Can you help???

My name is Matthew VanderMeer, the executive director of The Orphan Mission.  I wanted to take a few moments and share something that has been on my heart for quite some time now.   The Orphan Mission has been started for a few reasons.  We wanted to help families in our community that commit to adopt, we want to encourage those considering adoption along the way, and we want to make outlets available for people to interact with orphans so that that the Lord can work on their hearts to see if adoption might be part of His plan for them.  

With the start of a new ministry came lots of time focused on details that needed to get done to get the structure in place, getting contacts in place, brainstorming ideas to fulfill the mission, etc, etc, etc.  At first with the newness of the ministry there was a lot of excitement and support, I had some free time and lots of things were getting done.  Then came the holidays, with all the joy that Christmas brings it was also the straw that broke this camels back.  You see on top of full time work, I am also in the process of getting my MBA, adopting from China, and being a dad.  I didn't have time for one more thing.  Although I enjoyed Christmas,  The Orphan Mission was put on hold, I was tired and lacking energy to try to keep going.  Now it is the middle of January and have come to the realization that the problem wasn't Christmas business, my MBA, work, our adoption, or anything else.  The problem I realized was I began making The Orphan Mission my mission.

While I take great pride in the potential of The Orphan Mission.  It is not mine.  The Orphan Mission exists to engage people in the mission of helping orphans.  There are a number of ways that this can be done.  The gifts that the Lord has given me are administrative.  I am able to see the big picture and put together the steps that need to take place in order for that mission to come to completion.  I am not called to take all the steps myself.  I am called to point you towards the steps that need to take place and to ask you to engage with The Orphan Mission.

So that is what you I am asking.  Can YOU help?  I am not asking someone else reading this I am asking YOU.  If you have time to help then please e-mail me at theorphanmission@gmail.com.  Together we can make The Orphan Mission what it potentially can be.  My goal is to get together with those willing to help and discuss some of the ideas that we have for this ministry and put a plan in place to get something done.  

Please join me as we try to make one less orphan.  

Thanks, Matthew

Trade School Dorms.......

In my opinion the only situation worse for these children than a Trade School is being homeless. The government in all their good intentions created this program, but the missing ingredient to success for these children has always been having someone in their lives that love and care for them. I don't think that ever changes no matter how old they get. So lacking someone that loves and cares for them, they turn to each other to fill that void.

So let me set the stage for you. Imagine a dorm building, filled with children that grew up without parents. They were raised by people that did their job and usually nothing more. They were never given hope or even encouraged to dream. Now they are 16, you move them all into a big building with little supervision, no life skills and then you give them money every month to do whatever they want with it. Imagine now what it is like there?

When we got off the bus the first thing i seen was a brightly lite sign that said "Strip Club". Anya says all the children stand outside of it with their cell phone so they can take advantage of the free wifi. We walked past the strip club, down a dark street, turned to the right and we entered the court yard of the trade school. At this trade school the children have a choice, they can either get a 3 year degree in institutional cooking or painting walls. Three years to learn how to paint a wall! We went up the stairs and knocked on the first door. We could hear in the room next to us the voice of a boy. Anya said, "He really isn't supposed to be in there". She read my mind since my gut was feeling also that he shouldn't be in there. No one was answering the door that we knocked on, the lights were off, but we could hear them moving around in there. A minute later two of the girls came out, quickly closing the door behind them. Anya looked at me and said, "Maybe they have a boy in their room also". We stood in the hall a few minuted talking with them. It was so nice to see these girls again. But that feeling was cut short when a boy darted out of their room as if it were possible we wouldn't have seen him. My heart sank! We have seen this so many times. These children that you care so much for, cycle every year into the trade schools un-prepared for life. They do not know how to deal with consequences because they have never been allowed to suffer them or taught right and wrong the way our children were. Anya says, "It is like a machine, the girls all come to these dorms at the same time, and every year many of them become pregnant". It was so hard to see this. The Papa side of me felt heart broken, the way i would if it were my own daughter making that decision. We decided to walk away and go visit some of the boys. I could see that it bothered the girls to see the disappointment on our faces.

Visiting the boys was a bit better of an experience, but not entirely great. They are good boys for the most part. They face the same pressure as all these children do to make the wrong decision. This evening they had been drinking. Anya said, "It is especially wild here tonight and I think we should go". It wasn't for fear of our safety, it was because it was so hard to see. Two of the boys followed us out, and we stopped to talk to them a little before we left. These boys I had never met before. They both had been drinking. They asked us not to think bad of them. They said that they rarely get visitors and were so ashamed that when they did we had to see them like that. That statement kind of solidified what I have been thinking for so long, If we could get Godly people in these places full time, building relationships, encouraging hope and offering the gospel, we could effect a significant change in their lives. I told the boys that i was a little disappointed in their decision to drink, but that I didn't think badly of them. I told them that my first impression of them was that they looked to be pretty sharp young men. I went on to tell them my story of growing up in a broken home. I gave them more detail of my life than I would care to share here. But I felt I needed to so that they would know that they can come back from anywhere and any circumstance, the only thing that can hold them back is themselves. Anya was so sharp! She seen that we were reaching this one young man, and she remembered that we had Bible study Tuesday nights at the Transition home, so she asked him to come. He said he would and asked if he could bring a friend? We said...ABSOLUTELY!

So today we are heading back to the transition homes. I will have a heart felt talk with the girls if there is opportunity. We are also going to see Yulia that stayed in our transition home last year and meet with her teacher. Anya says this teacher is a rare jewel because she also cares very much for these children.

Please add these children to your prayers!

Grace and Peace!

Shane

Back in Donetsk!

Hello from Ukraine! After an interesting 12 hour bus ride across Ukraine I arrived in Donetsk late Saturday evening. Anya and one of the girls (Sasha) met me at the bus station. Then we took a taxi ($3), to the transition home. Saturday is usually a busy day for us as some of the girls from the trade schools come to stay the night, cook dinner together and then everyone goes to Church together on Sunday. Because i arrived late they already had dinner ready. But unusual was that Sunday night some of the girls stayed over again and we had a few more come for dinner. It was great to see them all again! Because they had class Monday morning we got them up early, fed them a hot breakfast, bundled them up for the cold and sent them on to school. I wish you all could have seen the way Anya cares for these girls. She bundled them up, wrapped them all in scarves, then decided it wasn't good enough, so she re-wrapped them all again!

It wasn't good news for us at Church yesterday. The Pastor was admitted to the hospital Saturday with what is believed to be liver problems. Please pray for him! He is such a kind and humble man, he always has a comforting smile on his face.

I was asked to speak at Church today. I had no idea what i was going to talk about but the Holy Spirit handled that. I want to first tell you about this Church. It is small, seats about 60 people and every Sunday after service they all have a meal together after service. It is a place you feel at home in and everyone is glad you came! I spoke first on how doing Church and our walk can many times get confusing. I offered that we should let Matthew 22:34-40 "Love God, Love People" guide everything. When Jesus said, "All the law and the prophets hang on these two commandments", He was telling us that if we get these two right, everything else will fall into place.

Then I gave them an update on our Daughter that we adopted from this region in June this year. The last time i spoke there Lakshmi was with us so they all knew her. I told them that it was difficult for the first month or two and that I questioned myself if I had made the right decision in adopting her. But that it has now transitioned to AMAZING! There is always a season of adapting to each other and it usually is not easy. Our first adoption was of younger children. Adopting a 16 year old was totally different in so many ways. You have a teenager and all the cool things that come with that, and at the same time a girl that loves her parents like a 10 year old would, without reservation. It was like the part of her that gives and needs love was frozen in time.

I told them I had discovered a hidden secret in the Bible. I remembered seeing people in my journey in Christianity that seemed like they had an amazing faith. And, I prayed that God would give me that kind of faith. In my mind i had imagined that God would answer that prayer in sort of an instant supernatural way. But i was to young in my walk to understand that God doesn't work like that. God grows us! And I told them how my first visit to an orphanage left me changed forever. The hidden secret is, when Jesus said, "What you did for the least of these you did for me", He was saying, if you want to find me on earth, I am them! So literally, when you stare into the eyes of an orphan, you are staring into the eyes of Jesus. No one can stare directly into the eyes of Jesus and walk away unchanged! But that requires that we go and seek. We have to look for Jesus and the opportunities that He gives us to deepen our faith.

I have two friends, both are Pastors. They both adopted from Ukraine in 2010 when we were here adopting our first four Ukrainian Princesses. These men have been leading their Churches for years and both said they were leaving Ukraine changed forever. They say that things are different for them now and it is reflected in their preaching. If God can take the faith of a seasoned Pastor even deeper, He can absolutely take our faith deeper as well! 

Joy!

(ME!) When "Papa is at Home", he cooks!

Yulia, Kristina and our House Mother Olya! 

Striking a pose!

Bozhena and Karina two of Lakshmi's besties from the orphanage!

What girls do I guess... :)!

Sasha trying to get Anya's attention.

Karina, Nastya and Bozhena enjoying their dinner before they had to leave. BBQ Chicken!

So today we are off to visit a few of the trade schools. It will be nice to check on the children that left the orphanage this year to start the next stage in the life of an orphan.

Grace and Peace!

Shane

Sponsor a Child -- Meet Ella

We are excited to unveil a new way to support one of the missions at The Orphan Mission.  As you may already know we have been working on raising money for a transition home we operate in Donetsk, Ukraine.  This transition home is for girls that have aged out of the orphanage, typically these girls will enter a dormitory where there is rampant drinking, drugs, and sexual activity.  The transition home houses these girls instead and share the gospel with them, giving them a chance to become the women god has planned them to be.

The transition home comes at a price, the rent on the home is $500/month.  Since we are planning on housing 3 girls this year this breaks down to a little over $150 a month for each girl.  We are looking for people to come alongside these girls and show the love of Christ to them.  We would like to get 5 sponsors for each girl, each committing to $30/month.   

On top of a monatary benefit, we are asking that our sponsors become involved in these girls lives.  Become pen pals, send birthday gift, be facebook friends, etc.  Show thes girls the love of Christ.  To many times we hear about problems on the other side of the world and think that it is not our problem.  Don't just skip this opportunity, becaome involved in the life of one person on the other side of the world, show her love, make it personal.  It will change you as you realize the love Christ has for you.  

I would like to introduce you to Ella.  Ella is the first girl we have invited into the transition home this year.  She is a sweet young lady that loves the Lord.  But don't take our word for it, read Ella's version.

My name is Elmira. My friends call me Ella. I was born in Gorlovka on May, 28th 1996. I had been living with my grandmother since I was three because my mother drank hard and I had never known my father. When I turned 9 my grandmother had to send me to an orphanage because of health. It was a small family-type orphanage where we were cared about. I loved it! In my last year of middle school I was moved to a bigger orphanage, a boarding school, where I saw what "real life" was about - survival mode, standing on your rights, no one cares about you since there are so many of you ... It is not even physically possible.. 

During this time I met Anya. She would come and spend time with us and talk about God. She found me a "big sister" Vika who was her friend and a good Christian girl. I could call her anytime, go to her church and meet her friends. I was amazed with the atmosphere of open and sincere relationships between people. One did not have to pretend, he could be himself to be accepted. I opened my heart for God in the summer. My life is being changed. I am starting to love doing what I did not love before and I do not do what I did before.  

In September I was accepted into Donetsk school of arts. I am studying to be an interior designer. I am grateful to God that He gave me this ability to draw.  

My first month in the school was hard. There were many new things for me I needed to adjust to learn to be an adult. I did not even had money for food the first month since I received my first stipend at the end of the month. Thank you for your support during that month. It is great to feel the support of the "family".  

In my dorm there is a lot of noise and drinking going on and living conditions are not very good - there is no a refrigerator and no washing machine. And it is rather far from my school. I was very excited when I was offered to stay in the apartment. But I could not believe that it was real in the beginning. But I decided to use this opportunity immediately. I like the girls I am staying with very much. Living conditions are wonderful for life and studies. During my time in the apartment I met a lot of interesting people, good Christians. We have Bible studies on Tuesdays and English classes on Wednesdays. A lot of children visit us during the week. I am learning to cook and to be disciplined. I am taking classes in order to be baptized in January. I think God for this apartment as a great opportunity in my life and for so many Christian brothers around the world who care about me. Thank you for your care and support!

God has blessed Ella with the ability to draw.  She has shared some of her work with us as well which can be viewed at the bottom of this post.  If you are interested in being one of Ella's sponsors please email Matthew VanderMeer at matthew@theorphanmission.org.

The Keehn Family

We are Brian and Heather Keehn. We have been married for seven years and have two boys, Cale (age 4), and Quinn (age 2).  Before we were married we talked about adoption. Heather, had known from a young age that adoption would be part of her family. After Quinn was born adoption came up again. Our church, where we were living at the time, had a huge heart and burden for foster care and adoption. The theology of adoption was something we had not thought of a lot before. Because of the examples of our church family, we gained a deeper grasp for what it really means to be adopted into God's family. Understanding our adoption only made our desire to adopt even greater. Knowing there are children without families was too much to bear. We began our adoption journey in May of 2011. In August we accepted the referral of a sweet 10 month old little girl in Ethiopia who happens to have special needs. We continue to be amazed by what Lord is teaching us about adoption both vertically and horizontally. He has grown our faith in Him and we are in awe of His redemptive plan for our daughter! 

What an Awesome God!!

We all had had them.  Those situations that happen that when you stand back and look at it you realize that what just happened was not a coincidence.  That there is a God orchestrating everything under the sun and every once in a while you get a glimpse of what he is doing and you can only stand back and say WOW!  But I am getting ahead of myself, lets go back a few days.

We have been officially recognized as a Nonprofit Organization for a little over a month.  We knew the initial start up was going to be hard as there are a number of things that we need to get in place before we can really pushing on towards our mission.  One item that was high on our priority list was getting funding going for the transition home in Donetsk.  We had posted a blog and on Facebook about the need and we decided to let God work.  While we were thinking financially, God had another idea.

A women from Northwest Indiana had messaged me (Matthew) about how she can help.  She was not able to support us financially but wanted to use her gifts to help where she could.  After a few emails back and forth about how she can help the conversation took a different direction.  Here is that portion of the email.

Also, there's a girl that I really have had on my mind. She is listed on Reeces Rainbow (Karen) and is Donetsk (sp), Ukraine. She has no special need but has a younger sister that does which is why she is listed. She has turned 16 and is in danger of aging out. I thought I read that you had contacts there. Is it possible to connect them somehow?. I really really hate to see this girl fall through the cracks. To top it off shes Roma so that seems that life will be doubly hard for her. If there's anything I can do, Id love to help. Thanks so much.

I really wasn't sure how we could help, but it was worth at least looking into.  I decided to email her back to get more details, I also carbon copied Shane on the email as he was the one with the connections in Donetsk.

I have attached Shane Lewis in this email.  He has the connections in Donetsk, and is going to the Ukraine later this month.  What do you have in mind as far as trying to help this girl out?  We love it that you have a heart for orphans and would love to try to assist you in whatever way you might want to help this girl.  Please share with us what God has put on your heart.

And she replied.

Well.... I'm not sure what is feasible. Obviously the most ideal thing would be if someone adopted her and her sister (They have to be adopted together at this point) but I know that's realistically probably not going to happen. If you have the contacts in Donetsk could there be someway to connect her with them? Maybe some church there would be willing to help her with housing, school, a support system etc...I don't know if some type of student visa here to the states would be possible either. This girl has just broken my heart! Let me know what you think please!

This email was sent to me so I forwarded it over to Shane knowing he would have some ideas.  Shane has adopted 5 children from the Ukraine, first a set of 4 girls, and most recently his daughter Lakshmi joined the family a few months back.  Shane and his wife Diana are going back later this month two adopt two more daughters.   Shane has the connections in Donetsk, if there was someone that had a chance of looking into Karen while in Donetsk it would be Shane.  It was long shot, but I figured it was a chance.  Imagine mt surprise when I read his email.

The girl she is talking about was Lakshmi's best friend when they were 5. She was also good friends with Ella, the girl that we just took into our transition home. The orphanage they were in together closed and they were separated  Lakshmi was super excited when I showed her the picture today.
 We do have an opening in our transition home. I'm not making any promises. If you'd like I could go and visit her when we are in Donetsk.
 There is a possibility of bringing her here on a student visa, but it is very difficult before the age of 18. If she were to stay with us for two years, then we could file the paperwork to bring her here to study, if that is what you wanted to do at that time.

Now I cannot be the only one with goose bumps after reading that.  There are estimated 147 million orphans worldwide.  This is not a coincidence.  We don't know how this story is going to play out.  But this small glimpse of the way that God is working all things to his good was humbling to say the least.

I think it is time to quit looking at 147 million orphans and not seeing 147 million faces.  We need to start this journey by looking at one orphan, it we can change the life of just one orphan any amount of effort will be worthwhile.  Maybe this is the one.  Say hello to Karen.

The Petersen Family

Introducing our family on a website about orphans, adoption, grace, and love is answered prayer for us! We are on a journey that we can't truly believe we are really on and yet I think we knew we would be here one day! Being adopted at 2 1/2 from the foster care system in Kentucky, I have always had a heart for adoption!! Though, by God's grace, we never had trouble getting pregnant and have three wonderful children. After deciding if we were gong to have more children or not, we got pregnant and weeks later I had a miscarriage! It was very difficult, as any miscarriage is! But I believe God put something in our hearts after that, we knew our family wasn't complete. We just didn't know what that meant! Years later of prayers, talking, and unbelievable and undeniable guidance we began the process of adopting from the foster care system! We started in May this year and today we were hoping to sign our home study, but you all know the expectations and reality of adoption does not match sometimes! So, I pray next week we will sign our home study for foster care and go up for approval for SNAP this month! We know our daughter is already picked for us, as all your children are picked for yours! We ask for your prayers for faith as we wait for His timing to bring her home! God bless you all, you all have a special place in our hearts and prayers! I love watching and reading your stories of God's plan unfolding for each of us for His kingdom and His glory!!

Mark, Sandi, Elizabeth, Noah, and Luke