Update on Anastasia
I want to thank each of you for supporting Anastasia financially and through prayer. We were able to acquire the best surgeon in Kiev for her, and the surgery was very successful. Vova, our director, has said that it is amazing to see the physical and psychological transformation of Anastasia since her surgery. She is a much happier child now!
Because Anastasia is only three years old, I was concerned before the surgery how she would react to being taken away from the orphanage (her only earthly security), and placed in a Ukrainian hospital, which is much worse than ours in America. But my concerns were alleviated fairly quickly. Anastasia not only came through the surgery with flying colors, so to speak, but she made many new friendships with the other children inside the hospital.
When it was time for Anastasia to transition back into her orphanage, she could not wait to go up to everyone and show the other children her new face. She constantly comes up to these kids and points to her face, as to say “look at me, look at me.” Remember that Anastasia cannot speak yet. Thankfully, many children in the orphanage are now embracing Anastasia in a new way.
In a delightful manner of speech, one orphanage worker expressed to us that Anastasia became a little spoiled with all of the attention she received in Kiev. SCM transported Anastasia to Kiev and back, an orphanage worker was by her side constantly, and members of another church in Kiev, who had never known Anastasia beforehand, came and ministered to her too. Praise God, she was well taken care of by God and man!
Since the surgery, SCM has worked weekly in Anastasia’s orphanage, and you can see that she has bonded with our team, which is a good sign too. Her second of three surgeries is planned for January. I will provide you with more updates in the future.
SCM’s Other Orphan Ministry Activities
James 1:27 clearly points to the fact that God has a special heart for the powerless of society. It says in this verse that “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress”
Believing the word of God, we are excited to tell you that beginning this fall, we launched our new on-going ministry to orphans all around the Kharkov region. Our team of SCM employees and church volunteers are doing an excellent job of building into children’s lives, and teaching them about Jesus and the Bible through games, crafts, and Bible-studies. Most of the children are very receptive to us. We are working in three orphan locations weekly, and three other locations at least once per month.
We are fortunate to minister into these children, and to have a favorable reputation with the orphanages’ administration too. Because of God’s blessing upon us, all locations have opened up their hearts and facilities to SCM
Unfortunately, this blessing is not available everywhere in Ukraine. Some Ukrainian Christians from Western Ukraine were commenting to us recently that the administrators in their locale are closed to them because they are Christians. We know this to be true, because there are a few orphanages in our region that have also shunned us because of our faith. Nonetheless, we are very thankful for the hearts, doors, and children that are open to our ministry for Jesus. We sense the favor of God.
Please continue to pray that we can present the love of Jesus clearly through our actions and theology. Please also pray for our employees Vova and Lena, who have to emotionally invest in this difficult, but very rewarding ministry.
As always, thank you for all of your prayers and support. We appreciate you very much. Have a wonderful Christmas!
Ron Putnam