“Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!! From all children of our centre. Thanks for parcels.”
As you can imagine, with 17 children living under one roof, the supply of shampoo and other hygiene items disappears quickly. Over time this can be costly. This past fall, the children’s center ran completely out of shampoo. On the same day nine packages arrived filled with shampoo, other hygiene items, toys, and a little food. These packages were from Living Hope. The children’s center now has shampoo and other items it needs for a long time to come. This was not just an outpouring of stuff but of love. Thank you so much for your donations, prayers, and love for the children of Vapnyarka, Ukraine.
24 KIDS / 45 COMMITMENTS
I am very excited to announce, that all 24 children have at least one sponsor, committed to giving, praying, and building a relation whip with them! This is an amazing accomplishment, which many of you have been a part of. There have been a total of 45 commitments made. Thank you for your willingness to follow God’s call on your hearts to be a part of a child’s life. If you are interested in committing to sponsor a child from the orphanage in Vapnyarka Ukraine, there is information available in the Living Hope lobby. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me at tiffinua@yahoo.com.
LETTER WRITING
Letter writing is a way for you to connect with the child you have sponsored. Many of you have had questions about writing letters to the children. I have tried to respond to these as they have been asked but I would like to take the time to outline the process.
•Write your letter. You can use the guidelines provided for you on the back of the child profile portion of the commitment card. Feel free to get kids involved by having them write or draw pictures.
•If you want to include pictures, stickers, or anything else small and flat you may.
•Be sure the child’s name is clearly marked on the document or envelope.
•As a safety precaution, all letters are screened for content before being given to the children. For this reason, it is not necessary to seal your letter in an envelope, unless something is in danger of falling out.
•Please do not include financial contributions in the same envelope as letters.
•We send mail using a USPS Flat Rate Envelope. This is the most cost effective way to send mail. This does mean that we send mail in a bundle and can only send it when we have enough to fill up an envelope.
•The Flat Rate Envelope is 9 ½” X 12”. Anything we send over needs to be within these dimensions.
•Keep in mind that due to the fact that we can only send mail when we have enough to fill the envelope and the length of time it takes for mail to travel from Ohio to Ukraine it could take anywhere from 6-8 weeks for mail to reach the kids.
•Please write at least four times a year.
•Letters can be sent into Living Hope Church, placed in the offering basket, dropped in the box on the Ukraine display, or put in the Ukraine Mission mail box in the copy room.
FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTIONS
Thank you to all those who have committed to help the children by giving financially through sponsorship or by making a onetime donation. To make giving easier, it is available online at www.elivinghope.com and clicking on the “Giving” link at the top of the page.
If you prefer, you can still make your contribution through the weekly offering, the box on the Ukraine display or mailing it in to the church. If paying by check please be sure “Ukraine Sponsorship” is included in the memo line. If you are paying with cash please be sure it is in an envelope and mark either on the envelope or on a paper inside the envelope “Ukraine Sponsorship” as well as your name or the name of the groups so that you are credited for it. Tithe envelopes are available on the tiered table in the Living Hope Foyer.
