The last three months have gone by incredibly quickly! The time spent in Ukraine with Andy, Jaimee, and some of the orphaned youth of Sevastopol has truly given us a deeper understanding of the Kingdom of God. The more time we have spent with the kids, the more we have fallen in love with them, and it is going to be difficult to say good bye. They have been a joy and a challenge to be with, so in need and yet so independent. God has definitely been teaching us about his Father’s heart for each of them, showing us how to love, pray for, and empower them. Throughout our trip, as we have given our hearts and our time, God has never ceased to demonstrate his impactful and faithful love.
We have enjoyed all of our efforts and have been blessed to develop meaningful relationships with the core group of post-orphanage youth. It has also been exciting to see many new faces showing up at our weekly family gatherings and other events. A young lady named Luda is one of the newest friends we’ve made, and since spending time with us, she has shown a great change in her demeanor and has made a positive connection with Amanda. Then there is teaching English, while it has had its challenges, has been productive for the students and a learning experience for us. Regarding our Russian communication skills, we are starting to understand more and more basic phrases and have become comfortable with finding our way around the city and the market on our own. In that respect, living with Andy and Jaimee has been a wonderful opportunity to learn the language and culture. We are truly thankful for the opportunity we’ve had to work and live with them. We have enjoyed many powerful times of prayer, worshipping, brainstorming, and planning together, and we can only hope that we have been a big of blessing to them as they have been to us!
While we are returning to the United States for part of the summer, we believe that God wants us to return to Ukraine this fall. Andy and Jaimee are having a child and we want to be in Ukraine, maintaining relationships, working towards the transitional home, and teaching English, while they are in the United States for several months with a newborn child. We cannot express how thankful we are to all of you who have activated you faith towards God and love for orphans by praying and supporting us in our ministry here! We will keep you updated on our plans and our activities this summer. Please pray that we will continue to progress in our Russian skills this summer and be effective for God’s kingdom with our activities. We love you all and look forward to talking to you in person to share the many details of our journey thus far!
Love and peace,
Jared and Amanda
Saturday, May 16, 2009
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