Camp Goodness- Day 10

     Today Annie and Katy visited some of the grads at their trade school to celebrate a birthday and invite them to camp while the rest of us did some shopping for supplies. The grads are getting really excited about camp and we can't wait for our time with them. 

     Thank you, thank you, thank you to those of you who have sponsored our grads and have been joining us in prayer!! We are up to 16 sponsors. We truly appreciate your generosity and are grateful that we are able to offer the grads a weekend retreat for free. If you are interested in sponsoring a grad to come to camp please contact us at OpenArmsMinistry@gmail.com or just click on the donate button.

Today we are praying for:

S.P.

Many of you have read about and been praying for S.P. for a few years now. He is such a fun, caring person and truly a joy to be around. S.P. has a lot of natural leadership abilities and the other grads, especially the younger ones, really look up to him. We are praying that camp is not only a place where he can continue to grow; but also, a time where he can be an example to the other grads of what it looks like to live for God. 

Olya

Olya graduated from Pravda a few years ago and has been diligently studying and working in a village outside of Sumy. She is very supportive and loving to anyone she calls friend. Last year at Summer camp she shared with us that it was a good break for her. We are really praying that her work schedule will permit her to come to this retreat so that we can love and encourage her.

Olya and Melissa at Summer Camp

Camp Goodness- Day 9

It's crazy to think that at this time next week we will be with our grads at camp!! Thank you so much to those of you who have already sponsored grads to come to camp! We have 14 kids sponsored so far. Please continue to pray with us throughout this next week as we prepare for next weekend. Also, if you are interested in sponsoring a grad to come to camp please contact us at OpenArmsMinistry@gmail.com. 


Today we are praying for:

Tanya

Tanya is in her 3rd year of trade school in Sumy. She has such a strong desire to be loved & clings to anyone who will give her a piece of their heart. She's sweet & caring & loves her friends so much.

Yula
Yula has a very sweet spirit. She is a little bit on the quieter side.When she sees us she always runs to give hugs. It has been fun to see her transformation over the past 6 years and watching her grow into a young woman. 

Camp Goodness- Day 8

Today we have been calling and officially inviting kids to camp! We have already had a positive and excited response from those we have talked to. Please continue to pray for the grads this week. Pray that the Lord would be working in their hearts. Also, that the Lord will bring together the exact group of grads that are supposed to be at camp.

We are also still in need of more camp sponsors. If you are interested in sponsoring a grad to come to camp please contact us at OpenArmsMinistry@gmail.com. The cost of sponsoring a grad is $65 and covers the cost of food, crafts, games, and more.

Today we are praying specifically for:

Oksana

Oksana is a sweet, loving girl who has always longed to have more people to love her. She's happy to be doing just about anything as long as she is surrounded by love. Looking forward to giving her some extra loving at camp!

Sasha S.

 Sasha is also a kid who longs for relationship. He has been at the orphanage the entire time we have been there for the past 6 years & has just recently graduated. He loves to have his picture taken & will never walk by without stopping to say hi & give a hug. 

Camp Goodness- Day 7

Camp is about a week and a half away and things are coming together! We have bible lessons planned, games, crafts, a location, and the rest of our team joins us tomorrow. Thank you for continuing to join us as we pray each day for our grads. We are also still hoping for more camp sponsors. If you are interested in helping get one of our grads to camp please contact us at OpenArmsMinistry@gmail.com. 

Join us today as we pray for:

Anya

Anya is a gifted & talented girl. She was a dancing & academic star at the orphanage and just graduated last May. It will be difficult for her to transition into trade school where she may be passed over. We are looking forward to encouraging her & helping her find herself at camp!

Ivan H.

Ivan is a somewhat quiet kid if you don't know him, not one to usually push for any special attention. He loves soccer & competing in just about any sport. We're excited to hang out with him at camp & pour into his life

Camp Goodness- Day 6

Today as we sit around the kitchen table cutting out verses for the kids at camp and working on details of what we are going to share, we are getting more and more excited! So far we have 12 kids sponsored and have been praying for 11 kids specifically. Join us today as we pray for Roman and Lusya. Pray that God would work in their hearts even now and that He would provide more people to help sponsor kids. If you are interested in more information regarding camp sponsors feel free to email us OpenArmsMinistry@gmail.com. 

Roman Kabanets

Roman graduated over a year ago & has been studying in a Sumy trade school since. He loves to help support his family & help his friends when he can. We loved having him at our Fall retreat and are looking forward to him coming to Spring retreat too!

Roman making a picture frame at Fall Grad Retreat.

Lusya

 Lusya is a spunky, feisty but oh so lovable. Her sometimes harsh exterior is totally a facade for her sweet & tender heart. 

Lusya at her graduation.

Camp Goodness- Day 5

Thank you again to those of you who have already sponsored grads to come to camp! With camp just two weeks away we are still hoping to get a few more sponsors. If you are interested in sponsoring a kid please contact us at OpenArmsMinistry@gmail.com or give via the PayPal button below. The cost of sponsoring a grad is $65 and covers the cost of transportation, food, crafts, games, and more.  

Sorry for forgetting to post yesterday! Today we are praying for:

Ivan Z.

 Ivan is such a fun kid so full of energy and spunk. He loves to dance. You can almost always find him somewhere making up a dance or practicing one. He literally eats, sleeps, and breaths dancing. He is someone who just enjoys life and makes the most of his situation.

Taya

Taya's parents died when she was young, so she has been in the orphanage system for most of her life. Please keep Taya in your prayers as she is in a new trade school in Sumy & is struggling to find who she is. We're excited to see what God will do in her at the retreat!

Continued Camp Goodness

     We realize these blog posts are getting repetitive, but we still have kids to pray for and we would love to have you join us. While we are blessed to already have 12 kids sponsored, we are still looking for more people to step up and help us get these kids to camp. Thank you so much to those of you have already sponsored our grads! Camp is just two weeks away and we are really looking forward to our time with them.
       If you are interested in sponsoring a kid to come to camp please contact us at OpenArmsMinistry@gmail.com or give via the PayPal button below. The cost of sponsoring a grad is $65 and covers the cost of transportation, food, crafts, games, and more.  

 Join us today as we are pray for:

Ruslan

Ruslan is a kid that always has a smile on his face. He exudes happiness even though his life has not always been so happy. He is a joker and loves to laugh. 

Ruslan being silly at the Fall Grad Retreat

Yana

It is almost impossible to be at the orphanage for as many years as we have been working and not see all of the kids yell at someone at least once. But I can say that I have never seen Yana yell. When she talks to others she is always very sweet. She is so polite and always smiling. She is always positive and very loving. She attends a trade school that is a few hours away from us but we are always excited when we have the opportunity to see her. We can't wait to see her at camp!

Help a Grad Come to Camp!

Thank you so much to everyone that has been partnering with us both through prayer and finances! We already have sponsors for 8 grads to come to camp! If you are interested in sponsoring a grad, please contact us at OpenArmsMinistry@gmail.com or give via the PayPal button below. The cost of sponsoring a grad is $65 and covers the cost of transportation, food, crafts, games, and more. 

Today, join us as we are pray for:

Slavik
Slavik spent many years growing up at the orphanage despite the fact that he has family in Sumy. He's kind of a quiet guy, but he has a huge heart. Hoping to help draw out his heart & encourage him at camp! Slavik also broke his toes recently so be praying that they heal quickly. 

Slavik at our Fall Grad Retreat

Ura

Ura's been at the orphanage for his whole life & doesn't have any family. No one comes to visit him but he still has managed to keep his tender heart. He's very loyal to his friends. He's a kid that thrives in community & we're hoping to provide that community for him. 

Sponsor a Grad to Come to Camp!

Thank you for the three people who have committed to sponsoring a grad to come to camp!! In case you missed it yesterday, we are looking for people to sponsor our grad kids to come to camp. The cost for a sponsorship is $65. This covers the cost of transportation, food, games, crafts, and other supplies. If you are interested in sponsoring a grad, please contact us at OpenArmsMinistry@gmail.com or give via the PayPal button below.

Today be praying for:

Lena

Lena just graduated from Pravdinska this year & is looking forward to coming to camp again. She loves to play sports & doesn't have a problem if she's the only girl playing. :) She is a girl with a strong personality who isn't afraid to be exactly who she is.

Lena and Annie at her graduation

Ruslan B.

Ruslan also graduated from Pravdinska this past May. He recently reconnected with the Open Arms team and is excited to be able to come to camp this time. Ruslan's older brother went to prison a couple months ago so you can keep both Ruslan and his brother Misha in your prayers.

Help Get a Graduate to Camp!

Thank you so much for joining us in prayer these last couple of days!! We have been working on the details of camp today and are starting to get really excited! Camp is always a great opportunity for us to love on and encourage the kids. As you pray for Sasha T. and Sasha B. today, please also be praying for the finances for camp as well. Our camps are always free for the kids because we never want money to stop them from coming. If you are interested in sponsoring to help cover the cost of one of our graduates to come to camp, please contact us at OpenArmsMinistry@gmail.com or give via the PayPal button below. The cost for one camper is $65, which covers their transportation, food, games, and other supplies. 

                                               
Sasha B.

 In terms of family, Sasha & his sister Anya only have each other. He's a kid that teachers have often overlooked & not seen his potential. He thrives on relationships & we are so excited to be able to work with him at camp!

Sasha T.
Sasha is a kid with great leadership potential who is making big decisions in life about what kind of leader he'll be and who his friends will be. He came to our Fall Grad Retreat and we are looking forward to seeing him again at this next camp. It is going to be a great opportunity to help encourage him! 

Spring Newsletter 2012

UPDATE ON OUR DENTAL PROJECT - SASHA PASKO 
Thanks to your support through the Christmas fundraiser, we’ve been able to provide much needed dental care for one of our graduates: Sasha Pasko! One of his front teeth was broken years ago and had been rotting while causing decay on the surrounding teeth. These were simply the visible problems, Sasha also had 6 molars that needed extensive work due to years of poor dental care at the orphanage.These previous experiences wherein no pain medication was provided had left Sasha terrified walking into his first consultation with the dentist. After the broken tooth was pulled, Sasha walked out of the dentist with a numb smile saying, “that didn’t hurt at all!” From that point on, Sasha’s fear turned into sheer excitement. He couldn’t wait to “never stop smiling”! 

One of the best moments through this entire process came after his front 4 teeth were capped and sealed. Sasha had only felt the work that had been done and upon seeing it in a mirror he all but yelled, “It looks exactly like a real tooth!!!” Alongside this work, our team is doing our best to educate Sasha about the importance of proper hygiene while providing the tools he needs to take care of his “new teeth” in the future.The work on Sasha in nearing completion, but he is not the only graduate we work with who is in need of dental care. If you are interested in helping support our dental project you can send checks to Open Arms Ukraine, PO Box 277, San Lorenzo, CA 94580 or you can donate online at www.openarmsukraine.blogspot.com. Simply put in a note “for dental care” and we will make sure that gift is used to help kids like Sasha achieve a healthy smile. Once again, to everyone who has already given, prayed, and supported us in this project: THANK YOU!!!

SPRING GRAD RETREAT

We are excited to share with you that during the weekend of April 6th-8th we will be having a Spring grad retreat! It will be a time for the grads to get away from their trade schools and enjoy a weekend of fellowship, games, crafts, and learning more about God’s word. This retreat is the weekend before Easter and we want to utilize this opportunity in sharing with them the hope they can have through the death and resurrection of Jesus. Please join us in praying for this time that we will have with the grads. Pray that the Lord would be with us as we plan the retreat and that He would begin to work in the hearts of the grads even now. Be sure to look for more updates regarding this retreat as the time approaches.

A FACE OF OPEN ARMS - KATYA KASHENKO

Katya Kashenko is a joyful part of our graduate ministry. She finished the 9th grade at the Pravdinska orphanage in 2011 at the age of 15 and began her study at a trade school in Sumy this past September. Her younger sister and brother are currently staying with an aunt and uncle in a nearby village while her older sister has the privilege of studying in the US. Though Katya may appear quiet to those who don’t know her she is actually full of spunk with a contagious giggle. She loves to be with her friends and enjoys the pastimes of many other teenage girls: painting her nails, doing hair, and dancing. Katya is incredibly creative and has a patience for seeing projects through to completion. At Open Arms camps, you can always find her creating another beautiful gift for a friend or helping someone else with the craft at hand.

Katya is currently studying to be a “cook” at her trade school, but sadly, this trade will offer her very few opportunities in life. The adjustment to life outside the orphanage has been rough for Katya - she went from seeing her younger brother and sister daily to seeing them on occasion when she is able to make her way to the village. In light of these challenges, the Open Arms team is so very grateful that she is going to a trade school in Sumy which allows us to see her frequently and keep in close relationship to her in ministry. Katya has a special heart for others and a unique tenderness that is combined with a beautiful strength. We look forward to sharing with you all that God does in this beautiful girl’s life!

2012 Goals

2012 has been off to an amazing start thanks to so many of you! Our Christmas fundraiser has brought about dental work projects, birthday celebrations, and has kept many kids warm through these winter months. Spring is upon us and the new addition of our Spring Grad Retreat has us beyond excited! This retreat isn’t the only goal that God laid on our hearts as we prayed about a new year in ministry. We wanted to share with you all the plans we have for Open Arms in 2012.

To begin, we have increased the duration and frequency of our graduate camps. After such positive responses from the kids, we want to utilize the chance to take these kids out of their negative environments and spend time with them in worship, Biblical discussions, games, and crafts, while they connect with our team and learn more about their Heavenly Father.

Another big goal on the table for 2012 is to purchase a ministry van! This would be huge for us for many reasons, but taking a trip that currently requires 3 hours using public transportation down to 1 hour by van would drastically change our abilities to connect with more children on a daily basis.

Additionally, our ministry has always felt a strong tie to the children in villages who are living in circumstances that will most likely bring them to an orphanage. Many families struggle deeply to survive, but within each village are many children who aren’t provided for in terms of their basic life essentials. We desire to begin a new project to bring children food, clothes, and friendship in a specific village while hoping to share with them the love of Christ through it all.

We share these goals with you to ask for your prayers, support, and accountability as God moves and works through the ministry of Open Arms Ukraine. You each play a critical role and nothing would take place without your support. We can’t wait experience the journey with you all this year!

PLEASE JOIN US IN PRAYER...

• For our spring graduate retreat: that the children’s hearts would be open, present, and that God would direct all our planning as we prepare.

• For our 2012 goals: that God would open doors and provide for the ministries He has placed on our hearts.

• For our Ukrainian volunteers: that our church connections within Ukraine would continue to grow and flourish; that leaders would rise up to help with these broken children

Join Us In Prayer- Day 2

Join us today in praying for Katya and Luba!


Katya 

Katya may be small in stature but definitely not in personality! She loves to be with friends & is always full of life & giggles. Katya goes to the trade school here in Sumy. We enjoy having her over during the week to play games, paint our nails, teach her English and just love and encourage her. 

Luba

Luba is a strong leader among the class of girls that graduated this year. She is going to trade school in Sumy & being a fun, beautiful girl she is automatically a target for a lot of things & statistics. As a leader she has potential to lead among other kids at the school to live a better life style. Please pray for Luba & the opportunity to pour into her at camp!

Katya and Luba enjoying fondue!

Join Us In Prayer

Our Spring grad retreat is approaching quickly and we want to be sure to completely cover the graduates in prayer. As a team, we have decided to choose 2-3 graduates to pray for specifically each day. We would love to have you join us as we pray for these kids' hearts and what God has in store for them during the retreat. Spring retreat will be the weekend of April 6^th–9^th.

 Today we are praying for:

Sasha Pasko

Sasha has known the Open Arms team for many years now and has spent even more time with us recently. He's always the first to reply yes to an invite to camp or any kind of grad event. As a new dad and recent graduate from trade school, he is needing a lot of support and encouragement right now. Please be in prayer for him as we try to help him adjust to big changes in life.

Sasha Z.

Sasha is such a joy to be around. You cannot help but laugh when you're around him for even just a minute. He has such a fun personality! He has a little brother & always looks out for him. He is a very caring kid. Sasha came to our Fall grad retreat and often comes over to the Open Arms home. We are looking forward to having him at this camp as well.

 Vitalik V.

Vitalik graduated from Pravdinska 3 years ago & is studying at a trade school in Sumy. He loves to hang out & chat about what's going on in his life & is always excited to get any extra attention. He came to his first grad camp back in October after having to miss our Summer camp. He enjoyed his time at camp as he reconnected with old friends from the orphanage. 

Open Arms Ukraine Urgently Needs YOUR Help!

Dear Friends of Open Arms Ukraine,

During the last few months, you have received various emails requesting that you consider making a contribution to help us meet one of the many needs of our orphan grads here in Ukraine.   Several of you responded to those requests and we are extremely grateful.  Winter coats have been purchased, teeth have been fixed and God is being glorified through those gifts!

However, since those requests were sent out, we have learned from our bookkeeper in California that Open Arms Ukraine is in dire straights right now financially.  We were aware that our budget was tight and we constantly pray for God's continued provision, but we did not realize until this week that we were "running on empty." 

Today, Open Arms Ukraine has a little less than $5,000 in our account in the USA.  That is not even enough funding for the Open Arms Ukraine to operate for two more months.  Many of you may not be aware, but our monthly budget for Open Arms is $3,000 a month. Also, with new ministry opportunities being presented to us, we anticipate needing to increase our monthly budget in the near further.  None of us (Anika, Melissa, Annie and Chelsea) are currently paid a salary and the entire monthly budget goes to renting our ministry space, paying for heating and other bills, food for the orphan grads who live with us, orphanage outreach, camps and other needs which arise almost weekly among the teens and young adult orphan grads we serve. So, we operate on a shoe string budget and at this point in time, there is not even enough funding to see us through 2 more months of ministry.

On behalf of these beautiful orphans, we asking for your help. We need to feed 4 orphan grads daily (they live with us), pay for heat and electricity, provide transportation, clothes, medicine, school fees for the kids as well. We are in urgent need of any financial contribution, which you might be able to make at this time!!  Please consider making a donation of any amount. This will help us get through the next couple of months while we work to secure additional funding and monthly contributors.

Please make your contribution online through PayPal.  They will direct the funds directly to the Open Arms Ukraine bank account.  You can donate online today at:

 

  

This is the quickest way to make a donation and you will receive an email receipt within a month.

Or, if you are more comfortable sending a check through the mail, please email us at openarmsdonations@gmail.com and let us know how much you are donating and then mail your donation to our mailing address:

Open Arms Ukraine

PO Box 277

San Lorenzo, CA 94580

On behalf of the board and the ministry team of Open Arms Ukraine here in Sumy, Ukraine, thank you for partnering with us to meet this URGENT need!!!  It is our prayer that God will multiply these funds and that HE will be glorified through their use, as together we strive to make a difference in the lives of the children here in Ukraine.

Trusting that God will provide,

Anika Bachle

Melissa Keane

Annie Carbonaro

Chelsea Rollins