It took some convincing of the security guard, but after we said we’d only stay for a few minutes and that we promised to be quiet, she let us pass; and Ksusha(KAH-SUE-SHA) (my friend and interpreter) and I entered the children’s hospital of Vladimir after visiting hours had ended.

We searched up and down the third floor corridor until we found him. And there, in a child-sized bed, lay Sasha.

I first met Sasha when visiting the preschool orphanage on a December trip in 2005. On the next December trip he was seated in front of me during a performance. Before the dancing began, he turned around and whispered to my interpreter and me, “I’m getting out of here. As soon as I can I’m just gonna run.”

Later that same day I was told that Sasha had a tumor in his brain and he had been having treatments for a while.

As I spent some time with Sasha on that trip, I realized that he had a unique personality. At age 5 he loved to grab my hand to take me for a walk while sharing an elaborate story he made up as we went along or to give me a toy of his and ask me to play with it as he watched.

During the time I lived in Vladimir I was able to spend more time with Sasha. He loved to take me on tours of the orphanage rooms or the garden outside; sometimes we would just sit together and Sasha would nod off for a bit in the warm sun.

When we went to the Children’s Home on this past trip Sasha was missing from his group. We were told that he was in the hospital and that he didn’t have much time left.

As we entered his room, Ksusha introduced herself and began to introduce me when Sasha interrupted her by saying my name first. After we sat down, we started talking and Sasha asked us to introduce our friend. Ksusha repeated my name, but Sasha said, “No, who is the person behind you?”

We said, “We don’t know, but it’s okay.” And then we spent about 15 minutes talking, playing with a couple of toys, and sharing some crackers. When his lunch came we had to leave, but I told Sasha of the many people praying for him and that God loves him very much.

While Ksusha and the caretaker in the room looked terrified, I fully believe that the person Sasha saw behind us was an angel of the Lord there to comfort the dying boy.

I will not know what happens to Sasha until my next trip to Russia, but I would like to ask you to pray for him repeatedly.

Also, consider praying regularly for the orphans of this world who must face illness on their own. They may not have a parent to comfort them, but our God is a good god and He will stand by them, heal them, or bring them home to Him.

Through this experience with Sasha, the Lord has revealed much to me. While I am sad that I will not be able to move back to Vladimir this fall, I can see the hand of the Lord in this decision. I am confident that whether I am in Vladimir or Indianapolis, God has a plan for me and is working through me and using me to call the orphans of this world to Him.

Whether in Vladimir or Indianapolis to serve with this ministry I need a surrounding body of believers praying with me and supporting me financially. Will you join with me in this ministry?

Will you pray about making a sacrifice for the children in our orphanages and for me? Right now I am in need of an additional $900 per month for healthcare, ministry supplies and my salary. In these difficult times, any amount you can commit will be greatly appreciated.

And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones

because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth;

he will certainly not lose his reward. Matthew 10:42.

· Please Pray:

-For Sasha.

-It is the desire of the ministry of The Boaz Project to send a team to live in Vladimir in August 2010. Please commit to pray about this with me—both for the team we wish to gather and whether I should be a part of that team.

-For my support raising.

· Please Give:

If you would like to make a donation, please fill out the enclosed card and return it to:

The Boaz Project

P.O. Box 47188

Indianapolis, IN 46247

You can also give online at www.boazproject.org. There you can even set up automatic monthly donations.

· Please Share:

Please pass this story and the video below on to friends and family and encourage them to pray for Sasha as well.

Thank you.

In the name of our God, who has given us much and expects much, who faced death to give us life, and whose love is undeserved yet unceasing, I write this to you.

Please pray and please consider giving,

David

Orphan Spotlight - Sasha

In Russia!

Greetings from the Motherland.

Our team is in the middle of our second day of ministry and I found a cafe with FREE wifi during a break!! Things must be changing here because I've never heard of anything free in Russia!

We are working in two orphanages this week. Although our first day in the orphanages was a little trying on my patience with all of the schedule changes that arose, we ended up having a great time with the children and a surprise service project (hehe). 

Please continue to pray for our team and the children we are working with.

For our strength to push through jet lag and a lack of sleep.

For opportunities for good conversations.

For unity.

For the glory to be given to God our father.

Thank you for your prayers and support!!!

You are loved and appreciated!

Thank you.

Off to Russia...

My bags are all packed and I’m ready to head back to Vladimir for a week of ministry with a team of 13! Over the next week we will be cultivating relationships with the children in two orphanages and with out interpreters.

 

Will you please pray with me throughout the week for these things:

-Safety. Pray as we travel today and tomorrow, around Russia and back on the 1^st of June.

-Team unity. Pray that the Lord will hold us together and use us for great things on this mission.

-The Children. Pray that God will use our team to soften the hearts of the children we will work with. Pray this week will be a fun change from monotonous orphanage life and that the Lord will use our us to reach these kid.

We also have a team in India through the 30^th and the Jurgensens will be in India through the 5^th of June!

Please feel free to email me; I will have email access while I am gone.

Also, check out my blog! I’m going to try and get an update of two up while we are in Vladimir!!

Thank you so much for your prayers!

David - Frenchy

Orphan Spotlight - Alec

This is Alec. 

He is a very fun kid who loves to sing and have mini dance parties with his friends. He spends a lot of his time drawing and playing on the few pieces of playground equipment they have. 

Alec is in one of the orphanages I will be visiting with the team next week! 

Pray for him this week! Pray that he would be ready to hear what is taught in the VBS lessons and that the Lord will be preparing his heart throughout this week.

Pray for him and the other children in his orphanage this week as we prepare to visit them! 

Thank you.

Whose story are you a part of?

Do you ever have a week (or period of time) where God seems to make everything relate to everything…to the point where you begin thinking, “alright God…I get it…I’m working on it…lay off.”

Lately I’ve been challenged to rethink how I prioritize. On top of everything I’ve been thinking through this past week or so, I was at a Bible study last night where the question was asked: “Whose story are you a part of?” Are you a part of God’s story…or your own story?

I laughed at the Lord as we heard a sermon on this and then went around the room sharing the top three things that consume our thoughts. As I answered last, I was comforted that my top three were right in line with the majority of the group. And yet, I was dismayed at my own and the groups’ for listing three worries as the things we spend the most time thinking about—and not listing anything joyful or substantial in terms of our own walks with the Lord.

The Bible clearly has a lot to say about this, such as in Matthew 6:27 “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life”

So how can we change this? We can pray. We can ask the Lord for comfort and wisdom and to take care of the things we are worrying about.

But we should go a step further than that and commit to spending more time with the Lord. A sermon I recently heard listed the following as ways to spend time with God:

reading the Word

prayer

fasting

meditation

solitude & silence

creation

worship

Some might say that a few of these could be lumped together, but I think it’s important to mention all of these practices as well as note this is not an all inclusive list.

My thought in this is that as we spend more time with the Lord and learn from the examples laid out in the Bible, we should become less worrisome as a whole.

Will you take the measures to hopefully increase your faith and trust with me?

I am going to be reading through a devotional called Men of the Bible. It’s a look at the lives and examples set by (get ready for this) the men in the Bible. And I am also going to follow this reading plan I found on the Zondervan website:

Two Weeks on Social Justice

· Exodus 3: God hears the cries of the slaves

· Leviticus 25: The year of jubilee, a time of economic revolution

· Ruth 2: A poor woman finds help

· 1 Kings 21: Elijah speaks to a land-grabbing, murderous king

· Nehemiah 5: Nehemiah demands justice for the poor

· Isaiah 5: Warning to fun-loving materialists

· Isaiah 58: Worship that God appreciates

· Jeremiah 34: Freedom for slaves

· Amos 2: Sins against God by his own people

· Amos 6: Warning to the complacent

· Micah 6: What the Lord requires

· Luke 3: John the Baptist tells how to prepare for Jesus

· Matthew 6: Jesus speaks on material things

· James 2: How to treat the rich and the poor

Video

Cathy made this video and I wanted to share it with you:

Orphan Spotlight - Oxsana

This is Oxsana. She is a tough gal and she has a problem telling the truth. But she is really good at playing pranks on her friends, reciting poetry in German and drawing tattoos on her arms when she is bored. 

Pray for Oxsana this week! Pray that her tough heart might be softened just enough to feel love through our Bible Discovery teacher at her orphanage or through one of our teams that visit. Pray that she would be protected. Pray that she would do well in school.  Pray that she would grow up to love the Lord. 

thank you.