Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. - James 1:27
×èñòîå è íåïîðî÷íîå áëàãî÷åñòèå ïðåä Áîãîì è Îòöåì åñòü òî, ÷òîáû ïðèçèðàòü ñèðîò è âäîâ â èõ ñêîðáÿõ è õðàíèòü ñåáÿ íåîñêâåðíåííûì îò ìèðà. - James 1:27 Russian Translation

Dear Friends and Family,
This past January, I went on my second missions trip to Ukraine. My trip was amazing and life changing. God gave me a new way of thinking, and impressed his faithfulness upon my heart and mind. Eventually, it came time for me to leave Ukraine and the friends I had made there. I cried; knowing that I might never go back. Last January, God gave me a deep love for Ukraine and its people. That love still remains in my heart.
Sometimes God does or says something that is so big, it blows away our boxed-in mindsets. For me, this happened just a few days ago- when God gave me a push in the direction of Ukraine. On December 31st, I will embark on my third trip to Ukraine with Ukraine Children’s Project – an organization geared towards helping the hundreds of thousands of orphans and street children of Ukraine.
Since my first trip three years ago, my love for the children and people of Ukraine has grown immensely. This year, I will help to distribute medical supplies, clothes, blankets, Bibles, and lots of love to the children at five orphanages. I am looking forward to ministering to some of the same children and some new ones as well!
Our team will be led by Dr. Jim and Jane Miller (who I have accompanied my previous two times). While they are seeing the sick children, I will be ministering with a youth puppeteer group from Virginia.
I am already ecstatic about what God has planned for my trip. Each time He has sent me, His purpose for my life has become clearer and clearer. Please pray for and with me that He would give me clear direction as to His purpose for my life. Also, please keep my leaders in prayer. They think that this will be their last trip to Ukraine (this is their eleventh trip), but are praying for guidance.
I also need prayer that I can raise the needed $2,500 in time. God has done it for me in the past, so I am totally trusting in His power. If you feel led to support me financially, you can mail me your check made out to “The Ukraine Children’s Project” so that you can get a tax-deductible receipt. Also, please don’t write my name anywhere on the check. Instead, attach a post-it note with my name on it.
I am excited about this trip and about what God has planned. Please join with me in prayer during the preparation and duration of my trip (Dec. 31-Jan 15). Thank you for your support!