June 2023 Update

 

Friends, family, kind strangers – we are at about 465 days of full-scale w*r in Ukraine, 488 days since I moved here hoping to make an impact, and just over 5 years since God first broke my heart for the children of Ukraine. ** please do not share anything from this letter publicly without my permission.

You may or may not know how my story in Ukraine started – it’s unassuming, could have easily been just a blip in my life. Instead in April 2018, everything changed for me. I was on the tail-end of an 11-month mission trip with the World Race. I found exponential growth, lifelong friends, and invaluable mentorship that year. God used this trip to apply heat and pressure to my raw faith and eager spirit and began to forge the woman I am today. It was a catalyst for me in many ways.  Ukraine was the 9th country we traveled to, Clinton White was our host. He had already spent many years serving the orphaned and vulnerable children of Ukraine. His ministry was simple, impactful, and was laying the groundwork for incredible potential. I immediately leaned into the work he and others were doing in the orphan care space. While many others on my team felt led to the English clubs and serving college students – I spent as much time as I could going to the orphanage (the same one I serve at today) and volunteering with the abandoned babies in the local hospital.

My first visit to the toddler orphanage in April 2018 – the same one I serve at today.

Three days. That was all it took for the words “I think I might live here one day” to come out of my mouth. Oddly enough, no one questioned it. Ukraine drew me in, the children softened my heart, and Clinton and his ministry provided vision. I could see it – which is emotional to reflect on as I am now living it.  As I got on the train to leave at the end of the month, I told Clinton “I’ll be back” – he simply replied, “I know”.

When I returned to Ukraine in April 2021.

I visited Ukraine again in April 2021. Three days. That was all it took for me to know it was time for me to make the move. And just about everyone questioned it. Well, the people who knew me well immediately understood. Everyone else saw the build-up of Russian troops on the border.  But I knew, with such clarity, that I was moving exactly in the direction I was meant to. A journey started back in April 2018 and this was the next step. So I moved here. War started. Life was/is wild and full and heartbreaking. I’m humbled yet empowered daily. Clinton and his wife Lena, through Shade for Children, have toiled in the soil here in Zakarpattia Oblast for years. They have formed the relationships, invested in the community, and built a foundation that has allowed me to dive into ministry here and is now allowing us to make the next move in our pursuit of care and advocacy for Ukraine’s most vulnerable.

Since I moved here I have operated as a strategic partner with Shade for Children, together we have been able to accomplish so much. Now, we are combining forces more intentionally. I am officially joining the Shade for Children team!  There is something beautifully full circle about the timing and purpose behind this move. Over the past year, we have been dreaming together about the long-term sustainable impact we can pursue here. Within the last handful of weeks, God opened a door for us to obtain a beautiful piece of property. I’m still blown away by that statement!

Planting fruit trees on the property.

It’s both an incredible honor and great responsibility to seek out God’s plans for our work and this land. But with clarity and excitement, I can share that we intend to build and develop a small group home for children within the orphan care system. This plan has been refined through multiple meetings with government social services agencies and other child advocacy organizations. So far, everyone we have spoken to, whether officials or neighbors, has expressed gratitude and pledged support for this significant endeavor.

Here's a first draft/artist rendering for the children's home.

Ukraine approved the small group home model of alternative housing for orphans back in 2018, well before the full-scale w*r began. This model aims to reduce and eventually eliminate the number of children residing in large institutions, providing them with more suitable options such as foster care, adoption, and small group homes. Our small group home will be limited to accommodating 10 children (or 8 if they have special needs). Our primary goals include creating an environment that closely resembles a real home and family, providing not only care but great love.  Simultaneously, we will work diligently to prepare the children for family placement, whether that is reunification with their family, adoption, or foster care – long-term solutions. We will seek the best possible care for "our" children and advocate wholeheartedly for their reunification or adoption. Clinton, Lena, and I will be heavily involved in the project. We will be launching major funding campaigns in the coming weeks.

I continue my visits to the orphanage and my intentional care and advocacy for the same group of children I've been with since I moved here.

Whoosh! I have been bursting at the seams to invite you all into the process! SO MUCH background work has had to happen to get to this point and we still have a long way to go as we navigate the systems and processes of the Ukrainian government. Your prayers are vital and so appreciated! For now, I will keep updates on this project in the newsletter, waiting to do a formal announcement on social media until more of the details are solidified. But I just couldn’t wait to have you all covering this project in your prayers. If your family, church, or business has an interest in helping bring this vision to life – I would love to chat with you! Simply reply to this email and we can set something up.  Speaking of social media… I have taken over as the primary manager of the Shade for Children Instagram! Give us a follow!  Your support of my work these past months has been overwhelming and transformative for me – I feel all the more confident tackling this big of a project with you all in our corner.  All of my fundraising remains with The Cause platform, as it has always been! There will soon be an option there to support this building project.  Okay, that’s all for now.  Thank you, thank you, thank you!

with love, Lina