Orphanage Mission Cruise | HopeHouse International®

We’re Not Alone

October 4, 2017 By Drew Turner

In the first season of The Flash, Barry is remembering a conversation he had as a little boy about the dark. Barry asked his mom if she was ever afraid of the dark. Barry’s mom replied with a question. She asked, “If I turn this light off now, would you be scared?” Barry replied, “No.” Then Barry’s mom exclaimed, “That’s because I’m here with you. See you’re not afraid of the dark, Barry. You’re afraid of being alone in the dark. That goes away when you realize something…you’re never really alone.”

We are often afraid of the “unknown.” Our unknowns could be:

Getting out of our comfort zones to meet new friends
Going back to school
Applying for a job
Sharing the Gospel

No matter what our unknowns are, we can definitely be sure of one thing that Jesus is, and will always be, with us. Jesus is omnipresent. That means He is present in all places. Jesus already knows what we have been, and will be, going through. Jesus knows what we are going through right now.

I imagine Jesus wonders, “Are you scared of the unknowns that prevent you from all I created you to be?” Even though we might be scared, we can always know that He is with us as our lives tell the world of who He is and how great He is.

I want to invite you to listen and reflect on this song called, “I Am Not Alone” by Kari Jobe.

The Difference a Family Makes

July 11, 2013 By Deneen Turner

Hi, this is Adam, on the Orphanage Mission Team writing for the blog for the first time.

This week has encountered a lot of firsts for me: first time across the Atlantic, first international mission trip, first time visiting an orphanage. The list could go on. I feel incredibly blessed to be a part of this group that is so passionate about what we are doing here. It’s also been amazing to have my wife Keysha by my side for the trip.

At this point in the trip, we have seen orphans from all over this beautiful country and have fallen in love with all of them. One of the standout points for me so far was visiting the handicapped orphanage in Kherson. We were warned by those in our group that had been before that this would be an emotional day. I tried to prepare myself so that I could be a smiling face for the kids no matter how their condition may affect me emotionally. The amazing thing was that once the children entered the room, most of them in wheelchairs, I never felt the need to remind myself to smile. Their joy was contagious as we sang and danced and played with them. I was humbly reminded that no matter their circumstances, they are still children of God.

However, their circumstances still remain. The orphanages all do the best they can with the funds they are allotted and we were blessed to be able to deliver gifts of soap, diapers, and other necessities, but the sheer number of children in need means that some things have to be sacrificed. Children may only be able to bathe once a week. Some need medical care that cannot be afforded. They may share a toothbrush or have only a few outfits of clothing. The orphanage was never meant to be a permanent solution for these children. They need faithful men and women of God to step up and be fathers to the fatherless and mothers to the motherless.

Tonight, we got to meet one such couple and their story was inspiring and humbling. Vadim and Anstastia are a young couple roughly the same age as my wife and I. With them tonight were their two beautiful adopted daughters Karina (8) and Masha (5). The girls are biological siblings and have been blessed to be able find a forever family with Vadim and Anastasia. Many would consider it enough for this young couple to have provided a loving home for these two girls, but Vadim and Anastasia are also in the process of adopting their older sister and their two younger brothers. This is all in addition to having their own biological son, a toddler. For those of you keeping score at home that’s potentially six children in the near future for this young family! HopeHouse is currently helping this growing family renovate a house to provide room for all the children so these adoptions can become possible.

It was such an amazing contrast to see the hope that these girls have with their new family as opposed to those still waiting in the orphanage to be adopted. It was a wonderful picture of the work God can do through a family that is willing to follow His call. Please join us in praying that God will raise up more families to adopt the many who are still waiting.

Not a single member of our group was unaffected by this family’s visit, my wife and I included. I feel like many of our eyes have been opened to God’s calling for Christians to take up the cause of the orphan. Maybe it means more trips like this. Maybe it’s a donation to HopeHouse International. Maybe it’s becoming adoptive parents.

God is moving in the hearts of those of us here and our hope is that He is using our stories to teach you as well. We thank you all for your many prayers and support.

Blessings,

Adam McDonald

Orphanage for Handicapped Children // Kherson, Ukraine

July 9, 2013 By Deneen Turner

Another great day! We visited the orphanage for handicapped children in Kherson, Ukraine and had an amazing time. It’s always a bit overwhelming to see, no matter how many times you’ve been. The thing that’s always amazing, however, is the joy that those children have upon seeing us.

One teenaged boy we met last year named Sasha, who is missing parts of his hands and feet from birth, peaked his head into the gym where we held our assembly, and then immediately darted back out into the hall. In a matter of minutes he came bounding back into the room wearing his full soccer uniform, field shoes included!

Julie Rogers from our group shared a message of hope with the children, telling them that God loves them exactly as they are, and wants them to know that they can depend on him for their lives and their future.

We then spent plenty of time painting faces, twirling wheels chairs around, and taking pictures with them. Again, the joy in the room was really something special. One teenaged girl in a wheelchair was having a heart painted on her forearm and would burst out laughing with every brushstroke because it tickled so much!

Some of the older boys (on crutches and all) and Will, Brian, Caleb, Logan, and me from our group headed out to the field to play soccer. Let’s just say that the kids played against us like they really, really wanted to win.

And win they did.

The injustice of the way these children are treated, not only when they are young but into adulthood as well, is immense…

But we made a dent in it today.

We drove a stake in the ground, we drew a line in the sand, and we pushed the darkness back.

We went into a place where loveis like a far away galaxy–fathomed but not experienced firsthand– and we brought it as close as an embrace.

We went somewhere children are treated as different than the rest of society because they have a physical handicap, and we showed them that they are special indeed, because they are made in the image of God and he loves them exactly as they are.

We served these beautiful children with dignity and love because that is what they deserve.

I can’t tell you how proud I am of our team and how happy I am to be a part of this work. Thank you again for your support and your continued prayer. We have another busy day tomorrow!

I hope to have some thoughts from other members of our group posted here over the next few days, so please check back!

Many Blessings,
Brandon

Worship Ukrainian-Style / HopeHouse Families / Crimea, Ukraine

July 7, 2013 By Deneen Turner

Brandon here, again, with a quick update for you.

We drove to Eagle Village on the outskirts of Sevastopol to participate in a church service where several HopeHouse Families are members. As an added bonus, we got to climb a “hill” (looked more like a mountain to me!), as the service was being held outdoors. We met several of the families and then settled down on blankets.

Volodya, a HopeHouse father and the church’s pastor, opened the service with a prayer in which he thanked God for the privilege of meeting outside. We sang several songs and then Brian Rogers from our group gave a short message that Ira, the HopeHouse interpreter/Ukrainian mission trip coordinator, translated for the church. At the end of the service, they stretched out their arms and prayed a blessing on our ministry in Ukraine, and then asked that we do the same for them. It was a very special time and a tangible reminder that God’s love is not bound by languages or nations or oceans.

We then spent time with the church’s children, including about 20 who have been adopted into HopeHouse Families. The difference between children in the orphanage and children who are now part of a loving Christian family is like night and day. The HopeHouse Children were clean, nicely dressed, and obviously healthy and well taken care of. On top of it all, they were happy, and not just because we came to visit. They were truly glowing. They didn’t have the scars of abandonment, abuse, neglect, disappointment, or grief etched on their faces like the orphanage children do. In fact, they didn’t look like they had a care in the world– secure, loved, and accepted.

After our time with the church, we had lunch and then toured Balaklava, which was a super-secret Soviet base for nuclear submarines built underneath a mountain during the Cold War. As we walked through the dark, underground halls of this former Communist military installation, the thought struck me that when Pastor Volodya thanked God that we were meeting outside, it wasn’t just a prayer about the weather. Evangelical churches like his were forbidden for many years. Christians couldn’t meet outside, or anywhere, that wasn’t in secret, and constantly lived in fear of being discovered and exiled to a gulag in SIberia or martyred outright. It was a stark reminder of the darkness of the not-so-distant past in this country, and a time to stop and thank God not only for the religious liberties I enjoy in the U.S., but also that God’s people in Ukraine no longer live constantly under this fear.

We returned to the ship and had a team meeting where we discussed our upcoming visit to the orphanage for handicapped children in Kherson, where the ship will dock at 2:30pm tomorrow. This is always a very tough visit, and your prayers would be greatly appreciated. Please pray that God would give us the strength that we would be emotionally present, without being emotionally drained, at least until we get back on the bus. Ira told us in the meeting tonight that most of these children do not live past the age of 35, simply because of systemic neglect. We want more than anything else to communicate to these children the love and hope that is found in Christ. One member of our team, Andy Whisenant, said during the meeting, “If I believe that the gospel is true, I can’t stand by and do nothing while there are children who don’t know that they are loved.” That’s the reason we are here.

Thank you for your continued support and prayer. We miss you all!

Many Blessings,
Brandon

Open to Change

June 27, 2013 By Deneen Turner

“The soul is healed by being with children.” -Fyodor Dostoyevsky

In just a week I’ll be with a HopeHouse Orphanage Mission Team, leaving for Ukraine (July 3-14). Almost half of our group is returning from last year’s trip. In 11 days we will see between 1,000 and 1,500 orphaned children in 8 different orphanages.

I’ve got my packing list together and am so excited to see those kids and have the chance to share love, hope, and joy with them. But on the other hand, I’m working to prepare myself for what is undoubtedly one of the most emotional times of my year.

It’s hard to leave my wife and baby girls behind for almost two weeks. It’s hard to see firsthand the injustice of hundreds and thousands of children abandoned and living with no hope. And it’s hard to say goodbye to them after only a few short hours.

However, I must come face-to-face with injustice in order to change it. I must stare it in the eyes and tell it to its face that it does not have the last word. I must go to the darkest places on earth, because that is where Jesus found me, and shine the light of hope and eternal love. I must tell these children that they are valuable, that they are loved more than they can even imagine, and that they are not alone.

And in doing so, I, myself, will be forever altered.

That’s the beauty of these trips– the hope which changes them also changes me. This is why so many people come back from an Orphanage Mission Trip and put in their deposit to go next year. As we work to spread the love of Christ, we unexpectedly find ourselves standing in it, reminded that we are valuable, we are loved more than we can imagine, and we are not alone.

Please pray for us as we prepare to embark, for safety and health, of course, but also that we would be open to the change which God desires for the orphans of Ukraine and for our very own hearts.

Many Blessings,
Twitter: @BrandonDragan
brandon@hopehouseinternational.org

All God’s Children

June 4, 2013 By Deneen Turner

Gathering at CAFO's Summit 9 @Brentwood Baptist — Gathering at CAFO’s Summit 9 @Brentwood Baptist

The last few weeks have been a bit of a blur. I’ve been working with church leaders from all over Nashville; have been in touch with pastors from New Jersey to Texas; have reached out to non-profits in Philadelphia and Washington, D.C.; and have been working with our team in Ukraine.

We were also recently blessed to be part of the Christian Alliance for Orphans (CAFO) Annual Summit at Brentwood Baptist Church. We got to meet people from different walks of life and areas of ministry, all with a heart for reaching children in need. There were over 75 different ministries that exhibited (including HopeHouse) and attendees from all 50 states and more than 25 countries. We were a part of the largest orphan-related church gathering in the history of mankind. We talked and talked and talked about what God is doing to rescue orphans through HopeHouse International® until our voices were gone.

Orphanage Mission Cruise Fundraiser in Baskin, LA / Team Members Brian & Julie Rogers

Then, Co-Founder & President Deneen and I got in a minivan and drove to quaint little Baskin, Louisiana. We had a great meeting with our Orphanage Missions Cruise Team that will be leaving for Ukraine on July 3, and the following night we attended their silent auction fundraiser for humanitarian relief items. Deneen spoke about the desperate need of orphans, the mission of HopeHouse International®, and our upcoming trip. There were videos, music, and lots of fried catfish. That single evening raised more than $12,000 for the trip to include relief aid for the 1,500 orphans we will serve!!

When I think about all of the people I’ve met recently, all of the people who give so generously of their finances, their time, and their energy, all the good folks who see a need and jump to meet it, I can’t help but be slightly in awe.

I’m in awe of God’s heart—that he truly cares for the least of the least of us—and I’m in awe that he’s been moving in the hearts of his children all around the world, that we might see what he sees and love as he loves.

Blessings,
@BrandonDragan

We’re Not Alone

The Difference a Family Makes

Orphanage for Handicapped Children // Kherson, Ukraine

Worship Ukrainian-Style / HopeHouse Families / Crimea, Ukraine

Open to Change

All God’s Children

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