From the first to the last, the process of deciding to respond to God's prompting to go to Ukraine has been surprising. The journey started with an announcement during service one Sunday - would anyone like to come to Ukraine to work with orphans? To me, this was a no-brainer. I wanted very much to go on this trip, to develop relationships with these kids, to experience a new culture and a new country. I approached Daniel about going together, not knowing how he would respond. At first, he was not receptive, but God changes hearts. And sure enough, days later Daniel came to me to say he felt like God had laid it on his heart to go on this trip, with or without me. Turns out he had to go without me because of my school situation, and Daniel has gone to Ukraine twice now. Again, I couldn't go last year, but Daniel went - he strengthened old relationships with the kids, and forged new ones.
This year, I get to go. I want to go. I feel called to go. It's sometimes hard to explain to people about the trip. We say we are going to Ukraine to put on a camp for orphans. We'll be there 10, maybe 12 days. We'll present the gospel, we'll play games with them, and we'll have fun being silly - then we have to leave. Daniel and I have asked the question that others have asked: what really are we trying to accomplish in this trip? How much can we affect the lives of Ukrainian youth in 10 to 12 days? Well, the answer I believe is not much. But that's what I love so much about this opportunity. We are going to back to the same camp, to the same kids, and the group will look quite similar to the groups that have gone for the last three years. What we cannot accomplish in 10 - 12 days, we may be able to accomplish in 3 to 4 years or more. Visiting these kids during the summer is not the only way to carry on a relationship with them. We are able to keep up through Facebook and sometimes e-mail with these kids. But going back every year shows these kids that we are more than a faceless American at the other end of an impersonal e-mail. We are individuals who love these kids and want to be a part of their lives long term.
Again, we can't change the lives of every child. But in a group of 20 or so people, if we each forge a relationship with one or two kids, if we can bring them to Christ, provide them with the resources necessary to be discipled and grow in Christ, and help them get the resources they need to function in society after they are graduated out of the orphanage system - this will be worth it.
Pray for these kids. Pray that they would be open to developing relationships with us. Pray that we would be given a special opportunity to reach out to these kids. Pray that we have the ability and the resources to maintain these relationships and to make them feel loved throughout the year. Pray for the older kids especially - some of us know quite intimately what an entire childhood and adolescence in the system can do to these precious souls. Pray, pray, pray that we Americans can help equip the Ukrainian Christians to care for these children as Christ would want them to be taken care of.
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