Grand Opening

As you know we found a location for our office last year and we hired an office manager and recruited volunteers. We held trainings for the volunteers and had post abortion recovery courses, and spoke in local schools. However, we could not start seeing clients until we received our charitable organization status in Ukraine.

 

Grand Opening

 

Finally, in January, 2013 we received that status and we could plan our grand opening and begin to receive clients. I went over in April and we celebrated, on a beautiful day, the official grand opening of our pregnancy center in Simferopol.

 

About a week before I departed for Ukraine, I asked Ira if I could bring anything to her. She said no, but as for the ministry, they would like to have some fetal models. A set of these costs over $600 but I put the request out on Facebook. Within five hours someone told us that they had bought them for the local schools and had an extra set. They sent us not only that set, but a little first trimester set and some 10-week feet lapel pins as well. What a blessing! People were in awe at the opening!

 

Tragedy

 

Friday, Apr. 26th marked the 27th anniversary of the Chernobyl incident.

 

The AFP report says that “The Soviet Union ordered thousands of people to take part in the clean-up in Ukraine following the Chernobyl accident, working without adequate protection. Although only two people were killed in the initial explosions, the UN atomic agency says that 28 rescue workers died of radiation sickness in the first three months after the accident.

 

According to Ukrainian official figures, more than 25,000 of the cleanup workers, known as “liquidators” from then-Soviet Ukraine, Russia and Belarus have died after the disaster..”

 

Another tragedy, not so openly spoken of, is that in that same year there were 1,166,039 reported abortions in Ukraine. There were about the same amount the year before and the year after. Fortunately there has been a decline since then, but the statistics are still staggering.

 

Last week was the grand opening of our pregnancy center, where we hope to change those statistics even more. But we don’t just want to change statistics. We want to, with God’s help, change lives. Actually we want to be in the midst of what he is doing to change lives.

 

Please pray us as we work to spread the word that we are here for Ukrainian women and their families.

 

While I was in Ukraine, a woman from another Ukrainian city contacted me and said that they are interested in opening a pregnancy center and wondered if we would be willing to come there and help them. I wasn’t able to get this during this trip, but told her that I would plan on it when I go in the fall. We are also talking about the possibility of another site. God is opening doors and as he provides we will move forward. Please pray about what he would have you do to help us continue to save and transform lives.

 

Joyfully Serving the King,

 

Dolly

Our New Facility!

During my recent trip to Ukraine, I got to share the ministry in three new churches in Simferopol. Each church was represented when we met with the volunteers.Rejoice with us over the opening of our new office in Simferopol, Ukraine. We looked a several different places but we knew that this was the place that God had prepared for us. It is located near the center of town and across from a children’s clinic.

Staff and Volunteers

In my arrogance I thought that I would be raising awareness and trying to get people involved in this ministry. With only a four day notice we had these women at our first meeting in our new office. (Several that couldn’t be there had met with us earlier in the day and quite a few more not pictured want to become involved.) As we went around and told what had brought us to this place I realized that God had already been working in the hearts of these woman and was bringing us together as a team. I am humbled to be a part of it.

We had questionnaires for the women to fill out to indicate how they want to be involved. Oksana said that she would love to be able to give financially but work hadn’t been so good and in the past three months she had only made 900 griven ($112.50). Tonya said that she couldn’t afford much but was thinking about being able to donate a couple of pregnancy tests or some diapers from time to time. Natasha said that she had been thinking the same thing and that if they all just did a little that it would add up. I was impressed with the fact that they want to do what they can with the little that they have in order to help their own.

Three days later when Ira, Angelina and I were meeting at the office, Angelina shared that at church Oksana had given her 15 griven ($1.88) as a donation to the center.

I got to share the ministry in three new churches in Simferopol. Each church was represented when we met with the volunteers.

       

On Saturday Angelina had a little gathering to celebrate her birthday. She had the privilege of leading her friend, Yula, to Jesus Christ. It became Yula’s spiritual birthday. Ira said, “It was the first woman saved in the center, but it won’t be the last.

Thank you for your continued prayer and support. As Natasha said, if we all do just a little it will add up.

 

Joyfully Serving the KING,

Dolly

Meet Ira

Ir Myanoka, Regional Director of CFLI, tells her story.