First time ever...

What a fantastic day had those beautiful young ladies few weeks ago!Those young 8 ladies have been first time ever out of the orphanage! Many of them are over 20 years old. Absolutely EVERYTHING was first time ever for these girls!Can you imagine not being out of the orphanage over 20-25 years old???...

They had never seen such a huge store and they were thrilled!When girls decided to buy juice and have seen a lot choice, they got lost and for a long time they could not chose what they want. :)

They first saw the scales and we have explained and taught them how to use it, how to weigh fruits and vegetables.

 They were very interested and excited to learn.

They had never seen a fish in the store and all kinds of it and were shocked that it's possible to buy it alive. :)

Ladies have never seen an automatic revolving door and they were afraid to go through them that not to get stuck. They laughted a lot. But one girl hurted her leg a bit. But then she was okay.

They first saw and learned how to use escalator. Most of them were afraid to get on the moving steps and lose the balance to avoid falling. Oh, no no I can not do it! they said. Some girls had to help by taking their hands.

How the girls were happy to ride on the carousel! Their eyes were shining and they were thrilled!!! Oh, my!

They have never been in a pet shop and never saw different animals. Oh, what is it?  Wow! look at this! What is the name of an animal? and many, many different questions were from their lips. This store was for them as a small zoo :)

 It was so fun!

Young ladies also had the opportunity to jump and have fun on the trampoline.

 They were so excited to ride in cars! It was so fun and they love it!!!

There was a lot of fun and laughter.

And the end of all the entertainments and fun, for the FIRST TIME ever the girls were in McDonald`s! Yay!

 They were waiting for this moment for whole year! Can you imagine how they felt and longed for? For some reason in the orphanage, we could not take them out of the orphanage so long. We prayed and asked the Lord to resolve this issue. Finally it happened! Praise God!!!

A few days before our meeting, the girls are constantly approached and asked. When we were going to McDonald`s? Is it true that we are going there? They would not forget taking us there? Young ladies were preparing for this event for a few weeks and hundreds of times asking employees about this event. :)

Girls had never seen franch fries and did not know how to eat. They had never seen a drink straw and did not know how to use and what to do with it.

First ice cream in McDonald`s and so on, and so on... And many, many, many more things were first time ever! Those beautiful souls were admired and they were overjoyed! :)

Day was amazing and we were so happy to see those precious souls smiling, laughing with sparkling eyes and with such happy smiles!!!! We thank God for the opportunity He gave us to bring such a great joy for these sweet ladies.
They all were soooo sad and did not want come back to the orphanage and asked to stay longer... :(

A one employer of the orphanage kissed and hugged us many, many times and said, You even can not imagine what you have done for them! All glory to God!!! :)

We hoping and praying take other 8-10 girls out of the orphanage. If you are interested, please email bibleorphanministry@gmail.com  Thanks. God bless you!!!

Incredible work of caretakers

God is good! Thanks a bunch to those, who make it possible! Thanks monthly sponsorship boys with special needs get diapers and baby formula. We are so grateful for instant food and special nutrition from our sweet friends from U.S. and Switzerland! Awesome!

We beyond doubt grateful God for an amazing and incredible work He is doing through nannies! They work really, really hard for taking care and loving sweet boys! 

Nannies feed boys, change diapers, clean rooms, take them outside, play and so on and so on...

Look at this tiny little boy V. how he looked a while ago...
"He was so bad, when arrived here. We thought he will die..." This words told us caretaker. Breaks my heart... :(

But look how V. looks today! Cuteness

He gained a weight. He started to now cry when his nanny leaves his room. When she comes back in the room and calls his name he quiets instantly. He loves to be held and cuddled, and he really likes being outside. Do you know this cuteness is able to crawl, stand while holding on and walk?! Yes, he was not able before... What a great blessing and wonderful progress of this little one! 

This little cuttie Ben is available for adopting. Maybe you are his loving mommy? :)

He simply cannot thrive in the institution. He so desperately needs to be in a devoted and caring family! Nannies can not give full love and attention what can give only a family!

Also we have one more stunning blessing and news! Guess what? :) BOM hired 4th nanny thanks to project Change for Ukraine! Can you believe? Isn't it amazing??? :)

We are soooo very excited that there are more "extra loving hands" to take care of the boys!How wonderful!

O give thanks unto the LORD; call upon his name: make known his deeds among the people. 

Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him: talk ye of all his wondrous works. 

Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the LORD. 

(Psalm 105:1-3) KJV

Thoughts, impressions and attitudes from my journey to Ukraine

Brother Kevin spent several weeks with BOM. Here is what he says:

"Thoughts, impressions and attitudes from my journey to Ukraine: A mission trip to bless Bible Orphan Ministry’s missionaries and be blessed in turn by partaking in the joy and heartfelt thanksgiving of those they serve.

Not being my first time in Ukraine nor my first trip to visit Ukrainian orphanages I already had some pre-conceived notions and attitudes of what to expect in regards to the culture, condition of government ran institutions and all that the words “village” and “hospital” resonate to a Ukrainian citizen.

Having been a patron of BOM for a few years I had desired to spend some quality time not just traveling around Ukraine and helping at the institutions but gaining more insight and knowledge about the workings of BOM and spending time in Christian fellowship with my brothers and sisters.  After two unsuccessful trip attempts in 2014 thwarted by the war I was finally blessed to spend two weeks with BOM in September 2015; Praise the Lord!

Disembarking the airplane I noted that they did not lose my luggage. (A positive as last time it was lost for days and I never truly got it all back).  Waiting to greet me was BOM and Olga Kozac with the biggest smiles and joyful demeanors.  After many handshakes, hugs and photos we were off to a yummy Ukrainian café for some fine traditional food.

During my Two Weeks I had the opportunity to visit the mental institutions, create art and crafts with the children, feed Misha’s church, visit former orphans at the trade school, attend first bell ceremony, live like true Ukrainian in an apartment engulfed by a smoke cloud, experienced and cried with rest of BOM at “fine” Ukrainian hospital (A memory I could have lived without but God gave me anyways), Spent a blessed day with BOM and young adults exploring Ukrainian Culture, and performed counseling and prep talks with the young men. WOW it was a blessed two weeks that just flew by. It seemed I was there only for a moment and then I had to go home.

https://youtu.be/9hOh1kTqb-g?list=PLeAqboiUxglkEkn1KCJgHdNXmUJakZ7-Y

Some things that impressed me about BOM and Ukraine:

The example that Alla, Oksana and Nadia are setting for the young women by their modest dress and Biblical female roles they exhibit in their daily lives.

We were constantly smiling and laughing at the cafes almost to the point of rolling on the floor at times while other dinners were “enjoying” their meal in stone faced silence. (An eastern European trait)

Oksana’s unselfish unsolicited ability to help wherever she saw a need and her intriguing aptitude to soothe, love and entertain any baby or child regardless of its demeanor; which was a blessing to the young mothers who I could visible observe needed a break.

The large variety of sausages (50+), eggs (at least 20 brands) and bread at the supermarket. The variety of Ukraine food at the cafes: Salo, Varenyky, Borscht, Syrniki, Holubtsi…. I wanted to try it all but two weeks was not long enough!

Misha’s uncanny ability to navigate the “fine” Ukrainian roads, joyfully replacing a tire in a rain storm at dusk (all the while a crazy Ukrainian girl was running back down the road looking for the pot hole to make a photo). His inculcation of Biblical wisdom and his own life experiences in a reverent way that was uplifting and meaningful to the young adults, orphans and his church.

Alla repeatedly showed me her unwavering determination to help orphans and young adults by charging ahead to check out if what a director told us was true or just their version of the story’s. Chasing pot holes in the dark, inspecting outhouses at the trade school, inventing creative ways to present Bible stories to God’s children at the orphanages, counseling young mothers…….

BOM and the young adults treated me like family and they felt like family to me. They are true Christians not only in words but in their everyday actions always focused on asking God for direction in everything they do.  They are all constantly living by faith working hard to accomplish as much as possible with their limited resources.  I had the pleasure to often join them in prayer and thanksgiving as the physical, mental and spiritual needs of the young adults, orphans, and their ministry team are great.   

Departing Ukraine on my last day it was difficult to leave all of them at the airport. I dreamt for a moment to linger on there…… “Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your

life? It is even a vapor that appeared for a little time, and then vanishes away.”  I came seeking an impression and found peace, I came seeking association and found friendship, I came seeking acceptance and found the Love of Christ." 

“I shall pass through this world but once! Any good thing, therefore, that I can do or any kindness that I can show to any human being, let me do it now, in his name, and for his sake! Let me not defer or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.”

Kevin Ruth

Pirogovo - Museum Of Folk Architecture And Life

Last week we visited Pirogovo - Museum Of Folk Architecture And Life, near Kiev. We had such a great time with few young people! It was so fun!

Pirogov (Russian: Пирого́в), originally a village south of Kiev, is a neighborhood in the southern outskirts of the Ukrainian capital city. It is now home to an outdoor Museum of Folk Architecture and Life of Ukraine.

Although the origin of the toponym is uncertain, pyrohiv is genitive plural form of the Ukrainian word for pie.

The territory of historic Pyrohiv now serves as the location of a 1.5-square-kilometre (370-acre) outdoor Museum of Folk Architecture and Life of Ukraine. Founded in 1969, the museum contains over 300 pieces of folk architecture brought here from all parts of Ukraine and carefully reassembled. The picturesque hill with several windmills is the museum centrepiece and the entire territory of the museum is divided into sectors, each representing the folk architecture and life of a specific Ukrainian region. The oldest church, situated in Pyrohiv, is Naddnipryanska, it is built in 1742. In the museum you can also find more than 40 000 items of household and traditional culture such as costumes, old textiles, embroidery, carpets, ceramics, metal handicrafts, woodwork and glass-ware as well as musical instruments, paintings and houseware.

Commoner's homes, buildings of small trade, commerce and local administration, and old wooden village churches contain authentic items that represent the everyday lifestyle of Ukrainian villagers and townsfolk. Local volunteers and modern Ukrainian artisans selling their wares dress in old-style clothes and demonstrate the use of authentic everyday items to visitors.

One of the main distinctive features of the museum is its theatrical performances and open-air celebrations dedicated to different folk holidays. Also in Pyrohiv you can often meet workers of the museum and visitors who are dressed in national costumes as well as those who are participating in ancient crafts like weaving, molding and others. In autumn and in summer holidays of folk crafts take place here. Blacksmiths, potters, weavers and other masters show their crafts to public and create works of art in front of your eyes.

From Wikipedia

While we observed the museum a company of milk products has advertised its items. We had lots fun playing different games.

We won different presents as rewards. One of them was free food. As all of us were hungry a little. It was such a great blessing and joy! :) Yay!

It was fun to hear singing these grandmothers using national instruments.

As it was a festival and yarmarka( kind of Ukrainian bazar), where masters sell handmade items.

You can buy a Ukrainian rushnyk and vyshyvanka.

Most we loved these handmade beaded dresses! They are gorgeous!

Such a tiny house

Here lived pigs on the first "floor" and chickens lived over them during cold seasons.

The view inside of a house.

 Wooden Orthodox church

 I'm short. But what is a low down house! :)

Very old an Ukrainian stove

Beehives. One of them is about 500 years old!

One more wooden orthodox church.

The view inside

The village

It`s the oldest house in museum. Can you believe it`s 500 years old?! Wow!

Ok. And here is some of my favorite houses ;)

Tiny chicken house

Houses with flowers look so pretty!

The very old well. People still using it in villages.

Windmill

 Girl`s favorite stuff, circlet of flowers :)

 We had a beautiful weather and blessed time. Everyone really loved this place.We spent all day long and were able to see only half of museum! Yes, it is huge museum and there lots of interesting stuff to see. We hope some day come back there and see the other part.  I hope you did not getting tired to see pictures. Those who know me in person, they know I love lots of pictures. Ha ha! Have a blessed day! ;)