Orphan Ministry
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Our goal is to build and equip team(s) of volunteers representing multiple churches to minister with orphans and orphan care-givers in Uzhgorod and the surrounding region.
Where we’ve been: Our ministry began in partnership with Nehemiah International to provide volunteers for the Pediatric Hospital in Uzhgorod in the Spring of 2012. That ministry was staffed primarily with short-term volunteers such as World Racers. Eventually a core of local volunteers representing different churches began regularly visiting babies and continue to this day on a “need” basis. Following through with children that were transferred out of the Pediatric Hospital led our team first to the toddler orphanage in Svalyava and then to the orphanage in Chinadievo. Around Christmas of 2013 some of our core volunteers gained access to Chaslivtsi Orphanage through a Kyiv ICA/YWAM Team that already has a long-term (but not regular) ministry with the orphanage. In the Winter of 2014 ITeams’ staff discovered a Baptist affiliated orphanage/group home in Radvanka. In early 2015 we became a partner with Ukraine Without Orphans. |
"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." |
Where we are: We currently serve at the local pediatric hospital in Uzhgorod and the regional toddler orphanage in Svalyava. We have occasional access to the orphanages in Chaslivtsi and Chinadievo. We partner with at east 4 local churches and it’s not unusual for us to have non-Christians serve alongside us (a ministry opportunity in itself!). Doors are opening all over the region for some of our "non-staff" volunteers/friends of our ministry but sometimes getting permission as an "official ministry" is difficult. We love "visiting" kids but our desire is to be with them every week until they age-out and beyond.
Where we’re going: As opportunities arise we want to gain access to every orphanage in our region to at least assess the need for local church involvement. Our premise is that every child needs long-term relationships with local, caring Christian adults. That doesn’t mean they need a relationship with “our” team; if a local church has already accepted responsibility for kids and care-givers in an orphanage then we’ll encourage them and move on.
Our priority is to help in 1) Our most local orphanages and 2) the most needy orphanages. Team size varies with different ministries. A small team of 2-3 is typically ideal at the City Pediatric Hospital. Teams of 4-6 are better for Svalyava, Chinadievo, and Chaslivtsi.
Want more information? Contact Clinton White
Where we’re going: As opportunities arise we want to gain access to every orphanage in our region to at least assess the need for local church involvement. Our premise is that every child needs long-term relationships with local, caring Christian adults. That doesn’t mean they need a relationship with “our” team; if a local church has already accepted responsibility for kids and care-givers in an orphanage then we’ll encourage them and move on.
Our priority is to help in 1) Our most local orphanages and 2) the most needy orphanages. Team size varies with different ministries. A small team of 2-3 is typically ideal at the City Pediatric Hospital. Teams of 4-6 are better for Svalyava, Chinadievo, and Chaslivtsi.
Want more information? Contact Clinton White