This week on Monday, May 10th, Open Arms is inviting you to join us in a day of prayer for our ministry and the kids we work with. We will be praying on the hour from 9am to 9pm for our kids, ministry, finances, direction, and other specifics. We are asking you to join us for a day of focused prayer for His ministry in Ukraine through Open Arms.

There are endless lists of children's names, ministry goals, dreams, and financial needs that need prayer. On Monday we will be focusing on camp and prison ministry.

In 3 short weeks, a team of 10 volunteers from the States will be flying out of California to Sumy to run a camp at the Pravdinska orphanage for 2 weeks. There is still a lot of work to be done, tasks to cross of the list, money to be raised and hurdles to be jumped. We believe that God has huge plans for our summer camp this year and it has been obvious to us that opposition in many forms has been trying to slow us down and stop us. As you join us for this day of prayer, we ask that you would especially be lifting up our camp. From May 31st through June 14th at the orphanage for about 120 kids, Christians from Ukraine and America will be sharing the love of Christ and how to live life "strong and courageous" in Him. These are some specific things you can be praying about for camp:

Official Permissions - We are required to receive approval from the Ministry of Education in Sumy to run our program at the orphanage every year. It hasn't been a problem in the past, but this year it has still yet to come through. Please pray that God would continue to keep this door open at the Pravdinska orphanage and that we would receive the official permission next week.

Orphanage Director, Nina - We have always considered ourselves blessed to have a good working relationship with the orphanage director, Nina. Recently she has been less willing to work with us and has been having us jump through hoops to be able to continue our ministry to the kids. Please pray that God will change her heart and that she'd again be open to us, and even more open to Him.

Unity of American and Ukrainian Teams - Please pray that our teams will be able to gel together quickly and work side by side to run this camp. Pray that we will be a worthy example of how the Body of Christ should function and be able to love on these kids without holding back.

Finances/Fundraising - Our team is working on raising $2300 each to help cover the cost of camp, travel, food, lodging, supplies and everything else that camp entails. We're currently still short $10,000/ only about half way of what our team needs to raise. Pray that God would open hearts to give and provide for all the needs of camp.

Our Interaction with Orphanage Staff - Pray that we will be able to work in cooperation with the teachers, cooks, coaches and other orphanage staff as we are there for 2 weeks. Pray that we would be able to share God's love with them as well and that we wouldn't have any issues working our camp schedule with their regular routine with the kids.

Safety and Health - Our team will be flying from the States and coming in on trains and buses from around Ukraine to the orphanage. Pray for safety in all the travels and that God would keep everyone healthy and overflowing with energy to spend nearly every waking moment with these kids.

Kids Coming to Know the Lord - Our ultimate goal in putting on this camp is that the kids would come to know the Lord as their Savior and Heavenly Father. Pray that His love, truth and grace would be clearly spoken and shown. Pray that every child would individually know that they are loved by Him and accept His grace in their lives.

In addition to praying for camp next month, we also ask that you pray for one specific young man in our prison ministry:

Sasha Pevniv - Sasha is currently in a juvenile prison in western Ukraine, with less than 11 months left to finish his sentence. We visit him monthly and believe that God has big plans for his life. Our desire is to help him rehabilitate into life after prison as he gets out and to encourage him to live his life differently than he did before prison. Sasha has asked us to pray for him to have strength to get through the rest of his time in prison. Thus far he has not only stayed out of trouble, but has been made a leader in his work and his group there. He wants to do better and change his life when he gets out, but it will be hard to resist the culture and friends that won't want to or know how to support that change. Pray for strength, now and when he gets out. Pray that God would get a hold of his heart and that Sasha would accept Jesus as his Savior. He's very open to God and its clear that God is working on him. If you are interested in learning more about Sasha or our prison ministry feel free to check out his profile at www.openarmsukraine.org in the "meet the children" section.

Thank you so much for all the prayers and support of this ministry! If you want more information on camp or Sasha or general ministry, please visit our website [www.openarmsukraine.org] or feel free to send us an email [openarmsministry@gmail.com].

We look forward to seeing how God moves in the coming weeks and reporting on the answers to prayer!

Open Arms blog

Open Arms missionary page

In our graduate ministry we have always seen the need to build relationships with the older kids before they leave the orphanage. In the beginning of 2009 we began talking to a small group of Ukrainian Christians about joining us in our ministry these children. For the past 2 months, this group has joined the Open Arms team in Sumy to make once a month trips to run short programs for the oldest 2 classes at Pravda. Games, skits, contests and discussions have entertained the 30 kids and friendships between them and the Ukrainian team have already begun to form.

Our vision is that the individuals in this group can begin building relationships with these kids that will extend beyond their time in the orphanage. We hope that when these kids graduate and leave the orphanage and their world drastically changes, they have a strong, stable Christian friend that they can go to who can guild them with wisdom and share Christ's love.

Please join with us in praying for not only the children but also for the team. Pray that God will give us wisdom on how best to reach the kids' hearts.

Open Arms Ukraine: 8th & 9th Grade Orphanage Ministry

Open Arms Missionary Page

Graduation Dresses

For a kid in high school, prom is usually a highlight. For the children at the Pravda orphanage their graduation is their time to shine. The girls wear prom dresses, the boys in shirts and ties, and for that day, they are the stars. This year, economic crisis in Ukraine has escalated the prices of dresses even more than usual as orphanage support from the government has decreased. We have decided to see how we can help make this day special for the children at Pravda and are looking for your support. If you have a used prom dress, jewelry or dress shoes that you would like to donate, please contact us through e-mail (openarmsministry@gmail.com) or by phone [(510)435-3625)]. Monetary donations are also greatly appreciated as they can help us buy dresses here in Ukraine for these beautiful young ladies. Together we can share God’s love in this way and help make this graduation a day they never forget.

Aids Talks/Abortion

Ukraine ranks #1 in all of Europe, which includes 43 countries, for the prevalence of AIDs among adults. According to the UNAIDS report in late 2008, Ukraine and Russia are stated as the region with “the fastest growing HIV epidemic in the world with prevalence doubling since 2001” (avert.org as quoted from UNAIDS statistics). With this reality, we have seen an increasing need for awareness among the children we work with as many turn to sex at a very young age. On January 16^th, we held a two part lecture series for the oldest classes at the Pravda orphanage and we are set to do the same for the next classes in the coming weeks.

We have also received permission from the Sambir Juvenile Colony to hold the same lecture series for the young men there who are preparing for life outside those walls. Every day decisions are made, but we hope that with education some of those decisions may be altered for the better.

Alongside the AIDs lecture at Pravda, we will be holding an abortion program January 24^th with a young pregnant woman from a local Sumy church as the speaker. She will work with the oldest classes and share with them about the realities of pregnancy and what takes place with an abortion. Our goal is to inform these children of the truth behind the terminology used while shedding light on God’s truth in these subject areas.

Orphanage Ministry

Every year we are faced with a new class of graduates from the Pravda orphanage and therefore our relationships there are of the upmost importance. If trust is not built with the children before they are placed in the trade school system, it is hard, if ever, to build trust to bring them to help. With this reality we have been building a team of Ukrainian volunteers from the local church who will be traveling with us monthly to the Pravda orphanage. They will focus their time on creating programs and building relationships with the 2 oldest classes that will hopefully lead to continued relationships beyond the children’s time there. Our goal and vision is to see long-lasting relationships developed that will lead not only to tangible help and support when the children are released from the orphanage, but also to a personal understanding of salvation in their lives.

OpenArmsMinistry@gmail.com * PO Box 277, San Lorenzo, CA 94580-0277 * (510) 435 - 3625

Open Arms Ukraine: January 2009

Open Arms Missionary Page

Thank you so much to all of you who helped participate in our watch drive for the boys in the Sambir Juvenile Prison! We were able to bring enough watches for every one of the boys for Christmas! Because of your willingness to support and give, this enables us to be able to continue to do ministry in Sambir and brings a little bit of joy to these lost boys in prison. Thank you!

Another Yeremenko
Ira Yeremenko, age 23.
Ira is the oldest and the only girl with six brothers. We have worked with three of her brothers, Roman, Losha and Ivan, but had only ever briefly met her once. Upon returning to Ukraine, our translator got a disturbing call from Ira. She had been kidnapped and held in a nearby city for the last three months. She had been forced to work and beaten daily by a man who had a personal vendetta against her mom. After three months, she was finally able to get a hold of a phone and found a piece of paper in her pocket that she didn't know what in there. Ira had washed her pants seven times, not knowing that this paper, with numbers for her brothers and Sasha, our translator, was in the pocket. She found the paper and was surprised to see that it still looked like new, having no water damage to the phone numbers written on it. She tried each number and the only one that worked was Sasha's. Thanks to the help of a friend who works for the police, we were able to get the man to put Ira on a bus to Sumy and we picked her up at the bus station the following day.

Since arriving back in Sumy, the people in the local church have warmly accepted and showered her with God's love. Ira has now professed to accepting the Lord and has been filled with joy and a peace we didn't see when we first met her. Right now she is staying with us and looking for a job in Sumy. Ira strongly has it on her heart that her brothers, and even her mom, need to know that Lord and has spoken to them boldly about it from the moment they were reunited.

Upcoming Events
We will be making a trip to Pravda on the 6th to celebrate Ukrainian Christmas with the kids there. We will be bringing home-made American sweets and small gifts for each of the children.
Ukraine is the number one country for AIDS in Europe. We have been approved by the orphanage and the prison in Sambir to bring a small group and give a presentation on AIDS. An international organization called ACET - AIDS Care Education and Training - has developed a curriculum that we will be using. Both of the presentations will be some time in January.

Prayer Needs
Ira - Pray that God would continue to give her boldness in her new faith. Pray that she would be able to find a job and begin a new life in Sumy.

AIDS Presentations - Please pray that we would be able to find a couple more volunteers to help with the presentation in Sambir. Pray for the effectiveness of our times in both locations.

Finiancial Support - Continue to pray that we would receive the nessecary financial support for our ministry in Ukraine.
Local Church - Pray for God to work in the hearts of Ukrainian Christians as we reach out to try find more volunteers for our ministry.

Graduates - Please continue to pray for our graduates salvation.

Open Arms Ukraine

Open Arms Missionary Page

18-year-old Losha Yeremenko is a kid who simply loves to laugh, but behind the smile there are countless scars cutting deep after years of pain and abuse. Second born in a family of 6 sons, Losha quickly learned how ugly life can be. Electrocution in puddles of water was just one of the methods of abuse his alcoholic father would inflict on him and his brothers. At merely 7 years old, after his father's death and his absent mother loss all parental rights, Losha and his brothers were left to the orphanage system. In his years at the orphanage, Losha watched two of his younger brothers get adopted, while he received twisted forms of punishment, such as being taken on more than one occasion to be drugged and "treated" at a mental hospital. The loses and pains of this time are hardly mentionable for Losha.

After finishing the orphanage, Losha was sent to trade school in the village where his mother still lives. His alcoholic step-father there has made countless attempts to end Losha's life, even succeeding in getting a knife stuck in Losha's leg only months ago. His schooling was one of the worst we have seen and his very situation put his life in danger. With this reality Losha made the decision to try for change by transferring to Sumy. We fought with him in the process, as multiple schools initially accept him only to kick him out simply because he is an orphan. Finally, God cleared the way for Losha to enter an upper division trade school in Sumy. This is far better schooling than anything he has received and it allows our team to work much more closely in Losha's life. Now, Losha is praised by his teacher as one of her hardest workers, he gets up at 6:30am to make it to school on time each day, and no one is threatening his life.

It is continually surprising to watch as he opens his heart through years of relationship. The countless pains he has endured have made Losha one of the strongest kids we know. He is unashamedly loyal to those he holds dear and a protector at the core. In the midst of his strong, silent spirit resides a tenderness that is a rare gift to those he shares it with. We are completely honored to have him as a gift from God in our ministry and we look forward to the ways God will move in his beautiful heart.

Winter Needs

With Christmas fast approaching and the frosty weather settles in on Sumy, Open Arms is working hard to meet needs on various ends of our ministry. We are currently asking for support in two areas: first, our ministry in the Sambir juvenile prison, and second, in our Sumy ministry with the Pravda graduates. Please consider joining us this Christmas to help bless these kids in the following ways.
Our prison ministry in Sambir involves working with a juvenile prison of around 200 boys. We have recently received official government approval for Open Arms to bring programs to the prison. This gives us the incredible opportunity to bring the message of God's grace, forgiveness and love to these boys whose lonely hearts are so in need comfort. For Christmas we're looking to bring 200 watches (plastic or fabric, no metal) as gifts to the boys there. A simple gift can do so much to bless and encourage these children. If you are interested in donating one or more watches, please let us know! Watch donations can either be mailed to Open Arms or brought to one of two drop locations.

In northern California:
17049 Via Flores
San Lorenzo CA 94580

In southern California:
10637 Ashworth St.
Bellflower, CA 90706

Working to take care of the physical needs the Pravda grads in Sumy is a much more difficult task in winter than in summer. With temperatures already dropping to the 30s and snow soon on its way, keeping the kids warm in sufficient winter clothing requires a bigger budget than other times of the year. And trying to bless these kids with a Christmas gift adds to the financial need. This is where you can come in! Sponsoring a child, for either winter clothes or a Christmas gift, can be such a blessing, both to you and to the kids!

To give you an idea of the costs to purchase these items in Ukraine, here are some gifts and their suggested donations:
Jacket: $40-50 --- Shoes: $30-35
Pants: $25-30 --- Christmas gift: $25-30
Beanie and Gloves: $20 --- Long-sleeve Shirt: $15
Warm Socks (5 pair): $10

Any size donation is gladly welcomed! Donations can be sent to Open Arms (with "winter clothes" or "Christmas gift" in the memo line) to help us support and love these kids this winter. If you would like your gift to go purchase something specific, please note it with your donation.

Prayer Needs

Thank you to all of our faithful prayer supporters. We fully believe in the power of prayer and we know God has heard your prayers. Please continue to remember us and our ministry in your prayers. Here are some ways you can be praying of us specifically:
Things to continue going well at Losha's school

• Winter clothes for the kids
• Our orphanage ministry
• Our prison ministry: that we would be able to get funds so we can do ministry once a month with a team of Ukrainians from the church
• For our kids, Sasha and Ivan, in prison that their spirits would not be broken and that they would come to know the Lord
• Our watch drive for the prison
• Summer camp at the orphanage (This is a really huge opportunity for us. It has been our dream since the beginning. Please be praying for direction and for people at home to be listening to God about how to help.)

Again, we would like to thank you all for your support. We are so thankful that God has given you to us! And we look forward to sharing with you soon how God is answering our prayers. We have some very exciting things coming up and know God is moving in big ways.
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P.O. Box 277 * San Lorenzo, CA 94580-0277 * PH (510) 276-1239 * E-Mail: openarmsministry@gmail.com
dear children, let us not love with words or tongue, but in ACTION and in TRUTH. 1 john 3:18

Open Arms Ukraine: November Newsletter

Open Arms Missionary Page

Christmas time will be here before we know it! It is crazy how time flies!! With our prison ministry, we are looking to bring watches (plastic or fabric) for the 200 boys residing there this Christmas.

We are working on programs that will bring the message of God's love and grace to these boys as well. But a simple gift like this can do so much for these children. If you are interested in donating a watch for this cause please let us know!

Open Arms Ukraine: Watch Drive!!

Open Arms Missionary Page