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Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms. 1 Peter 4:10 In September 2000 this was the verse God sent me out with and brought me to Kiev Ukraine to work with the street kids to love them unconditionally like God loves us. God's sovereign hand was in all that was in front of me. Relationships were started, first being my relationship with local organization - Center Ezra. Rescuing Children off the Streets of Kiev, caring for the orphans in government-run orphanages and Shelters, mentoring and teaching others to do the same. This ministry is such a privilege to be part of. I have enjoyed living and ministering in Ukraine for the past 10 years. After marrying Arkadiy three years ago we have been taking the next steps in the ministry by coming together as husband and wife/father and mother and taking in orphans who were forgotten and discarded by their parents. It has been an amazing journey already we have rescued two children - our son Zhenya 6 years old and our daugther Jenny 8 years old are the first two. We have taken them under foster care in order to keep and maintain their rights for government assistance for their futures. Our desire is to take up to 10 or more children under our foster care. However, the law of Ukraine has required recently that we own our own property - house and land - before they will allow us to take any more children. The recent financial crisis in the world has affected Ukraine very badly inflation has hit them very hard. The real estate prices have doubled in the last three years - now to buy a two story house and enough land to handle this large of a household will cost $300,000 US. So we are asking for supporters to help us purchase a property. The banks in Ukraine are very unstable and the mortgage rates in Ukraine are very high (30% per year). However, waiting for this to happened hasn't stopped us from affecting orphans lives. We are still involved with the government-run Shelter and the local organization Ezra. I have weekly meetings with Vera - the head of the Children's Ministry with Ezra - to mentor her and her team. God put us together when I first went to Ukraine and has continued to use us to touch children's lives. We provide transportation when necessary; we provide resources - craft supplies, clothes as well as financial support. We are also involved in our home church in Ukraine - Irpin Bible Church - we are leaders in that church and will be installing in a playground on church grounds to be an outreach to our community. We are serving as an example to others and encouraging others to be foster families. - Feeding them as they continue to live on the streets
- Working with them in the Government Orphanage - The Shelter
- Bringing them to permanent Christian orphanages such as Father's House or Sunshine House
- Keeping in touch with them when they are reunited with their families or returned to their orphanages around Ukraine. By writing letters, sending care packages and visiting them.
- Connecting them to the local churches and having them minister to them.
- Connecting with other organizations working with the kids, praying with these workers weekly, strategizing on ways to work together to get the kids off the streets, reunited with their families.
Our ministry is to: - Be Jesus to them
- Show them unconditional love,
- Preach the truth as it is written in the Bible - that God has plans for their lives to prosper, not for evil
- To turn them to God and away from the evil that they do
- To pray and intercede for them
- To tell their stories and share their burdens
God has been so faithful in keeping us in the Ukraine to be HIS hands and feet to the orphans. How can you help? We need regular monthly supporters to help us do more ministry and help more families, we need a new vehicle - while being in Canada Arkadiy was in an accident and the van we had was totalled, praise God he wasn't hurt but now we are in need of $16,000 US to buy a new van. To continue with rescuing more children we need a house $300,000 US. All of these needs are beyond me and Arkadiy and we are trusting that God's resources will flow. Keeping and getting in contact with us is very easy - I am on Facebook - Leanne Swekla-Barvinska; as well my email:
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and we have a website : http://www.freewebs.com/ukrainestreetkids Please pray that God will give us wisdom in raising these children that are rescued they are so hurt and need God's healing hand in their lives; pray for God's peace and love to reign in our household; pray that God multiply this by encouraging others to do the same as we by the example He has set in our lives. Thank you for your support and prayers.
Leanne, Arkadiy, Jenny and Zhenya Barvinsky |
