November Newsletter

OPEN ARMS

November 2008

A Face of Open Arms
18-year-old Losha Yeremenko is a kid who simply loves to laugh, but behind the smile there are countless scars cutting deep after years of pain and abuse. Second born in a family of 6 sons, Losha quickly learned how ugly life can be. Electrocution in puddles of water was just one of the methods of abuse his alcoholic father would inflict on him and his brothers. At merely 7 years old, after his father's death and his absent mother loss all parental rights, Losha and his brothers were left to the orphanage system. In his years at the orphanage, Losha watched two of his younger brothers get adopted, while he received twisted forms of punishment, such as being taken on more than one occasion to be drugged and "treated" at a mental hospital. The loses and pains of this time are hardly mentionable for Losha.

After finishing the orphanage, Losha was sent to trade school in the village where his mother still lives. His alcoholic step-father there has made countless attempts to end Losha's life, even succeeding in getting a knife stuck in Losha's leg only months ago. His schooling was one of the worst we have seen and his very situation put his life in danger. With this reality Losha made the decision to try for change by transferring to Sumy. We fought with him in the process, as multiple schools initially accept him only to kick him out simply because he is an orphan. Finally, God cleared the way for Losha to enter an upper division trade school in Sumy. This is far better schooling than anything he has received and it allows our team to work much more closely in Losha's life. Now, Losha is praised by his teacher as one of her hardest workers, he gets up at 6:30am to make it to school on time each day, and no one is threatening his life.

It is continually surprising to watch as he opens his heart through years of relationship. The countless pains he has endured have made Losha one of the strongest kids we know. He is unashamedly loyal to those he holds dear and a protector at the core. In the midst of his strong, silent spirit resides a tenderness that is a rare gift to those he shares it with. We are completely honored to have him as a gift from God in our ministry and we look forward to the ways God will move in his beautiful heart.

Winter Needs
With Christmas fast approaching and the frosty weather settles in on Sumy, Open Arms is working hard to meet needs on various ends of our ministry. We are currently asking for support in two areas: first, our ministry in the Sambir juvenile prison, and second, in our Sumy ministry with the Pravda graduates. Please consider joining us this Christmas to help bless these kids in the following ways.

Our prison ministry in Sambir involves working with a juvenile prison of around 200 boys. We have recently received official government approval for Open Arms to bring programs to the prison. This gives us the incredible opportunity to bring the message of God's grace, forgiveness and love to these boys whose lonely hearts are so in need comfort. For Christmas we're looking to bring 200 watches (plastic or fabric, no metal) as gifts to the boys there. A simple gift can do so much to bless and encourage these children. If you are interested in donating one or more watches, please let us know! Watch donations can either be mailed to Open Arms or brought to one of two drop locations. In northern California: 17049 Via Flores, San Lorenzo, CA 94580. In southern California: 10637 Ashworth St., Bellflower, CA 90706.

Working to take care of the physical needs the Pravda grads in Sumy is a much more difficult task in winter than in summer. With temperatures already dropping to the 30s and snow soon on its way, keeping the kids warm in sufficient winter clothing requires a bigger budget than other times of the year. And trying to bless these kids with a Christmas gift adds to the financial need. This is where you can come in! Sponsoring a child, for either winter clothes or a Christmas gift, can be such a blessing, both to you and to the kids! To give you an idea of the costs to purchase these items in Ukraine, here are some gifts and their suggested donations:


Jacket: $40-50 --- Shoes: $30-35
Pants: $25-30 --- Christmas gift: $25-30
Beanie and Gloves: $20 --- Long-sleeve Shirt: $15
Warm Socks (5 pair): $10

Any size donation is gladly welcomed! Donations can be sent to Open Arms (with "winter clothes" or "Christmas gift" in the memo line) to help us support and love these kids this winter. If you would like your gift to go purchase something specific, please note it with your donation.

Prayer Needs
Thank you to all of our faithful prayer supporters. We fully believe in the power of prayer and we know God has heard your prayers. Please continue to remember us and our ministry in your prayers. Here are some ways you can be praying of us specifically:

· Things to continue going well at Losha's school
· Winter clothes for the kids
· Our orphanage ministry
· Our prison ministry: that we would be able to get funds so we can do ministry once a month with a team of Ukrainians from the church
· For our kids, Sasha and Ivan, in prison that their spirits would not be broken and that they would come to know the Lord
· Our watch drive for the prison
· Summer camp at the orphanage (This is a really huge opportunity for us. It has been our dream since the beginning. Please be praying for direction and for people at home to be listening to God about how to help.)

Again, we would like to thank you all for your support. We are so thankful that God has given you to us! And we look forward to sharing with you soon how God is answering our prayers. We have some very exciting things coming up and know God is moving in big ways.

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P.O. Box 277 * San Lorenzo, CA 94580-0277 * PH (510) 276-1239 * E-Mail: openarmsministry@gmail.com
dear children, let us not love with words or tongue, but in ACTION and in TRUTH. 1 john 3:18

Losha's School

Ministry in Ukraine is inevitably a roller coaster ride from day to day. This reality was definitely an aspect in Losha's schooling. He had been accepted into a trade school here in Sumy, but after receiving enough "regular" students, Losha was dropped due to the mere fact that he is an orphan.

5 trade schools later, countless meetings, and determination on everyone's part has brought Losha to a new trade school here in Sumy!! We couldn't be more excited. As far as trade schools go, it is one of the best. It even accepted him into a better trade than he was in before.

For Losha, this is a huge transition, but one he desired and fought for. God definitely used the closed doors to lead us to the best school for Losha. And the fight to get there helped Losha in countless ways. From the first school where he couldn't look a teacher in the eyes, to his current school where he gets right on in the midst of conversations - Losha has already changed. It is a much more difficult school than what he is used to, but he has a new pride in where he goes. He is up at 6:30am every day and ready to go at 7 am. We can only pray that he will utilize this opportunity as we are here to support him. We praise God for where He has brought Losha thus far.

Prison Ministry

We recently made a trip to Sambir, Ukraine near the city of L'viv to visit our Sasha in the "juvenile colony" there. We had the rare opportunity to sit down with the prison Chief one on one; gaining insight and an open door to minister at the prison and the 173 children there. At this moment, we are beginning to plan programming to bring to the children. We are also asking for help in fundraising to provide new tables for the children to eat on. After a discussing with the Chief this is a current need that would greatly help the prison, but providing these tables will help us in ministry and give us more opportunities to visit Sasha, whom we love so dearly. Any support is greatly appreciated! And your prayers are always needed! We are beyond excited to have these new doors open before us and we can't wait to share with you all that God will do!! These children are in a uniquely open position in life and God's grace is a message they so desperately need to hear!
Please make checks out to Open Arms Ukraine - PO Box 277, San Lorenzo, CA 94580-0277 with Prison ministry in the memo line!

School Goodness

One of our main goals has always been to provide tangible help to these children we love so much - schooling and jobs. This past week we had the amazing opportunity to help our Losha Yeremenko get into the Sumy trade school! He made the decision to transfer down to Sumy from the village where his mother lives; this is such a good move for him in countless ways. After two meetings with the director on his own things weren't looking good. So we decided to take matters into our own hands. After a 5 minute meeting with the director he stood up to say, "Well, you've convinced me!" AND LOSHA IS IN!!
The smile across Losha's face was about a mile long and this is such a huge blessing! It is a much better trade school and he will no longer have to return to his home environment that has proven to put his physical life in danger. This training will open the doors to many more jobs for Losha in the future! God is so good and we are soaking up the beauty of this moment!

Family trip to Kiev

We have been in Ukraine for almost 2 weeks and of course we are off with a bang. We had a friend from the States visiting and sadly her passport was stolen. It was very unfortunate because that meant we had to make a special trip to Kiev. But we were able to use that time and take a couple of the kids to the zoo. It was such a fun experience because it was all of their first time. We walked past an elephant and all of them stared in awe because they had never seen one in real life. They were like little kids in a candy store soaking up the new experience.
After the zoo we walked around Kiev and saw the historical sights they have. This is also something the kids had never seen before. So they were able to see and learn more about the history of their country.It was a very long day but was so fun to share this experience with them.

youtube

If you don't already know, Open Arms Ukraine has a youtube channel!
http://youtube.com/user/OpenArmsMinistry
Be sure to check it out for videos of the kids and our ministry in Ukraine. If you're lucky, you might get to enjoy some fun moments with the kids... Like English lessons with Shevchenko.

July 2008

OPEN ARMS UKRAINE July 2008

A Day in the Life...

Since our official move to Sumy we, as Open Arms, cahave been continually blown away by the work God is allowing us to be a part of. It is an incredible honor to work with all of you as His hands and feet in the lives of so many in Ukraine. We have been focusing our efforts on finding long-term and tangible support that will help the orphans who struggle in their post-orphanage transition in life such as education and job training. As we work to walk alongside the many children no longer at the Pravda orphanage, we have also established weekly visits to the orphanage to continue our ministry there. Not only are we able to visit the 200 children of Pravda weekly, but this gives us an opportunity to connect with the "Shevchenko" family of Ivanivka, comprised of children no longer at the orphanage, as we work to help them succeed in their goals. Visits have also begun with the various children from Pravda who are now in prisons throughout Ukraine. No support exists for these orphans and the mistakes of their pasts in no way define the future God has in store for them. All this has been taking place as we solidified a simple apartment on the outskirts of the city that acts as our central location of ministry for the time being - with daily meals being provided for these desperate children and a location of refuge available for them. The days are busy, the stories are heavy, and we know that trials await us as we work to help these forgotten children. We continue to trust God's will in it all and look forward to more triumphs and trials to share with you all!
Roman Yeremenko
Roman is a rare kid - he is full of charisma and laughter despite the harsh realities of his life. He carries responsibility with grace and communicates his heart to those around him with love. He has 5 brothers and 1 sister - 2 brothers were adopted out of the country years ago. Now, his older brother faces prison and his siter gave into a life of prostitution. Roman refuses to live this same kind of life.
As a young child, his father would electrocute him and hang him from his neck for as long as his little body could handle it before death. His mother left when he was only 4 years old and has been in and out of the picture ever since - always leaving destruction behind her. At 6 years old, Roman's dad's life ended in a drunken rage. Roman and his siblings were then left to the cruel orphanage system.
During his time at the Prada orphanage Roman dedicated himself to his schoolwork and made his way to a better orphanage in the city of Sumy. He recently finished his 9th grade education and we were blessed to be a part of his "graduation day". We were the only family present on this occasion and it was clear he was proud to have us there. Since our move to Ukraine, Roman began to come to our apartment every day after school. We do all we can to provide for his needs - physical, emotional and spiritual. Through this process he has become and integral part of our family and we are excited to help him in what lies ahead now that he is no longer in the orphanage.
Right now we are focusing our efforts on helping Roman find better schooling in the Sumy area. As of now, his orphanage has him set for a low-end trade school in the village where his mother now resides. It is an awful, dangerous village and Roman would be forced to live in an environment that would put his very physical life in danger daily. His mother's boyfriend is an abusive alcoholic who attempts to stab Roman and his brothers when he is drunk. Recently, Roman's older brother Losha (who is currently at the same trade school) received a deep stab wound in his leg. Roman was there visiting his brother when this happened and was able to pulle the knife out... they might not be so lucky in the future.

Our prayers for Roman, Losha and the rest of the Yermenkos is that God would give us wisdom and direction as we attempt to help these desperate children. God is clearly moving and providing a new way and life for these young boys as we work alongside them. Please join with us and pray that we can continue to provide the resources that will best help them. All prayers and support are greatly needed in this effort.

The "Shevchenko" Family
Sergey Hutarev and Dusya Sityuk both graduated from Pravda in 2006, and together, they now have a beautiful 14-month-old daughter, Vala. These three (along with Dusya's brother, Misha, and Sergey's brother, Vova) live in the little village of Ivanivka, in sight of the Pravda orphanage where they spent the majority of their childhood growing up together. WIth almost no support and no example to look to of how to raise a healthy family, Sergey and Dusya, both only 19 years old, work hard to love each other and support themselves. Both have heart wrenching stories of absent parents and what they endured as young children. Dusya's heart for people is uniquely beautiful, especially considering she didn't grow up with anyone showing her consisten love in any form. She has a natural ability to pour out motherly love and care, not only to Vala, but also to many of the kids from Pravda who daily come to hang out at their house. Sergey's love for Dusya and Vala is beyond words. He finds what work he can to provide for them and strives to be the loving father that he never had. Hard working and committed, they are currently saving to have gas and water installed in the little house they were fortunate to inherit from Dusya's grandmother.

Open Arms has been truly blessed in our relationship with this precous family, even before they left the orphanage. They have always had a strong influence on the kids of Pravda, continuing since they graduated thanks to the close proximity of their home to the orphanage. God recently showed us how significant their salvation would be to these other kids - both thsoe already graduated and those still at Pravda - because of this influence. Please join us in praying for God to allow us to contiue to support, love them, and see God work mightily in their lives.
Thanks and PrayersThank you for all of your prayers and support as we minister in Ukraine. We need you so much as we continue our ministry and follow where God lead us. We have many needs and prayer requests that we wanted to share. You are such a vital part of our ministry and we are so thankful for your help.

- Pray that local churches/Christians would support, enourage, and join our ministry
- Pray for the graduates who are on summer break right now, that God would protect them
- Pray for God to give us His wisdom and guidance as we set up more boundaries and structure in our ministry
- Pray for God to soften the hearts of the children we work with, that He would provide opportunities for the gospel to be shared, that He would give them faith and salvation
- Pray for opportunities to network with already existing organizations in Ukraine that would help us develop a school and work program for the graduates
- Pray for the children that in prison, that we would learn how to best minister to their needs and that God would comfort them and draw them to Himself
- Pray for our own spiritual enouragement and unity as a team

If you would like to become a part of Open Arms Ukraine through prayers, financial support, or would like to hold a fundraiser to help with the costs of running such a ministry, your help is greatly needed and appreciated. All checks should be made out to Open Arms Ukraine and mailed to P.O. Box 277, San Lorenzo, CA 94580-0277. Feel free to e-mail us with any questions you may have: OpenArmsMinistry@gmail.com. With the body of Christ, great things are possible in His name.

PO Box 277 * San Lorenzo, CA 94580-0277 * (510)435-3625 * OpenArmsMinistry@gmail.com * www.openarmsukraine.org

January Update

We wanted to send an update as, drum roll please… we are preparing to move over to Ukraine by March 1st. We are very excited to begin this new chapter of our ministry as God directs and leads us in our long-term ministry.

To get us started, we will be living in an apartment in Sumy, and establishing ourselves there. We will be checking out local churches and networking with ministries who have developed transitional programs in Ukraine. We will be reaching out to the many Pravda graduates in their various locations and continuing our ministry with the Pravda orphanage. We are Lord willing, going to be running a two-week summer camp at the orphanage this summer.

While we are here preparing for this move, the weather in Ukraine has been below freezing, often reaching negative temperatures. Most all of the orphans don't have sufficient clothing for the harsh winter weather. Cold, with nothing to do and no one supporting them it is really easy for these kids to get themselves into trouble. Please pray that God would fill them with hope and show them joy in a country where it's normal to live a depressed life of alcoholism. Pray that God will provide for their needs and bring them encouragement in the cold and lonely months of winter.

As we prepare to move we ask that you would take some time to ask God how you might be a part of this ministry. Financial support is greatly needed as we still need commitments to cover our necessary monthly support. Timing is critical as we are set to leave the end of February. Any size donation will help keep this desperately needed ministry going. If you want to partner with us in our ministry by supporting financially, please e-mail us at openarmsministry@gmail.com for more information on how you can help.

Thank you for the way you support this ministry through your prayers and support! Please continue to pray for Open Arms Ukraine and the lonely orphan children who so badly need love and support.