The Forgotten

The standard of living for Ukrainians is bad enough in the large cities, but it is a shock to see how many of them live in the small, rural villages. I took a trip to a surreal place called Limanskoye last summer and it is not an exaggeration to say that it was life changing. As you can see, they have very hard lives. Hot water is available only at designated times and the typical scenario would have a single mom desperately trying to provide for her children.



In the most remote outposts of Ukraine, our friends Alyona and Slava Puzanov are dedicated to sharing the love of Christ with the poorest families and with special-needs children.

In Alyona's words, here is Leonid's story:

"He is very kind and a hard worker. he finishes the school this year and only God knows where he will go then. He is one of those who was left by his mother and even doesn't know his real parents. He would love to have a family. His right side is paralized but there is no work he would say "NO" to. He loves to help.

Today Slava had a conversation with him, when Leonid asked "Why do parents leave their children? Even the animals take care of their babies!" It brakes your heart when you hear things like that. Please, join us in prayer for the family of this boy."

Alyona and Slava will be moving to Limanskoye in February to minister to these neglected children. I recently received a message from Alyona, asking if I would "spread the word" and let our friends in America know about their work. If you are interested in learning more about this vital outreach, you can contact Alyona at: alyona_m@hotmail.com

See their excellent blog at: http://heritageodessakids.blogspot.com/

Vasya receives a Christmas gift

The walls of this gutted Presbyterian Church on the grounds of the orphanage remain, decades after being destroyed by the Communists. Thanks to people like Slava and Alyona, the good news that was once heard in this building is being lived out again.