Graduate Weekend Report

This past weekend we had 11 graduates and one of their 3 year old all in our apartment for a graduate program. The kids arrived on Saturday afternoon and the day was packed full of activities that went late into the evening. The time was spent playing games, singing, worship, sharing and reading the Bible, and enjoying good snacks and fellowship. Sashko talked about friends and how they influence us and the importance of having good friends. He shared about how God can be your friend. This is a concept that the kids have a hard time understanding. It was a good opportunity for us to share with them our experiences and how we have seen God as our friend. The kids were asked what they thought were good qualities in a friend and made to think about their friendships.

On Sunday morning we woke up early to make it to church. We have one bathroom so it did take us a little longer than normal to get out of the house. But fortunately no fights broke out over who was gonna use the sink first. We were honestly a little surprised with how many kids went to church and even made it through the whole service. Although our apartment was packed full, it was a weekend full of love and fun. Thank you all who prayed for this weekend!

$10 Challenge - What You Did!

We were so blessed and overwhelmed by the response and generosity to our $10 Challenge a couple weeks ago! Our goal was 10 donors a day, giving $10 each, for 10 days, for a total of $1000. We didn't have 10 donors every single day, but in 9 out of 10 days, we received over $100. 62 people donated to Open Arms in those 10 days for a grand total of $2, 472. 42!

You guys were amazing! We are so thankful for each and every one of you - those who gave money, those of you who prayed, and those who reposted the challenge and got friends to join. I know we've said it before, but we truly could not continue this ministry without you. Thank you so much for all of your support and prayer!

This weekend we will be having an over-night graduate outreach in Sumy. We're expecting up to 18 kids to come crash our apartment and enjoy a time of fellowship, Bible study, church and more. Your support from the $10 Challenge will help us put this weekend on. Thanks again! Please keep us in your prayers this weekend!

At-Risk Youth Conference

This past weekend we were able to attend a conference for at risk youth along with our team of Ukrainian volunteers. We already knew we were supposed to attend this conference as we got it sponsored in less than 24 hours. To all of you who supported financially or with prayers we are so grateful. God used you in our ministry this weekend.There is no doubt that we were meant to attend this conference and it would not have happened without our supporters. It was such a good time of fellowship with other people who are doing this same kind of work. We were able to connect with people who have the same hearts we do for these precious kids.

The couple who put on the conference, were a huge blessing to us. They have walked in our shoes and had so much wisdom and knowledge to impart to us. They sat with us and shared stories when they were first starting out which helped us to see there is hope for us. Sometimes people just knowing what you are going through brings comfort.

This conference was one of the first times we were able to spend this much time with our Ukrainian team. It was exciting to see our team bond together. We believe God has big things in store for Open Arms and we are excited to see how it is going to change and grow.

Thanks again to all of your who helped support through prayer and sponsoring!

Vitalik

Vitalik has been making all of us happy with the progress he’s shown over the past few months. He has gotten much better at communication. He calls & texts showing respect & accountability. He has gotten tremendously better at saying “no” to the kids that used to use him for money & drinking company. Couple of times Anika has initiated cooking the things that he’s been learning to make at his trade school. & the results were quite good.

Vitalik, like most of our kids, has had it pretty rough. He doesn’t remember ever seeing either of his parents (who by now had both passed away). His first memories in life are a baby orphanage, where he was taken together with his sister, who now lives in Crimea (southern Ukraine). Vitalik has his interesting moments (again, like most of the kids we work with). But for the most part he’s an extremely easy-going kid, which has not been doing him good service when he was surrounded by trouble kids. He is always willing to help & join any type of activity. He constantly cracks jokes, & gets a kick out of them himself.

For the past 13 years he has been spending his summers with a host family in France. French culture has shaped Vitalik’s personality in interesting ways. He associates himself with French folks. & he sincerely doesn’t understand a lot of things here in Ukraine, & why they work the way they work. He’s good at French. So much so that he will be going to the Pravda orphanage to translate for an older lady that is coming to visit there. He’s been teaching me some words. & though I am not the best student, Vitalik gets really fired up & excited when I show an interest in his help. He loves to be needed.

& he needs to be loved…

The $10 Challenge!

We were overwhelmed this past week by the quick and willing support we received in sponsoring our team to go to the Youth At-Risk conference next month. We are so thankful for those of you who sponsored each of our team members! The truth is, we would not have been able to afford it without you.

For the next 10 days - October 25th through November 3rd - we are putting out a new challenge, particularly to all our friends on Facebook. Open Arms Ukraine needs your help. Introducing... The $10 challenge! Often people think that if you can't give a lot, you can't help - which is far from the truth. If each of our 794 friends on Facebook gave $10, that would be close to $8000! Just 10 bucks could make a huge difference for us.

Truthfully, we are struggling with our financial support and aren't sure that we will be able to afford to keep our whole team in Sumy through December right now. Your $10 could make the difference in us being able to stay and continue to support these kids. Consider giving up your venti Starbucks for a couple days. Or not going out to lunch one day this week. We need your help!

We need at least 10 people a day to step up and give $10 for the next 10 days. If you can give more than $10, give more! We'll be posting updates on how we're doing daily and letting you know how close we are to our daily goal. Donations can be made online through PayPal. Its as simple as 4 steps:

Step 1 - Sign in at PayPal.com

Step 2 - Click Send Money

Step 3 - To: OpenArmsMinistry@gmail.com, amount: $10 [or more if you can!], as a personal gift

Step 4 - Confirm and send!

Your $10 will help us continue to do things like Bible studies with Vitalik and Vova, visit kids in the hospital, support young families like Dusya and Sergey, take trips to Sasha in the Sambir Juvenile Colony, and much more. We are excited to see how God continues to provide for Open Arms through each of you. We'll let you know how it goes! Thanks for joining us in this challenge!

Friday Bible study

One of the main reasons things that had been on my heart as I was moving to Sumy – is to be about teaching the Word. We got some Bibles in Ukrainian & Russian. & a week after I took some Bibles to the orphanage the director has banned it. & that’s after she told me I can come twice a week, at any time, without even calling her about it. So we only managed to have one Bible study with the kids there. The teachers didn’t seem to be very supportive of it. They kept snatching the kids out for various reasons. Which to be fair – the kids there hardly have any spare time to sit down & read from the Word.
When the summer began I talked with our graduates boys here about having a weekly Bible study. They liked the idea. Especially Vova Gutarev. But as the summer came & the boys schedules were all different – we never managed to begin to get around the Bible.
Well. Praise God for school & for solid schedules! Vova & Vitalik who go to the same school in Krsanopillya, spend pretty much every weekend in Sumy. Every Friday the boys go straight to my place, before they make their way to the Open Arms girls’ place. Last Friday it was really on my heart to read through some Word with Vitalik & Vova. & so we did. We read from Matthew 5, then the whole story of Noah, & went back to Matthew. Vitalik acted bored, though listened. & Vova said that he’d love to read some more. That’s after almost two hours of teaching!
Now we are hoping to have an every Friday Bible study with these boys, & as Lord would bring – maybe some more boys.

How to donate online while the website is down

As the website is still unavailable because of a virus [click here to read what happened], the option of donating online is a little more difficult than normal. However it is possible! In case you're not the most internet-savvy below is a step-by-step "how to" on donating online without the Open Arms website!

Go to www.PayPal.com and sign into your account. Once signed in, click Send Money at the top.

In the To box, type OpenArmsMinistry@gmail.com
Enter the dollar amount you would like to donate and select Gift under the Personal category.

You should see this page. Review your info and click Send Money

If you would like to designate your donation to something specific, please use the Email To Recipient option at the bottom and let us know.

Success! We apologize for the inconvenience and the website problems. We're working on getting it back up and running and continuing to keep you all updated as you wait. Thank you for your understanding in regards to the website and for your continued support!

Importance

I think we are all looking for affirmation that we matter - having people who love and support is the greatest gift... to know we belong! For these kids, they are constantly yearning for that place where they belong. There is this show from the states that I absolutely love for the fact that I see so much of our kids in the characters; it's called Life Unexpected and recently one episode echoes in my mind. The main character grew up in foster care and group homes, much like these beautiful faces I see each day. While reliving some of her past she said, "what about a few years after that, when I was three and stuck in a hospital where no one visited?" I've always thought and wondered about how our kids make it through those kinds of moments...

Melissa and Yaroslav at the hospital

Getting to visit children from Pravdinska staying in Sumy for various ailments has been such a gift. One, for the purpose of connecting, but even more so, for the fact that we get to be those people who visit when no one else would. So that one day, they don't have to look back and wonder. What a gift it is to be those people in these beautiful children's lives?

Anika and Sasha in the hospital after surgery

Not only were we able to visit Yaroslav and Sasha this past week in hospitals here in Sumy (as well as Yaroslav, Vova, Marina, and Sergei), but we are currently getting ready to head out to Western Ukraine to visit a very special kid I like to call my little brother although most people simply know him as Sasha. On Monday we will receive our regular monthly visit as his "family" and then we will be able to return on Sunday October 3rd for Parent's Day! Who gets to do this? I seriously ask myself that question from time to time... because I get the utter privilege to be a family to these amazing kids - can't wait to get back and share all the answers to prayers!

Anya's Twins

We've recently had the privilege of reconnecting with older graduates of the Pravdinska orphanage. Two of whom are Anya (2006) and her brother Andre (2007). The two live together in a village right outside of Sumy with their 2 older brothers and older sister; not to mention Anya's twin girls who are beautiful at 9 months. It is definitely a packed little house, but it is clear that these kids are working together to make it in this life.

Their dad died 7 years ago and the mom stopped being a part of their lives altogether and these beautiful kids were sent to Pravdinska. It's such a gift to have known them for over 5 years now and to still be a part of their lives. We were invited into their home, shared tea, and were given a tour of their village. We are excited to see where this reconnection takes us as we have watched so many graduate girls struggle with children and Anya faces the unique challenge of twins. We hope to be an emotional support as she finds her way in this life.

Back to School

We often talk about Dusya, Sergey (aka Shevchenko) and their beautiful little girl, Vala (now 3!). They are one of our favorite little families having made it through so many rough times - it is such a privilege to be considered a part of their family as well!

Most often, we feel like their older siblings. We are the people they can tell the truth to, ask for help from, and come to for advice. It's such a special relationship and one I definitely cherish. As school time has come around again Dusya is entering her second year at the trade school, Sergey is trying to work and provide for the family and Vala is going to be strutting her stuff at the local day care on most days... she is beyond excited! Of course we couldn't let our little princess go back to school without some new clothes. This is a picture of our back to school shopping day with the family we affectionately refer to as "The Shevchenkos". New shoes for dad, a PE outfit for mom, and a new dress for Vala... it was one of those perfect days! And it is in these moments, I feel so privileged for how far we have come with these kids. They trust us with so much more and I am so utterly thankful to be here for them.

- Annie

Sambir Prison Ministry!

While one door has been closed to do what we'd planned for the summer program at the orphanage, a new door has been opened in the Sambir Juvenile Colony. Open Arms has been visiting the prison for over almost 2 years and we have always had a desire to be able to bring more ministry to the whole prison and bring Love to more of the boys there. The assistant chief of the prison gave us an instant green light when we asked if we could bring a team in for a couple of days and they are very open to whatever program we bring in.

We will be bringing in our a small team of Ukrainians to run a 2-day program. Relay races, basketball and volleyball tournaments, discussion groups, worship concerts and sharing the grace of God are all a part of what we will be doing for with the 127 boys residing in the Sambir Juvenile Colony. At our last visit with Sasha Pevniv, he shared with us about how many of the teenage boys there have no one who visits. Our prayer is that these young men will be able to receive a tangible expression God's love and grace, as we have been blessed to share individually with Sasha every month when we visit.

An opportunity like this is something that many ministries work years for. The reality of this part of our trip is that it won't be cheap. Sambir is on the opposite side of Ukraine from where Sumy is and our team will take a 17 hour train to get there. There will be hotel stays and many other expenses that we didn't anticipate when planning a camp. We are also hoping to provide an extra special meal for the boys while we are there. The total cost of these days of ministry will cost over $1000. This is a chance for you to be a part of a truly special opportunity! If you would like to donate to this specific work in the prison, you can give by mail or through our website. Please note in your check or by email of how you would like your donation to be used.

openarmsministry@gmail.com * PO Box 277, San Lorenzo, CA 94580

Prayer Day - Monday, May 10th

This week on Monday, May 10th, Open Arms is inviting you to join us in a day of prayer for our ministry and the kids we work with. We will be praying on the hour from 9am to 9pm for our kids, ministry, finances, direction, and other specifics. We are asking you to join us for a day of focused prayer for His ministry in Ukraine through Open Arms.

There are endless lists of children's names, ministry goals, dreams, and financial needs that need prayer. On Monday we will be focusing on camp and prison ministry.

In 3 short weeks, a team of 10 volunteers from the States will be flying out of California to Sumy to run a camp at the Pravdinska orphanage for 2 weeks. There is still a lot of work to be done, tasks to cross of the list, money to be raised and hurdles to be jumped. We believe that God has huge plans for our summer camp this year and it has been obvious to us that opposition in many forms has been trying to slow us down and stop us. As you join us for this day of prayer, we ask that you would especially be lifting up our camp. From May 31st through June 14th at the orphanage for about 120 kids, Christians from Ukraine and America will be sharing the love of Christ and how to live life "strong and courageous" in Him. These are some specific things you can be praying about for camp:

Official Permissions - We are required to receive approval from the Ministry of Education in Sumy to run our program at the orphanage every year. It hasn't been a problem in the past, but this year it has still yet to come through. Please pray that God would continue to keep this door open at the Pravdinska orphanage and that we would receive the official permission next week.

Orphanage Director, Nina - We have always considered ourselves blessed to have a good working relationship with the orphanage director, Nina. Recently she has been less willing to work with us and has been having us jump through hoops to be able to continue our ministry to the kids. Please pray that God will change her heart and that she'd again be open to us, and even more open to Him.

Unity of American and Ukrainian Teams - Please pray that our teams will be able to gel together quickly and work side by side to run this camp. Pray that we will be a worthy example of how the Body of Christ should function and be able to love on these kids without holding back.

Finances/Fundraising - Our team is working on raising $2300 each to help cover the cost of camp, travel, food, lodging, supplies and everything else that camp entails. We're currently still short $10,000/ only about half way of what our team needs to raise. Pray that God would open hearts to give and provide for all the needs of camp.

Our Interaction with Orphanage Staff - Pray that we will be able to work in cooperation with the teachers, cooks, coaches and other orphanage staff as we are there for 2 weeks. Pray that we would be able to share God's love with them as well and that we wouldn't have any issues working our camp schedule with their regular routine with the kids.

Safety and Health - Our team will be flying from the States and coming in on trains and buses from around Ukraine to the orphanage. Pray for safety in all the travels and that God would keep everyone healthy and overflowing with energy to spend nearly every waking moment with these kids.

Kids Coming to Know the Lord - Our ultimate goal in putting on this camp is that the kids would come to know the Lord as their Savior and Heavenly Father. Pray that His love, truth and grace would be clearly spoken and shown. Pray that every child would individually know that they are loved by Him and accept His grace in their lives.

In addition to praying for camp next month, we also ask that you pray for one specific young man in our prison ministry:

Sasha Pevniv - Sasha is currently in a juvenile prison in western Ukraine, with less than 11 months left to finish his sentence. We visit him monthly and believe that God has big plans for his life. Our desire is to help him rehabilitate into life after prison as he gets out and to encourage him to live his life differently than he did before prison. Sasha has asked us to pray for him to have strength to get through the rest of his time in prison. Thus far he has not only stayed out of trouble, but has been made a leader in his work and his group there. He wants to do better and change his life when he gets out, but it will be hard to resist the culture and friends that won't want to or know how to support that change. Pray for strength, now and when he gets out. Pray that God would get a hold of his heart and that Sasha would accept Jesus as his Savior. He's very open to God and its clear that God is working on him. If you are interested in learning more about Sasha or our prison ministry feel free to check out his profile at www.openarmsukraine.org in the "meet the children" section.

Thank you so much for all the prayers and support of this ministry! If you want more information on camp or Sasha or general ministry, please visit our website [www.openarmsukraine.org] or feel free to send us an email [openarmsministry@gmail.com].

We look forward to seeing how God moves in the coming weeks and reporting on the answers to prayer!

Newsletter - January 2010

INTRODUCING SASHKO

Open Arms Ukraine is excited to announce that Alexander Petrov (Sashko) will be joining our ministry full-time in this New Year. Sashko will be focusing on our orphanage programming – camps, relationship building, the 8th and 9th grade program as well as special programs when needed. We can't wait to have another member on the Open Arms team; one whose heart aligns with our vision and ministry; someone who loves the Lord and His children in Ukraine.

Here's just a little bit from Sashko's heart about joining Open Arms: "Little did I know that hours after arriving at the orphanage my first visit, my heart would connect with some of the most sincere and open kids I have ever met. Now, two years later, I see that those days at Pravdinsky changed me forever and I can't picture my life without those children. My heart for them is that they come to know the Lord Jesus Christ personally, that they will have a foundation in pure and solid Biblical doctrine; that they will not only adjust to life after the orphanage successfully, but they will grow into solid men and women of God, who are examples for others in taking God's call in their lives. I consider it a great privilege to join the work God is doing through Open Arms."

There are countless reasons that make Sashko an unbelievable asset to our team. His connection with the children and compassion towards them can only take place through God's leading. Our goal is to raise monthly support of $500 towards Sashko's living and ministry expenses. If you would like to take part in monthly giving or one time support check out www.openarmsukraine.org or send a check made out to Open Arms Ukraine and mailed to P.O. Box 277, San Lorenzo, CA 94580 with "Sashko" written in the memo line. We are excited to share all that God does through Sashko in the year to come!!

A FACE OF OPEN ARMS – SASHA PEVNIV

Sasha is a rare kid – he is hard not love when first met simply because of his radiating smile. His charm and charisma make him an irresistible person to be around and he lights up the room simply with his presence. He has a zest for life that is hard to match! Break-dancing and listening to music are some of his greatest loves, but the things Sasha loves most in the world are people; the friends he considers family and holds so dear.

At 7, Sasha was abandoned by his mother and placed in the orphanage system. After finishing the orphanage following the 9th grade, without even a high school diploma, he was sent to a trade school in the nearby town of Krasnapolye. Within his first 3 months, Sasha made, what will hopefully remain, the biggest mistake of his life. After stealing with a group of boys, Sasha found himself sentenced to 4 ½ years in prison. He was sent to the Sambir Juvenile Colony in Western Ukraine to carry out his sentence and we have been privileged to continue our ministry with him. Monthly visits are made with hours spent talking, laughing, and sharing about God's love.

In March 2009, Sasha completed the first year of his prison sentence. Though the time is wearing on him, he remains strong in desiring to do what is best with his time and receive early release on good behavior. We continually explore the possibilities of transition programs that may help Sasha following his time in Sambir; that these years in the juvenile facility could not define him, but help him become a better person in following Christ.

Please join us in prayer as Sasha explores what it means to love and live for God. We pray for a miracle – for Sasha to find freedom both spiritually and physically. We pray for strength and courage – that Sasha can stand strong among the other young men. We pray for hope – that he would never lose sight of his future with Christ.

GRADUATE MINISTRY

Open Arms is so thankful for how well the graduate ministry has been going with the 2009 graduates from the Pravdinsky orphanage. We have been blessed with ten graduates to be studying in Sumy this year. As a result of our established relationship with their director, we have been given an open door to continue our ministry with these children.

Each Tuesday night, we pick up the graduates throughout Sumy and head to the church where we currently meet. Tea, coffee, and snack keep things relaxed as we start off the night with games and other activities. Thought provoking questions pertaining to everyday life and the Bible are usually presented to direct the overall conversation. This provides a unique forum for the children to think about their futures while we share God's truth.

It is evident the kids look forward to this time weekly, not only by their presence, but by their engaged attitudes. We also try to make weekly appointments with them to connect outside these Tuesday night meetings. This will usually consist of meeting for coffee in the center or visiting with them at their trade schools. This allows for time to talk about whatever is on their hearts: their day, friends, or difficulties in their lives. These times also offer a reminder to them that they are loved and have people who care for them and support them daily. This is a difficult transition period as they children make their marks outside of the orphanage. Our desire is to walk alongside them in decision making, offer advice and guidance, and sharing God's love.

SUMMER CAMP 2010

After last year's summer camp at the orphanage, we are excited to begin preparing and organizing the plans for summer camp 2010! This year we will base our camp on the theme verse, Joshua 1:9 – “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." Camouflage and an army theme will replace last year's super heroes and we will tie those themes into daily Bible lessons. We are excited to talk about subjects that these children are so often dealing with and teach them what God’s Word has to teach about these topics. Through discussions and lessons about emotions such as fear, loneliness, and anger, we’ll be able to help the kids see what God says, how He meets them where they are, and how to be strong and courageous in Him.

Please pray for us as we plan camp at the Pravdinsky orphanage this summer. Camp will run for 2 weeks in the beginning of June. We are currently putting together a team of American and Ukrainians to run the camp, lead the lessons, and build new and continued relationships with the 150 kids at the orphanage. If you are interested please contact us at OpenArmsMinistry@gmail.com or check online at www.openarmsministry.org. If you would like to contribute to this year's camp, please visit our website or send a check made out to Open Arms Ukraine and mailed to P.O. Box 277, San Lorenzo, CA 94580 with "summer camp" written in the memo line! Looking forward to sharing this with you how summer camp unfolds!

PRAYER REQUESTS

Please Pray:

- That God would provide the financial support for Sashko's addition as well as our growing ministries in Ukraine

- That God would begin working out His plans for summer camp: teams, support, programming, etc.

- For the upcoming presidential election in Ukraine and the new president's potential impact on ministry

- For continued growth and direction with our graduate ministry, as well as a permanent location for meetings

- For continued guidance and vision for God's plans in ministry for Open Arms in Ukraine

Open Arms Ukraine would like to thank you all for your prayers, support, and encouragement throughout 2009! This year of ministry could not have taken place without all of you, so we owe you our most sincere gratitude. We look forward to sharing with you all that God does throughout 2010!!