Hello family and friends,
September has brought us comfortable weather in the 60s and 70s F. The children are back in school, the leaves have begun to fall from the trees, and Sveta and I are preparing to visit the children at the Dobromel Orphanage in October. It will be a beautiful time to travel to western Ukraine!
Mark’s Moments
Sveta spoke at church today. She talked about troubled times and how we overcome them. In a nut shell, she explained how we need to look to God to understand how He will bring the solution. — We have a number of opportunities to minister in conversation with different people in our church. It always amazes us how God directs the conversation, and give us the correct words to say to meet the immediate needs of our guests.
In my experience with MUCH, I see every day how God provides for all of our needs as missionaries. He is never late to provide locations, clients, and massage therapists.
Read how God provided a replacement massage therapist for Yana within less than thirty days.
Sveta’s Journey
For fourteen years, MUCH has been blessed with massage therapists who have a special heart for our children with special needs. Some continue with MUCH for many years, while others work with great joy for a shorter period of time. Yana is one of those whose stay was shorter, only two years. In those two years, she changed the face of dealing with the emotional trauma of the children.
Yana
Yana, providing massage therapy at the Transition Home in Marganets, has found a job working for the government that provides more money and long term security. She decided to accept this new position for the future of her family, husband and two children.
Svetlana, the director of the Transition Home, asked Mark and me to find a replacement for Yana. She sees the urgent need for massage treatments for the children. She told me how the children changed after massage therapy, combined with their interaction with Yana. She sees the wonderful results massage therapy brings.
These children are torn from their families because the parents don’t care for them due to poverty, alcoholism, drug abuse, or parents whose own problems are bigger than they know how to deal with.
Because negative situations in family or even separation from bad parents bring stress, many children suffer from an increased tightness of the neck and shoulder muscles. They feel abandoned, unwanted, unloved, and have low self-esteem. One doctor compared the psychological traumas of children in dysfunctional families with the traumatic experience of war. This is called post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Another result of children whose parents are suffering from, is that they endure stress comparable to the loss of a loved one.
Massage therapy has a special effect on children with injured souls. It brings each child a unique solution to their emotional and psychological needs. It has always been clear how a positive and caring massage therapist could affect the children and help them. It is wonderful!
Albina
Upon request, our Marganets manager, Inna, recommended a massage therapist, Albina, to replace Yana. She loves children and her massage therapy profession.
Svetlana has agreed for a trial month for Albina. In October, Albina will work four hours a day, for ten days throughout the month.
In November Mark and I will go to Marganets and meet who we believe God has prepared to replace Yana. We are looking forward to it. It is always about God’s provision.
Natasha and Two Children
Natasha, our massage therapist at the Dobromel Orphanage, provided massage therapy for eight children in September. She describes such wonderful results that she is seeing after the massage treatment courses. As you remember, Natasha combines massage therapy with game therapy, physical exercises, and the lighted sand box.
She wrote:
“Kate has no physical problems but to me I see that she needs correction and recovery of psychological functions. She cries often, is very emotional, and is often aggressive. With the help of massage therapy, I was able to relax her psyche.
These children are special. In my opinion, they come to this world to bring good. In their eyes there is no hatred, anger, and they don’t hide behind a mask. They are bright, open and with a good heart, these are children with Down syndrome.
In the beginning of the month Dan came to me for massage therapy. He was frightened and did not want to undress. In his contact with adults, he pushed everyone away. For three days, he came and we looked at pictures together, played games with balls, and other games in a dry pool. Eventually, he agreed to receive massage therapy, and we began to work actively.
As a result, he started to walk with me as soon as he saw me. When he sees me, he raises his arms and laughs. I am pleased to say that my work with Dan has yielded some very positive results that are changing who he is and will become!
Massage has actively influenced the state of the muscles, becoming stronger and more elastic. He has improved coordination of movements; his walking gait, running, and squatting, have improved. In mental development I did not notice big changes, but I have great hope for further positive results, and I hope that with God’s help we will be able to help this little angel.”
Living my dream,
Sveta
Do you want to change the life of a child in Ukraine? You can begin here!
Blessings of love and healing,
Mark and Sveta
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