declares the Lord...plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Seeds of Hope
Saturday, October 16th
As a first time visitor to Ukraine, I can certainly attest to the wonderful work that Heart for Orphans is doing here. In a land that appears grey and somber to the eyes and in which a spirit of oppression and anxiety hangs heavily, I see seeds of hope being planted. Yesterday, after we visited the Berdyansk orphanage, we then took a trip to the village of Osepienko to visit with Andre and Alyona and the boys and girls at Mel’s House. (By the way, traveling in Ukraine is quite an experience- I thought I was in some type of off road race as Dima swerved the car from side to side to avoid potholes driving us to the village. Any side of the road is apparently the right side of the road- the trick is not to drive the car into a hole).
The Spirit of Lord truly abides in Mel's House. In the midst of a land covered with oppression, anxiety and fear, we walked into a home where the Lord reigns and he has turned 14 boys, 5 girls, and a wonderful husband and wife into a family that serves the Lord. As we sat at the kitchen table, the huge language barrier melted as the Holy Spirit knit our hearts to one another. As I prayed about what the Lord is doing in Mel’s House with these boys and girls who have become a family in Christ, he took me to Isaiah 61:1, and reminded me that Jesus spoke these words as recorded in Luke 4:18-19 when he began his ministry, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Jesus has now commissioned us by and through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit to bring good news to the poor, to proclaim release to the captives, to bring the good news of the gospel and a spirit of hope to this land of oppression. The Lord, however, has clearly shown Nancy and me that we need Him abiding with us and in us. We ask you all to pray for us as we continue on this journey. We are in a battle. Right now Nancy and I have infiltrated territory that the enemy thinks that he has conquered, but we know that Our God reigns. Continue to pray for the Lord to guide and direct our steps. Pray that we have ears to hear, eyes to see, and heart to know the call of the Lord, and the courage to follow his directions.
God Bless you all,
Robyn
As a first time visitor to Ukraine, I can certainly attest to the wonderful work that Heart for Orphans is doing here. In a land that appears grey and somber to the eyes and in which a spirit of oppression and anxiety hangs heavily, I see seeds of hope being planted. Yesterday, after we visited the Berdyansk orphanage, we then took a trip to the village of Osepienko to visit with Andre and Alyona and the boys and girls at Mel’s House. (By the way, traveling in Ukraine is quite an experience- I thought I was in some type of off road race as Dima swerved the car from side to side to avoid potholes driving us to the village. Any side of the road is apparently the right side of the road- the trick is not to drive the car into a hole).
The Spirit of Lord truly abides in Mel's House. In the midst of a land covered with oppression, anxiety and fear, we walked into a home where the Lord reigns and he has turned 14 boys, 5 girls, and a wonderful husband and wife into a family that serves the Lord. As we sat at the kitchen table, the huge language barrier melted as the Holy Spirit knit our hearts to one another. As I prayed about what the Lord is doing in Mel’s House with these boys and girls who have become a family in Christ, he took me to Isaiah 61:1, and reminded me that Jesus spoke these words as recorded in Luke 4:18-19 when he began his ministry, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Jesus has now commissioned us by and through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit to bring good news to the poor, to proclaim release to the captives, to bring the good news of the gospel and a spirit of hope to this land of oppression. The Lord, however, has clearly shown Nancy and me that we need Him abiding with us and in us. We ask you all to pray for us as we continue on this journey. We are in a battle. Right now Nancy and I have infiltrated territory that the enemy thinks that he has conquered, but we know that Our God reigns. Continue to pray for the Lord to guide and direct our steps. Pray that we have ears to hear, eyes to see, and heart to know the call of the Lord, and the courage to follow his directions.
God Bless you all,
Robyn
Friday, October 15, 2010
On the road again.....
Robyn and I arrived safely in Ukraine on Wednesday. Robyn Hansen is on our board and is also an attorney. She is really excited about her first trip to Ukraine. We have weathered the airports, security checks, all-night plane ride, traffic in Kiev and the infamous all-night train ride from Kiev to Zaporizhzhia, and then on to Berdyansk. We are a little exhausted, but ready to get to work. We are meeting with Dima (our attorney in Ukraine) today and will head out to Mel’s House this afternoon. Please keep us in your prayers and we will update you with more information soon.
God Bless,
Nancy
God Bless,
Nancy
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