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“She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “I have now seen[c] the One who sees me.” Genesis 16:13

We thank God who has been with us in Ukraine. Though the war presses on we have relative peace in Kyiv but we can feel the overwhelming shadow of war. We thank God that He is the God who sees us. He is the one that cares for us. He is the one that can solve our conflicts and make true reconciliation. In the month of February we again began our English club, Genesis group Bible study and Wednesday prayer meetings. There have been faithful students coming like Andrew and Semen. Usually we have more sisters than brothers come to our SWS. But one Sunday we had 8 brothers and only 4 sisters. John thanked God, saying finally we have brothers coming. God also blessed our sister’s Pajama – Sauna party. We had very good fellowship with 6 sisters who stayed over our house playing games, relaxing in our sauna and having devotional together. At the end of the month we had our movie night. We had only enough seats for 13 people and exactly 13 people came. After the movie, “Up,” we had a good discussion about love, friendship and value system. Andrew said he watched the movie before but after our discussion he learned a lot of deep insights.

Because of the terrible situation in the East and the increasing number of displaced people, John and I again decided to open our home. On the last week of February, we received a call from an American missionary who worked with us in Parish nursing. She asked if we can take a 19 year old orphan, Misha, who is being adopted by an American couple, Nicole and Joe. He is not a little boy anymore. He is a teenager with teenager problems. Also it would cost them about $26,000 to do so. They already have adopted 5 other children.  So why do it? I asked Nicole and she told me that it was their calling from God. She gave me her testimony when she lived without Jesus she went through hell as a teenager, with promiscuity, sexual abuse, abortion, abusive marriage that ended in a divorce. At this time in her life she went to church in the hope of getting out of her hellish life. There God helped her give her life to Jesus and leave her nightmare. When she did so God gave her the calling to reach out to broken teenagers. Joe her husband was an atheist. But through Nicole, he met Christ and became a Christian. Then they married. Nicole, because of physical problems, could not have children of her own. So instead they decided to adopt, orphans all from Ukraine. It was difficult to do so. They had to overcome many problems, one time she just wanted to give up. She wrote me, “But one interview when I was at my lowest, change me completely. This young man Max sat across from me put his hand on mine right after I just lost one of my boys and I was broken and trying to hold myself together and said “Please find me a family, get me out of here. I am beaten daily and I need a chance will you help me”. That changed the course of everything for me. GO GO GO....do not give up. Its not about me and my pain, it is about God and HIS glory and to bring voices to the kids that have no voices. I haven’t stopped since.” She told me that all her adopted children have accepted Jesus in their lives. They are planning to adopt Misha and his 14 year old brother and another boy. So they plan to have 9 children. Misha will stay with us until his paperwork is completed. He has been coming to all our meetings. His English is not that good so I am giving him daily English lessons. 

Misha is a typical teenager. The first Sunday night he was at our home, I overheard him screaming to his mother, complaining that I would not give him wifi at our home. I came to his room and I told him I heard everything he said. I told him his adopted parents had sacrificed so much to try to adopt him. She does not deserved to be screamed at. John and I sacrificed to have him live with us. We don’t deserved to be spoken of in a bad matter to other people. I asked him what did he sacrifice. We also told him that we didn’t even give internet access to our own son when he lived with us so that he wouldn’t be tempted with pornography. Then I asked him, who is the boss in this house he or John and I. He was silent. The next day in daily bread was about Hagar and Sarah. They too had conflicts. Misha cried as he learned that God is the God who sees him and cares about him. He asked forgiveness from his adopted mom and to me. I asked him to write a testimony and to think about God’s word deeply. He did so and since then we haven’t had any conflicts. I pray for Misha to deeply meet Jesus. Our God is a personal God. How I wish I can help thousands of refugees who have lost their homes. I can’t. But I can help one orphan change his life and become the man, God wants him to be. Please continue to pray for us. Especially for this war to end.

M. Maria Peace