TRUE LOVE GRAD RETREAT RECAP

OUR VALENTINE’S WEEKEND RETREAT WAS A SPECIAL OPPORTUNITY TO FOCUS ON THE THEME OF TRUE LOVE, FOCUSING ON THE NATURE OF LOVE ITSELF, GOD’S LOVE, RELATIONSHIPS, AS WELL AS SEX AND HIV/AIDS. AS ALWAYS, THIS RETREAT WAS ALSO AN OPPOTUNITY TO COVER EACH OF THESE KIDS IN LOVE. IT WAS SUCH A SUCCESSFUL WEEKEND - PLEASE READ ON TO LEARN MORE!

This was the first winter retreat we have ever done with the orphanage graduates and we couldn’t be happier with how the weekend went. With Valentine’s Day so fresh in their minds, our True Love topic couldn’t have come at a better time. From the first lesson, the kids were engaged and eager to participate in the group discussions. Our speaker, Vova, recently moved to L’viv (many hours away by train) and so were beyond excited when God provided a way for us to bring Vova back for camp. It was clear the kids missed him and were ready to listen to what he had to say. The three main discussions were:
What is true love?, Love and Relationships, and Sex and HIV/AIDS. Vova commented that the kids really responded to the directness and that no one had really been that direct with them in these topics before.

The rest of camp was filled with sports, crafts, and plenty of games. We even introduced them to the game of Bunco which was a huge hit among the kids! 

On the last night we got to surprise the kids with a Valentine’s Day themed party. They came back from dinner to a room decorated with tables of fun treats, drinks, and a photobooth to top it all off. The kids spent hours dressing up with funny accessories, choosing different poses to take pictures as big groups, small groups, and nice solo shots as well. We kicked off a Wii dance competition that left everyone’s stomachs hurting from laughing so hard. We ended the night with a movie on the projector, eating the rest of the junk food, and just hanging out. Many fun memories were made!

GRADUATE HIGHLIGHT: LILYA

We first met Lilya at our 2012 Fall Retreat. She grew up at the Romney Orphanage and was connected to us through one of our Ukrainian volunteers. Lilya is currently studying at a trade school in Sumy and we are so thankful God brought her our way. Lilya is absolutely full of energy and loves to laugh. She has a unique perspective on life and stands strong in who she is. We quickly bonded with her and she’s been a regular at our Wednesday night meetings.

Lilya had planned to leave us early Saturday morning (a day before the retreat would conclude) so she could spend the rest of the weekend with her boyfriend. Before leaving, she asked us what else was in store for the retreat. It was clear that she was looking for a reason to stay. We were able to lure her in with our “surprise” that would be awaiting Saturday night and we are so thankful she stayed! She was attentive in the meetings and it was apparent Lilya needed to be a part of the discussions about love, dating, and sex. She even thanked Vova at the end of the final discussion for being so direct with them. We are so excited for the ways God moved in Lilya’s heart over the course of the True Love Retreat and we ask that you join us in prayer that God will continue to speak to her about His love and her worth in Him. 

SASHA PEVNIV: A LEADER ON THE RISE

Over the years, it has been a complete blessing to watch Sasha Pivnev grow and change as he navigates his way into adulthood. Currently, he is attending leadership meetings at our church in Sumy, participating in a weekly Bible Study with some of the other grad boys, and is being mentored by one of the men from church. While our American team was home over Christmas, he was busy running our mid-week grad meetings and reaching out to more kids as the group continues to grow. 

It has become very apparent that Sasha is a leader among the other kids. He even played an integral role in camp planning and logistics. It has been an honor for us to be involved in of Sasha’s journey and we look forward to sharing with you all how God will continue to use him in our ministry and in the lives of so many. 

THANK YOU!

The reality is, this camp could not have existed without the help, support, and encouragement of so many of you. Your prayers were deeply felt as we reached out to these broken children with the truth of God’s love for them. Thank you to everyone who sponsored our kids and provided candy-grams! Not only were the kids thrilled to have the opportunity to come to our True Love Retreat, but they were also so excited to find the notes, candy, and hygiene items awaiting them on their beds the first night. Every aspect of your support allows us to continue to minister to the children here, and we can never express just how deeply thankful we are.