culture Guide: Surviving Dinner

Like I always say, deliciousness is next to Godliness.      

Click here to read this culture guide…      

Taboo

It’s time for “the talk.”    

Click here to read this travel journal…      

Culture Guide: Expert Navigating Tips

A guide to navigation that even Sacagawea would be proud of…   

Click here to read this culture guide…

Hard to Forget

Who better to talk to than the woman who was there at the very beginning?

Click here to read this article… 

Substitute Husband

What happens when your husband decides he doesn’t want your baby?      

Click here to read this travel journal…

Photo Gallery: The Village

I don’t know what I was expecting, but it wasn’t this…       

Click here to see this photo gallery…

In the middle of the summer, we took a day off at MTU and followed our fearless leader, Pastor Peter, out of the city and into another side of Ukrainian life.  What I thought would be an interesting bit of sightseeing turned into an eye-opening and unforgettable experience…

“Popeetzee!” she yelled, while shaking her fist at me, before erupting in a fit of laughter.  My translator quickly explained what the word meant. It turns out I was going to get punched in the face by a small girl I had just met at The Shelter.

Luckily Masha, the girl in question, was only joking.  But it was exactly the type and tone of interactions I had with her all summer.  One minute she’d tell me I was handsome, the next she’d say she was going to pummel me, and then she’d promptly demand I give her a million dollars.

I knew I wanted to write about Masha from the first moment I saw her.  There was something different about her.  First of all, she was very small.  So small that I thought it was another one of her jokes when she told me she was twenty years old. 

Despite her size, she radiated strength and confidence.  She carried herself more authoritatively than most grown men I’ve known. 

Probably much more than I do myself.  She was someone you wouldn’t want to mess with.

I kept trying to get an interview with her, so I could hear her life story.  Unfortunately, she agreed…about a half a dozen times. 

Masha might look like any young girl to you, but there’s quite a lot sitting under the surface.

I heard about how she was born in 1904 and suffered through famine.  I listened attentively as she told me of her movie star life in Hollywood, married and with four kids.  I almost clapped when I heard her heroic stories as a commander in WWII.  It was fun to hear her go on and on but I wanted the truth.

My last week in Ukraine, she finally sat down and told me the real story of her life.  And I started wishing that some of her previous fictions could be facts instead.

She told me that was sent to the toddler orphanage when she was six months old.  Her mother was mentally ill and both of her parents had begun drinking heavily.  As a result, they stopped taking care of their children.  Masha’s grandmother took in the older kids, but didn’t want the responsibility of raising an infant.

There are some great places for orphaned Ukrainian toddlers to go.  One example is the House of the Child in Zhytomyr.  The facility there is fantastic and the staff is very friendly.  However, that sort of safe haven is a best case scenario and anything but normative.  Unfortunately Masha was not lucky enough to be sent to such a wonderful place.

Masha explained that at her toddler orphanage (in another town), children were not only neglected but outright abused.  She told me that her caretakers and directors were not people of faith or even of common decency.  And some of the horrors she endured under their watch are simply unspeakable.

When Masha was in the toddler orphanage one of her punishments was to be chained to a radiator for hours at a time.

I asked her if, looking back, she learned anything good from all that tragedy.  She just looked at me and said, “What lessons can you learn from living in hell?”

Masha then told me that when was seven, she was moved into an Orphanage just outside of Zhytomyr.  She told me that living in the orphanage is like living in a prison.  There’s a very distinct societal structure and that you can move up in this structure through one of three ways, physical violence, verbal violence, or being very good in your studies (because everyone would treat you well so you’d help them with their work). 

Masha explained that she chose to make a name for herself through physical violence.  She fought hard and she fought dirty, using everything that her previous caretakers had taught her about the world of pain.  And for once, she was respected.  She was a force to be reckoned with, ordering other orphans around, making them do whatever she wanted.

The infamous Orphanage #4 where Masha made a name for herself, kicking and screaming.

It was in this environment, that she began regularly drinking and smoking.  She was smoking every day by fifth grade, having first tried a cigarette at age four when her mother brought her some at the toddler orphanage.  By eighth grade, she was a full-blown alcoholic as well. 

Then she finished ninth grade and was all set to start trade school to become a construction worker.  The orphans don’t get to choose their majors, the majors are assigned to them depending on what spots are open.  At this point, she hated her parents.  She couldn’t understand why they threw her away like they did but she wouldn’t ask for fear that she would try to kill them when they answered.

Enter The Shelter.  They offered her a safe place, a family, a new way of life.  But she didn’t accept it.  How could she?  You can’t trust anyone when you’ve been through what she has. 

Still, the leaders of The Shelter tried.  They were present in her life.  They were unwavering, even when tested time and time again.  And finally, cracks started running up and down the stone covering her heart.  

While on a trip to the Black Sea with The Shelter, something happened.  Something Masha won’t tell me about.  She says it’s too personal.  Whatever it was, she says that’s what brought her to God; that’s what broke the stone and set her beating heart free.

Two months later, she quit drinking.  Two years later she quit smoking.  She said giving up alcohol was easy but smoking was a different story.  It was one of the hardest things she’s ever done.  She was only able to do it with the help of Oksana, the same leader from The Shelter that helped bring her to Christ.

Her life is far from perfect but she’s found a family and a purpose. She is happy. And that is exactly the sort of hope that we must never forget. We have a big God who does big things and no one is beyond His reach.

Nervously, I asked about her parents.  I know, all too well, how hard it can be to forgive abusive or neglectful family members.  She wouldn’t talk about her father but says that her mother’s mental illness has only gotten worse.  Then I found out that Masha has used a considerable portion of her last check from the government to make sure her mother will be properly cared for while Masha is away.

See, Masha is getting ready to go off on a six month journey.  This year she will be attending Youth With A Mission’s Discipleship Training School.  She’ll study the bible in a classroom for three months, in Kiev, and then spend the next three months doing missionary work with YWAM in other parts of the world.

Her dreams for the future?

To become a missionary.  To love and care for other orphans.  To become a millionaire and give it all away.  But she still wants to make sure her mother is going to be alright.  The same mother she wanted to kill only a few years ago. 

The Shelter staff knows that violence begets violence and hate begets hate, but the same principal is doubly true for kindness and forgiveness.  Our God’s got them both in spades if we are but willing to step out in faith and break the cycle.  And I thank God that they have.  For it’s plain to see the Lord has worked through them in Masha’s life.  From victim to victimizer to saint, oh what a very long way she has come.