LOOKING FOR JUSTICE

You often hear statistics thrown around about orphans and prison. It is most often estimated that 70% of boys who grow up as orphans in Ukraine will turn to a life of crime as a means of survival. But, there is something that changes when that statistic stops being a number and becomes a name, a face, a story, a life, and a kid you deeply love. 

In light of this, we bring you Slavik. We first asked you to pray for him last Thursday and promised details. The truth is, Slavik grew up without the love of parents, was sent out on his own from an orphanage after 9th grade, and found himself living with his older brother. This older brother had a similar story, but was already immersed in a life of crime with 4 stints in prison behind him. He quickly put pressure on Slavik to join him, but Slavik's sweet nature kept him out of harm over the past 3 years. Last week, Slavik gave in to the pressure (and subsequent abuse from his brother) in a big way and joined his brother's gang in attempting to steal goods from a warehouse in Sumy. 

Slavik at this years Spring Grad Camp

The police were alerted and all the guys involved ran except Slavik. Out of fear from his brother, our gentle-giant (with an incredibly tender heart) was ready to take the blame for the entire group, but thankfully an actual lawyer got involved by way of Slavik's girlfriend. He made it clear to Slavik that with no past record, cooperating with the police, and his character, Slavik didn't have to face a heavy prison sentence (if any sentence), but if he foolishly took the fall for his brother and the other men, he would face years in prison. 

He quickly realized he would "never survive prison" and began cooperating. He was put on house arrest outside the city in order to remain out of harm's way. His older brother was doing all he could to find him and pressure him to take the blame. Luckily, his brother was caught the other day and now a trial awaits. 

We see this situation as a major opportunity share love and grace with Slavik. He hasn't asked for anything (except our company as he sits alone in an empty apartment room) but we are hoping to help cover the costs of a lawyer ($150). The reality is: as an orphan, he is already considered a doomed criminal. We hope to give Slavik the chance in life that wasn't offered to him by his family circumstances, a fair and just trial with actual legal representation and the grace God so freely gives to change. Stay tuned for more as we approach his court date at the end of the month. 

The apartment where Slavik is currently under house arrest. 

If you do feel led to give, please click the donate link on our homepage and leave a little note "for Slavik". 

Hoping for justice, compassion, grace, and eternal change in Slavik's life. Thanks for the prayers!!! 

***Update***
We are so grateful to say that we received enough donations to cover the cost of Slavik's lawyer and buy him some things for while he's on house arrest. Thank you to those who have donated! Please continue to pray for Slavik and his court date on July 26th.

A FAMILY IN NEED

Losha. He has been a part of Open Arms since the beginning; never seen as the "most likely to succeed", he was pegged as one who would be lucky to stay out of prison. Losha left the orphanage in 2007, finished trade school, lived in the Open Arms home, finished a second trade in another city and is now a father with a home outside that village. Losha is overcoming odds and working hard to provide for his little, beautiful family. 

Just the other week, we were lucky to make our way up to their village for some good times with one of our favorite families. They always welcome us with the epitome of hospitality. Like, many village homes, they function without running water = outhouse, and not a fancy outhouse at that. 

A few days ago, Losha's brother caught the old wooden outhouse on fire. Couldn't have been a pretty sight for so many reasons. Thanks to so many of you, we are able to send them the financial help they need to remove this burden from them. It is amazing to witness God's body come together in time's of need. Thank you all so much for all the support you daily give to our ministry and these children. 

A DAY IN THE SUN

Summer camp is probably one of the most anticipated events of the year, for grads and for leaders. Just this week, we had multiple kids ask us when camp would be. Sadly, we had to tell them that there would not be a camp. Ukraine has had and is still in much turmoil, which has caused there to be many families displaced all over the country. We searched for places to have camp but all were full with refugees who had to flee their homes.

Camps are such a huge part of our Post Orphanage Ministry. We may not be able to have camp but we plan to still get these kids together, have some fun, share about Jesus, and feed them some good food. We are going to have a lake day on the 4th of July. This will include games, swimming, a bonfire with s'mores, a bible lesson, fellowship, and fireworks. It may not be the camp we were planning for but we plan to pack a lot into this day. 

If you would like to help cover the cost so we can shower these kids with some great food and lots of memories, then click the donate button below. Any amount will help. Thank you so much!

ORPHANAGE LOVE

We are so excited about this weekend's orphanage program! We have literally packed as much as humanly possible into 2 days of goodness with some of our favorite children. Games, crafts, skits, Bible lessons, worship, bonfires, s'mores, glow sticks... the list goes on!

Help us make it happen simply by clicking on the "donate" button below:

OR

Send checks to Open Arms Ukraine, PO Box 277, San Lorenzo, CA 94580.

Thanks for joining with us through prayer and support! Can't wait to share all that God does through this time.

THE CHALLENGE

Want to make an impact on the world? Here's your chance. It is as simple as giving $10. It may not seem like much, but when you join the challenge, $10 can make a massive difference in ministry in the lives of orphans in Ukraine.

We are looking for 10 people, everyday, for the next 10 days who are willing to give up just $10! That's 100 people over the course of 10 days and a total of $1000. So simple, but it is amazing what can happen when a few are willing to give up a little.

The big question is: are you willing to join the 10 today and rock the challenge? Simply click donate below:

Or send checks to Open Arms Ukraine, PO Box 277, San Lorenzo, CA 94580.

Help us bring God's love and hope to the children of the Sumy region.

Spread the word.

Join the challenge.

May 21st - May 30th.

BUY A CANDLE... LIGHT THE WORLD

We are so excited for this unique opportunity to help support the kids in Ukraine. 

Let's be real, who doesn't love candles?! Not only can they make your own house smell amazing, they are great gifts too!

Third Bear Candles is teaming up with us May 1st- May 14th to help us raise funds for Summer ministry opportunities! For every candle bought during those two weeks, $5 will be donated to Open Arms. It is that simple! Buy a gift, enjoy a candle, help bring home to orphans in Ukraine.  

Check out their website at thirdbearcandles.com to find out more about these all natural soy wax candles. Every, single one of their candles smells amazing!

Be sure to like them on Facebook as well! facebook.com/thirdbearcandles.

Many thanks! 

SPRING CAMP UPDATE

WHOSE SIDE ARE YOU ON?

You may have read our theme for camp and wondered, what exactly does that mean? We first came up with this theme due to the political unrest in Ukraine and all the talk of being for Ukraine or for Russia. But the deeper underlying meaning and goal was to get the kids to understand their choice of living with God or against Him. Our speaker, Pastor Valentyn, spoke on character, integrity, and choosing to live a life of conscious decisions and values - either for or against God. Camp was full of thought provoking discussions and games that had to do with the theme, crafts, soccer, baseball, and free time. The kids even painted different banners symbolizing the two sides and their understanding of what each side means to them.

ALINA

Camp was the first interaction 18 year old Alina had with any ministry of Open Arms Ukraine or our local church. She's currently dating one of our regulars and we are so thankful he wanted to introduce to Open Arms through spring camp. It was amazing to watch God work through camp as we began a relationship with her there. She expressed how much she loved camp and how glad she was to meet everyone. By the end of the weekend, she already said how excited she is to start coming to our weekly Wednesday night meetings. We can’t wait to see where God leads us in our relationship with Alina and what He will do in her life.

OVERVIEW

This camp was run by the smallest team of Ukrainians and Americans we’ve ever had, and we were a little worried of how it all would go. In the end we were lucky to have such a great group of kids who were so excited to be at another camp. God gave the leaders the necessary energy and resources and our unified team was able to run everything smoothly and successfully.

We are so thankful to all of our sponsors and those who prayed for our camp! Every kid at camp received a bag of hygiene items, socks, toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, deodorant, shampoo, and lotion. Thank you to Temecula Hills Christian Fellowship for all the hygiene items and to the Church @ Clayton Crossings for all the socks! The kids were blessed by the gifts. Again, thank you all for the role you played in our camp! We could not have done it without your faithful support!

To see more pictures of camp, please check our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/openarmsukraine

MINISTRY UPDATE

As many of you already know our American team is currently in the states due to the unrest in Ukraine. We appreciate everyone who has been praying and are hoping to make our way back to Ukraine in the coming weeks with safety plans in place. At the same time, you are probably wondering what is going on with ministry with the current situation so here are a few updates...

Post Orphanage Ministry Update:

First of all we just want to say thank you so much for sponsoring our grads for camp! It has been such an encouragement and blessing for us to see God using each of you in this way. With that being said, we want to let you know that camp will still be happening. We are praying, praying, praying that we will get to be back in Ukraine by then. However, if for some reason we can't, our amazing Ukrainian team will be running things from there. 

Things to pray for:

- Camp planning would continue to go smoothly

- Our American team - that we would be able to be back in time for camp

- Our Ukrainian team as they continue to help with the planning; for the pastor as he prepares the messages 

Orphanage Ministry Update:

We are excited to be in the process of preparing summer ministry plans with both the Pravdinska Orphanage and the Ulianivka Orphanage. Our Ukrainian team is rocking the preparation for camps and continuing the connection with the kids there. Being in the states, we were able to get 4 boxes of shoes and goods for the orphanages donated by Neighborhood Church Castro Valley's Junior High group shipped off to Ukraine. Right now is a period of preparation for all that May and June hold in ministry! 

Please join us in prayer for:

- Department permission documents to be approved quickly and easily for ministry

- Volunteers to be available for camp programs in the month of June

- Ways to bring in more humanitarian aid due to the recent troubles in Ukraine. 

SPRING CAMP SPONSORSHIP

Snow is melting. Temperatures are rising. That can only mean one thing: SPRING CAMP IS COMING!!!

These kids have been chomping on the bit since the day fall camp ended; continuously asking "so, when is the next camp?!". Well, kids, it is on its way and we are so excited for what awaits. 

This April 4th-6th we will round up as many kids as that little camp can hold and host a camp focused around the theme "Whose Side are You on?". Games, Bible lessons, crafts, discussion groups, impromptu dance parties, soccer galore, worship, meaningful conversations, and ridiculous amounts of laughter are guaranteed to make this camp incredibly memorable. 

BUT, before any of that happens, we need YOUR help! We are looking for sponsorships to cover 28 kids and 5 leaders at $70 each to attend this rock solid camp. Whether you can sponsor a child in full or in part, every little bit helps us make the magic happen and bring God's love to these beautiful, yet broken kids. 

Use the link below:

OR:

You can make checks payable to Open Arms Ukraine and send them to: PO Box 277, San Lorenzo, CA 94580

Your prayers are also greatly appreciated as we prepare for the all that God has in store!!!

MINISTRY VAN

For the past 5 1/2 years, the Open Arms team has relied on public transportation to get around here in Ukraine. It has worked... well enough, but it is high time for a change! Y'all, it is time to buy a VAN!!! 

Ministry has continued to grow over the years and with growth brings about new needs. The sheer inefficiency of public transportation is slowing down what we believe God is ready to do. Here's a little example of what a car could do for our team:

Current situation - Let's take a trip to visit kids in the village of Mezanivka - sweet! Walk to the bus stop. Get on a bus to the actual bus station. 40 minutes later, you get to buy your bus ticket. Wait 15 minutes for the next bus. Take that bus for an hour to Kransapolye. Wait 15 minutes for the next bus. Take that bus for 30 minutes to Mezinivka. Get off at the bus stop, walk 15 minutes into the village. Visit the kids for a bit, but the last bus out is at 4:20 so you'd best head out or you'll be stuck all night. Let's be real, you don't want to be stuck in Mezinivka. 

Future situation - Let's take a trip to visit kids in the village of Mezanivka - sweet! Team walks down to the car. Gets in. Drives 40 minutes to the kids houses. Stay until ministry is done for the day. 

We can NOT wait to spend more time doing ministry and less time traveling, but we need your help to make this happen. 

A pastor in our city is selling a Mercedes Vito. It's a beauty.

We have $8000 to go towards this car, but we need $9000 to purchase and $1500 more to pay for the year's insurance. So, we are in need of $2500 more for this to be a done deal. 

ANY AMOUNT gets us closer to the goal. $5. $500. Whatever is on your heart to give can bring about some amazing ministry! 

We're excited. 

Here's a link so giving can be ultra simple:

Or feel free to send checks to Open Arms Ukraine, PO Box 277, San Lorenzo, CA 94580. 

SP - A BEAUTIFUL JOURNEY

Today's post comes to you from the heart of Sasha Pevniv (aka SP). We were recently able to take a trip back to the juvenile detention center in Sambir (where he spent 3 years) for him to continue his healing process. Read and be encouraged. Our God writes beautiful stories. 

Hello.

It has almost been 3 years since I got out of prison. It hasn't been easy to talk about it and I wasn't very comfortable when people asked me questions. When I was in prison, I didn't know God very well. I always thought about, you could even say, I always dreamed that after I got out, I would go back to the the guy who always had me beat; who had been out to get me all those years in prison. He did things to make me stay longer even  though I always did my work, even beyond what I was asked. 

When I got out, I started to know God more and more everyday. I understood that what I wanted to do wasn't what God would want me to do. And so I thought "if I never go back there, everything will be ok." At first, this didn't seem too bad. But, I still always want to ask him "why?" But anytime I thought of that question, I just wanted to beat him.

God helped me deal with all of those thoughts and told me that I should just go there. I went with the Open Arms Team (the same team who came to visit me every month in prison) - it was such a long trip! I realized how much God loves me; I went to Sambir one time and I was tired from just the trip there. The girls came to visit me every month for 3 years and 3 months. Honestly, I don't even I can't even put into words how I feel. Thank you, God, for my new family. 

So, we arrived in Sambir and walked up to the prison. I absolutely did not want to see Roman Bogdanovich, he’s the one that used to beat me. I saw Grigory Mikolaevich [the librarian] and walked up to talk to him. And while I was talking to him, Roman Bogdanovich walked up. We were all talking together, laughing, and I didn’t even ask him "why" he did what he did. And I don’t know why I didn’t ask him, but I think that’s what God wanted. Now, it doesn't feel so bad. After that, girls took me on a tour of the city and I liked it.

From then...

Till now... 

T-GIVING: A MONTH OF GIVING THANKS

That's right - we want to take this fine month of November to say THANK YOU for all the ways you help keep ministry happening here in Ukraine. So, for every donation of $20 or more we receive this month, we would love send an amazing Open Arms T-shirt to you as our way of saying: "We think you are amazing". Wear it with pride and share the Open Arms love with those around you.

You can mail checks to Open Arms Ukraine (PO Box 277, San Lorenzo, CA 94580) and put in a little note with your T-shirt size and address. 

Or just click the handy-dandy donate button below to give online:

You can add a note with your T-shirt size and address or send a quick email to: OpenArmsMinistry@gmail.com.

Child sizes (S,M,L,XL) and unisex adult sizes (S,M,L,XL) available! Get them before the run out! 

And, again, THANK YOU for helping us share God's love with the beautiful children of Ukraine. 

FALL GRAD CAMP 2013

We are so excited to be just a day away from this year's Fall Grad Camp! We are currently in the midst of final preparations and are incredibly thankful that camp was sponsored by the So-Cal Silent Auction that took place in September (thanks to everyone who was involved!).

The 3-day camp will be full of games, crafts, skits, Bible lessons, group discussions, worship, and so much lovin'! Along with all of that, Fall Grad Camp has an extra-exciting aspect because for the most recent orphanage graduates, it is their first chance to experience post-orphanage ministry with Open Arms. This is a huge opportunity for us to make a deep connection with them now that they are at trade schools and embrace them fully into all that Grad Ministry has to offer.

Join us in prayer for all that God has in store this weekend (October 11-13) as we take these kids to our favorite camp location outside Sumy. Things to pray for...

• Vova (our amazing Ukrainian speaker): that he will be empowered to share with the grads about how God's power can drive out all fear in our lives
• New grads: that we will be able to contact each of them and help them make their way to camp
• Open Hearts: that the grads' hearts will be vulnerable and that God's Word would impact them fully
• Safety, travels, team, and more! 

We can't wait to come back and tell you all about the goodness that we know will take place! 

HEARTS OF GRATITUDE

We have been so grateful for the support we've received recently through stateside fundraisers. These events are crucial for the continuation of the ministry we do here in Ukraine. Thank you to those who joined us - you have played a huge part in sustaining the work of Open Arms this year.

from Chelsea Rollins...

SILENT AUCTION IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

On September 8th, all the hard work that went into planning a fundraiser event finally came together as over 50 people gathered to show their support for Open Arms. So many people were involved in order to make this a success. Items were donated and bid on for a silent auction, food was prepared, information about Open Arms was displayed, and games and a photo booth were ready for the kids! It was a hot but fun afternoon of fellowship with family, friends, and supporters of Open Arms. Thank you so much to everyone who was involved in one way or another! Your generosity, prayers, and support are such an encouragement to the Open Arms team. We could not do what we do without you!

from Annie Carbonaro...

"DINNER FOR GOOD" IN THE BAY AREA, CALIFORNIA

Last week marked the Second Annual Dinner for Good in the Bay Area and the night was sweet indeed! The vision of the night is to bring together community, utilizing the gifts and talents of the body of Christ and doing it all to support a bigger cause. That vision came together in a simply beautiful way as Paul Keim (Smalltown Society) and friends (Tammy & The Silverspoons) showed off their mad musical skills while all who attended enjoyed the ridiculously amazing dishes of braised pork and more by Spencer Huey (Salt House) with the help of his rockstar sidekick Kensey Vold. And please, let us not forget the fruit tartlets that topped off the night by the always-fabulous Cortney Marcus and Cathy Keim (Petal and Posie Cakes). All of this was captured by the ever-so-talented Cathy Breslow (Breslow Imaging DfG album here). Open Arms was hugely blessed by all who gave of their gifts, time, and finances to make this night so great! THANK YOU! Now, we're not sure how we will top this year's Dinner for Good, but we've got a year to make it happen. Be on the look-out!





from Melissa Keane...

FIRST ANNUAL OAU WALK IN THE BAY AREA, CALIFORNIA

On Saturday, September 14th, we had our first annual OAU Walk. Whenever you do anything for the first time, it turns into a lesson for how to do it the next time. We learned a lot and are already excited for next year. Thank you so much to those who came out and for those of you who couldn't come but supported anyway. We had a fun time showing off our awesome t-shirts while walking around Concord, California. A special thanks goes to Angie Lagusis and Konni Stalica for putting on the walk. OAU is truly so thankful for your support.

THE HEART'S DEEPEST NEED

from the heart of Melissa Keane...

Ivan is one of the newest additions to the ministry of Open Arms. He came from a different orphanage than the one we typically work with and just graduated from trade school. When one of our other grads invited him to one of our Wednesday meetings, Ivan started coming and we had the pleasure of getting to know him. You could tell he was looking for a safe place to just belong and enjoy relationships. Ivan seems to have some fetal alcohol issues and it's obvious that he's been made fun of his whole life. Despite this, you will always see the biggest smile on his face. We had been inviting Ivan over to the Open Arms apartment from time to time but one day he just stopped by unannounced. Once he came inside, it was obvious that he was hungry and just needed some people to love on him and listen to the events of his day. I love that God brought Ivan into our lives so that we could be a help and source of love to him. I'm so excited to see what God is going to do in his life. 

TAKE STRIDES TO BRING HOPE

If you haven't heard, we've got some exciting news: September 14th will mark our first annual Open Arms Ukraine Walk! This is a great way to get your family and friends together for a fun day while supporting a great cause. All proceeds go straight into helping orphans in Ukraine find hope and love!

The event will include a 2-mile walk, games, photo booth, bake sale, and so much more! 

So, save the date. Sign up. And walk for a good cause!

Where: Ygnacio Valley Christian School 
(4977 Concord Blvd, Concord, CA)
When: September 14th at 9am

Follow THIS LINK to get registered* today!
(Registration includes a t-shirt.)

If you would like to volunteer for the event or need more information, feel free to contact Melissa Keane at melissajanell@gmail.com.

OPEN ARMS UKRAINE FUNDRAISING WALK

Saturday, September 14th, 2013 

at Ygnacio Valley Christian School in Concord, CA.

Registration begins at 8:30am

The walk begins at 9:00am

$25 for adults, $10 for kids, or $45 for a team of two.

Be sure to register for this amazing event! All proceeds go to help ministry in Ukraine! Click on the links below to register and send your registration information to MelissaOAU@gmail.com
Name:
Email:
Phone number (please indicate if text is available):
Number of registrants:
Shirt sizes:

Registration includes a t-shirt for each participant that will be presented at the walk.
Parking is limited, so consider carpool if possible. Wear comfortable shoes and cool clothing. Water and food will be available for purchase at the event. Can't wait to walk alongside you!

To register an adult click here:

To register a child click here:

If you are interested in volunteering (spread the word, donate food items, baked goods, or help work a booth) send an email MelissaOAU@gmail.com.

If you are interested in donating to the walk without registration, click here:

A SPECIAL COFFEE DATE

From the heart of Anika Bachle...

The lovely Dusya Sityuk is a 24 year old mom of 2 crazy, beautiful little kids named Vala and Andre. (Andre also happens to be my godson and may be the cutest little boy alive. It's true. I'm not biased at all.) Dus and her family live in the village of Ivanivka where Dusya has no toilet, no bath or shower, no oven, no stove, no washing machine, and uses a bucket on a rope to pull her water from a well in her front yard. She works so hard to take care of her family and the poor girl never gets a break! We were so excited to get her to Sumy where we had 2 days of much needed girl time with her. 

It was so good to see her just relax a bit! We took her out to coffee and just laughed and reminisced about her younger days at the orphanage when she would break dance. We talked about the days when we barely understood each other because we didn't speak each others' languages. At some point, the conversation turned to her life before the orphanage. She shared about her little brother Losha, a baby she took care of as a child herself until they were taken by the authorities and separated into different orphanages. She has looked for him for years and still hasn't been able to find him. I pray that God leads them to each other again, be it sooner or later, and that He restores that sibling bond that was so strong when she was less than 9.

While the conversation was filled with tears, I am so thankful that Dus was able to have the time to rest, remember, laugh, cry, and just be who she is. I am incredibly blessed to know her and be considered part of her family. Her kids are amazing and she works relentlessly and sacrifices so much to give them the childhood she never had. Never having seen a good mom, I don't know how she is so wonderful. I wish you all could meet her! I am so glad for the support we receive that allows me and my team to continue to know and serve this beautiful woman. 

ONE TRUE, FAITHFUL, AND CONSISTENT LOVE

From the heart of Chelsea Rollins...

This Summer was my first time ever being part of an Orphanage camp at Pravda. It was a very different transition going from a week with our grads to four days with the youngest group at the orphanage. It had it's challenges, but there were so many kids in my group that absolutely captured my heart. One little boy in particular was Dima. Dima is seven years old and has the sweetest little face and demeanor. Even though our words were few, we still bonded. Anytime we were sitting down he would lay across my lap and I would scratch his back and just pray for him. It was one of my favorite parts of every day. About a week after camp we went to visit some of the kids at Revesnik, which is a camp near Sumy that the kids are sent to in the Summer.When we arrived, Dima wiggled his way through all of the kids and gave me the tightest hug and just repeated over and over how he didn't think I would come see him again. It broke my heart to hear him say this and to realize how many people come and go from his life. He so desires to be loved, like anyone really, but unfortunately he has faced so much trauma, neglect, and disappointment in his short life. My time with Dima reminded me how much these kids long for consistent love and how they are looking for someone they can trust and depend on. I wish I could be that person for Dima and bring him into my own family but I can't. However, I am encouraged by the fact that I can pray for him and introduce him to the one true, faithful, and consistent love I know, Jesus Christ.  

SUMMER HIGHLIGHTS

The past few months have been amazing here in Ukraine - ministry has kept our hands so full that we have been waiting for a moment to share some of the big highlights that took place! From orphanage programming to weekly grad meetings, orphanage graduation to summer camp, God has been working in a big way!

GRAD CAMP

Summer camp is a highlight of the year for everyone involved! This year's grad camp marked our 8th camp with kids who have already graduated out of the orphanage system. God has been so utterly gracious bringing us to this point and our 6 days in the woods were a beautiful time once again! 

Most days consist of Bible lessons, swimming, games, and fellowship. This year's bonfire turned into a sing-off while some nights turned into a dance party after meetings and games were done. There was an amazing freedom among the group that cultivated a really special time for all of us involved. 

In the midst of the usual activities, we brought in some new features including the addition of a film festival. A few hours each day were designated to scripting, creating, filming and editing each team's movies that would be presented the final night of camp at a "film festival" which included popcorn, cookies, and an award ceremony. The kids (and leaders) took to the idea more than we even anticipated and turned out two amazing films! Check them out here:

From Sunrise to Sunset

Coming Home

ORPHANAGE CAMP

And... we are BACK! That is how it felt to receive this amazing gift to be back in the orphanage running a full summer camp. 3 years ago the plans were made, the program ready, and a team on the way to spend 14 days with the kids at the Pravdinska orphanage when the orphanage director pulled out last minute. Shortly after, she pushed us out of running ministry at the orphanage altogether. We may never understand the reasoning behind all of it, but God kept those children on our hearts over the years and our relationships with them strong through meetings on the sport's field and cheering them on at events in the city. 

With time, we were able to build a good relationship once again, but were blown away at the opportunity to bring God's love in such a real way this summer. The kid's excitement was contagious as we arrived. Bible lessons, games, bonfires, a birthday party, swimming - the days were packed and we are thrilled to be back in the place where this ministry began!

GRADUATION - From the Heart of Annie Carbonaro

Eight years ago, I met a group of first graders who were some of the cutest kids I'd ever seen. Never did I  

anticipate to walk with them over the years through their time at the orphanage. I watched some find families and others be taken away from theirs. After we were no longer working with the orphanage, these were the kids that would sit for hours outside in the cold just to spend time with us when we came to visit. Through so many circumstances, events, birthdays, and moments, this class of kids stole my heart completely. Having the opportunity to be back in the orphanage on their graduation day is a gift I will never forget! We arrived early to help the girls get ready, clapped and cheered as they danced and sang, and then finished off the night with so much food accompanied by a dance party that will go down in the history books. I have loved watching these kids grow up and still can't believe they are heading out of the orphanage come September 1st. It makes me all the more thankful for the heart of vision of Open Arms to continue in ministry with these kids beyond the orphanage walls. As for now, I will continue to relive that beautiful day and thank God for 8 years will some of the most amazing kids on the planet.

HIGHLIGHT: IVAN

Ivan has been attending our weekly meetings in Sumy through a connection with one of our Pravda grads. We were so excited to get the solid time with him at summer camp and it has provided the foundation to come alongside Ivan in a much bigger way as he just finished his time at trade school. He grew up in an orphanage and suffers from some developmental issues that make him an easy target for others. We were so thankful to deepen our connection with Ivan and provide a safe environment for him to be his joyful, loving self!

THANK YOU

With each event and connection to a new kid, our gratitude grows for all the support we receive from all of you. Without the continual encouragement, prayers, and financial contributions, grad camp, orphanage camp, graduation celebrations, dresses, hygiene items, doctor visits - would never take place. So, from the bottom of our hearts: THANK YOU!