Jenny has been to the camp for 4 times. She has spent time as a nanny and teacher, and is able to bring a calm and loving spirit to the kids. She currently lives in Ukraine, and spends her time as an English teacher by day, and blog writer at night. Check out her blog here: http://americanshifted.blogspot.com |
This week's missionary superstars are Brian Lyons and Jennifer Dow. These two have gone almost every year since they went for the first time. Each brings unique games, fun, laughter, and the love of God to the camps.
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Last night, we were able to host a trivia night! Thank you to everyone who was able to come out and have a good time with us. We also were able to talk after the church services today and it was great to meet you and talk more about what we do each year. Daniel and the boys at Safe Haven are shown hard at work. They received a grant this past January to re-do the roof (a much needed project), putting in new insulation, and other renovations. Many go abroad to different countries or travel for fun. However, interestingly enough, many of our volunteers experienced their first time outside of the United States on their first trip to Ukraine. Jenny, Brian, Bethe, and I were the team members who had our first overseas experience in Ukraine. Going abroad for the first time can be nerve racking, as they have no idea what to expect, however each one of these members have continued to return year after year to continue the work asked of them.
2015 was full of memories from camp. The team consisted of Brian, Bethe, Jenny, Jo Ni, John, Daniel, and Janna.
Mission statement: partnering with christian families of Ukraine to reach abandoned children and provide Christ-centered homes. Developing lifelong relationships, teaching and encouraging children to reach their full potential and preparing them for life on their own.
Children in the orphanages of Ukraine The orphanage system in Ukraine is failing. While the basic physical needs are met, kids do not receive the individual attention that they need to succeed. Orphanages are underfunded and understaffed; as a result education is minimized. The culture views these kids as damaged or worthless, and teachers see little point in pushing the kids to excel. This leads to disinterest and apathy in the kids, and many do not have goals and dreams. Also, the kids are not taught the necessary skills for independent living. The statistics for children who age out of the system are heartbreaking. 1% Will finish university 40% will end up in prison 60% of the girls resort to prostitution 60% of the boys will resort to crime 15% will end up committing suicide Often, the problem is cyclical. Girls aging out of the orphanage can get pregnant very early. Not having grown up in a healthy family, and having never learned how to take care of themselves, many of these mothers will place their children in state care, making the problem generational. We believe that Christ-centered homes are the best environment for the children from the orphanages to receive the love and encouragement they need to become successful members of society and break the cycle of abandonment. These homes are also the best way to show the love of christ to these children and help make disciples. Our goal is to partner with families and individuals who are passionate about working with these children and ensure that the finances and resources are available to make them successful. We will be working with families that are fostering younger children as well as homes that are dedicated to helping the older kids when they age out of the orphanage. Some of the services we offer include: *monthly support *finances for one time projects *assistance with building projects *creating an encouragement network *infrastructure support *helpful oversight *legal resources Our camp takes place in Cherkassy Ukraine, about two and a half hours outside of Kiev, Ukraine. The camp takes place at a campground called Kompass Park, in a small village, with three buildings, a soccer field, and a large open space in the back yard. The rural village allows for the kids to be able to spend most of the day outside, playing games and participating in our activities. The camp takes place here twice a year, last year having our first summer camp added to the mix.
Each camp has a different focus, where we will center our activities, talks, and events around. The camp started in 2005 by John Kinsley and others. Each camp has a different demographic, whether it is just the high schoolers, middle schoolers, or all ages, which gives the leaders the ability to completely dedicate time and resources to the specific needs of the children. The camp’s purpose is to bring children who would otherwise have idle hands while their friends were home for break to a place where they can have fun and learn more about God. This week's missionary superstars are John Kinsley and Jo Niles. They are two of the team's longest attending camp members. John founded the camp, and Joni was there soon after the founding. They both study the language and have spent long periods of time at the Safe Haven house.
John lives in Ukraine ( at the Safe Haven house) throughout the year, coming back to the states for only a few months. He also works within the juvenile detention centers in Ukraine, sharing God's work with the young men that find themselves there. Joanne lives in the states, however volunteered her time to living at Safe Haven house when Bogdan and Anya (house dad and mom) took their summer sabbatical. She is currently volunteering in Africa, and will meet us in Ukraine in March. Today, Team members Bethe and Kyle went to St. John's Church in Old Saybrook, CT to again thank them for their donations from last year. From their willing donations, the members were able to fund an entire summer camp, which was the first time this had happened for Safe Haven. The ground team in Ukraine, Daniel and Janna, were also able to provide shoes for children that needed new shoes.
This year the generosity continued and our thanks can not say enough. While financial donations are very important to the logistics of the trip, our need is much greater. If you're finding yourself in a tight budget, we hope that you can find an opening in your prayer budget. We are in need of a prayer team that will commit to praying for us while we prepare, travel, and share God's word with the kids at the camp. It is through this that we will find God's will. So please consider helping us in our attempt to make stronger disciples in Ukraine's children. A few of the members that live at the Safe Haven house volunteered with Janna, Daniel, and Luba to help out a fellow ministry that has the goal of providing Christ-centered homes for kids. The Medlong's needed a few home renovations, and for five days they worked hard to make sure that every thing was up to speed before they left. They spend these days painting the rooms, building, staining, and putting together a new staircase, and other house help. Giving back to those who are in need are at the center of what Safe Haven stands for. |
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