TRUE LOVE: VALENTINE'S GRAD RETREAT

Camps are a huge part of our ministry to orphanage graduates here at Open Arms. This past year we held three camps for the grads and are so excited for the addition of a Valentine's Weekend Retreat! Here's some of the information of what the retreat will hold and how you can be a part of it!

True Love is an incredibly difficult concept for orphans to grasp. They have been abandoned, abused, and rejected by the very people that were supposed to love and care for them. With Valentine’s Day approaching we thought it would be a great opportunity to share with them about the True Love that awaits them from their Heavenly Father. For most of these children, love is utterly confused with sex. Ukraine is an oversexed country. The orphans are exposed to it at a very young age and become increasingly desensitized to the topic as they grow older. In light of this reality, we feel the need to take some focused time to educate them on things such HIV, AIDS, and other sexually transmitted diseases. Their ignorance puts them in danger and they deserve to understand the truth of what they are doing physically and emotionally. We believe in God's best for them and will be bringing that truth to the table with discussions on abstinence and waiting for the love God has in store for each of their lives.  

We couldn't be more excited about the addition of this retreat in our yearly camp schedule! Not only will we be sharing these important topics but we will be spending our days pouring out God's love into their lives. On top of the discussions and lessons, the days will be filled with good food, games, crafts and so much more. All of it will be topped off with a special dinner on the final night with a chance for the kids to dress up and be served by our Open Arms staff as they enjoy a "fancy" meal and dessert with their friends. We can't wait to share with you about all that takes place!

Now, here is how you can be involved...

The cost per child will be $50, which includes transportation, food, lodging, and every other aspect that the retreat involves. You also have the option of adding a "candy-gram" to your sponsorship for $10. This will include a bag of special candy, Bible verses, and a card letting the grad know that they are being prayed for by you here in the states throughout the retreat. You can choose to do one or the other, or both! 

Partial sponsorships are also a huge gift to our team and these amazing kids.

If you would like to be a part of this year's True Love Retreat by sponsoring an orphanage graduate to attend and/or by sending a candy-gram, click HERE to be redirected to our donation page.

Be checking back for highlights, bios, and more as the retreat unfolds!

THANK YOU, TEMECULA HILLS!

We wanted to take a moment and give our gratitude to Temecula Hills Christian Fellowship who recently partnered with us by holding a socks and underwear drive. The kids in Ukraine often lack these basic necessities and we are so grateful for the opportunity to provide these for them. We were given so many different sizes and styles that we will be able to donate to the orphanage as well as to our graduates. 

Thank you Temecula Hills for loving our kids!