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Hello from Ukraine! Although I am both married and an Uncle, I am not yet a father myself. This trip has me thinking more about kids, adoption and caring for orphans than I ever have before! Being surrounded by children who are fatherless has given me quite a bit of time to reflect on Gods heart for children; more specifically, the orphans I am surrounded by. The children here long for attention, love and acceptance. They do act out, but they have been in a survival mode their entire lives! As we continue to get closer to the kids I cannot help but recognize that our time here will come to an end. Is our spending time with the children for two weeks going to impact them positively? Or, will it emphasize that they do not have consistent people in their lives who love and care about them? In the United States our social workers would say that we need to support the long term workers who care for the kids and not allow them to attach to others that are not committed to being involved for more than two weeks. This is all well and good, but in Ukraine if teams like this are not engaging in the orphanages, there is literally not anyone here who cares for the kids. The orphanages provide food and shelter, but that is all. High percentages of the government money that is allocated for the orphanage is taken by politicians and orphanage workers. The orphans continue to get whatever is left over. Because of this, the food and living situations are far below what they should be. All that to say, the children are attaching to us, because these children only have the people who come to them; unfortunately, we will be leaving soon. In many ways, this seems like the less of two evils? We now have friendships with these children, have loved them for two weeks, and now have to go. Is it better to have shared life with these children for a small amount of time than not come at all? Are we just one more person who entered into their life and left? Hopefully when we go they will understand the Gospel and the void Christ can fill in their life.
Yesterday was all about the Gospel (not that the rest of the trip has been about something else). The kids played a game during the day where they carried a heart that was cut out of construction paper. By the end of the day their hearts were tattered and torn from the various activities. The paper hearts they carried around represents their heart and the healing it so desperately needs! Last night the children were told about Jesus Christ and the grace and love that is offered from God. They now understand that God created the world and made man in His image. That before the fall of Adam, we were in a perfect relationship with God. They understand that they are sinners and in need of a savior. They understand that because God loves them He sent His holy and perfect Son to live a sinless life. That Christ willingly and humbly died on the cross to atone for the sins of the world. They understand that Jesus has risen from the dead and is now reunited with God the Father. They understand that God now see's them through the spilled blood of His Son, Jesus! They understand that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life! They understand that no one comes before God except through Jesus! They now know that God loves them as they are and has offered His Grace to them. Our prayer is that they would respond. That their hard hearts would become soft and open to belief and faith!
As was written earlier, I have known for a long time what God views as pure religion... To care for widows and orphans. Before being here I took this verse to be more about what the orphans or widows needed from me. What I have found is that it is about so much more! Caring for and loving the fatherless is extremely hardwork and drives me back to God for strength and insight on what to do! Caring for these kids means loving them enough to share God's truth about who He is. What a gift it is to be in their lives for the time we have! My hope is they would respond to the message of God and their relationship with Him begins. That they can start attaching to Him instead of random people coming through their lives! In God alone, through Christ alone, by faith alone is where their true hope will be found! Thanks for reading!
For the Ukraine Team,
Jon Lorente