More Time with Less People Equals...

...greater impact!  

(A Message From Rob Browne, Executive Director, YouthReach International)

Think about that.  Jesus invested heavily in 12 who in turn changed the world.  Paul invested keenly in a few young evangelists who greatly broadened the reach of the church.  YouthReach International is encouraging our Mentors, referred to as 12-3-1 Mentors, to follow Jesus' example and do the same as the core of this ministry is 1 to 1 mentoring in the orphanages of Ukraine and Russia.  It is a huge task but it is a worthy task.  Thank you for sharing in it with us.

As said in our last newsletter, last month was National Mentoring Month.  I heard from many readers some of the efforts they initiated to see mentoring become more real to them.  A good friend and local minister in our area and I have challenged each other to invest in people half our age.  At 43, that really means something!  In keeping with that, I had breakfast with a wonderful young man named Mark last week and marveled at the joy and ease of listening to him and encouraging him in the things he is passionate about.  Mentoring does take effort but it is definitely a joy.  Whether in your home country or on a YouthReach International Mission Trip, invest the effort and experience the joy for yourself!

2012 Team leaders Retreat

Much is happening on the ministry front we want to share with you.  On January 24, nearly 50 YouthReach alumni, friends, team members, and team leaders gathered in Lilburn, GA, for a powerful night of worship and fellowship.  Thank you to Tim and Sheila Dunn for hosting us and to Pete McReynolds for leading this worship time. The next day our core team leaders for 2012 gathered for a full day of equipping at Campus Church's "Underground"  in Norcross, GA. Thank you to Karla Crump, Julie Williams, Cheri Raines, Tim and Sheila Dunn and Traci Browne for preparing and serving our meals!  Pictured below are leaders from California, Colorado, Texas, Missouri, Tennessee, and Georgia.  Please keep them in prayer as they are now training their teams who will go out this summer to stand beside those 12-3-1 Mentors in Ukraine and Russia and invest the effort while experiencing the joy of mentoring orphans and at risk youth.

Two hours before that wonderful night of worship started, our Board of Directors, together with our Executive Team, concluded their first meeting of the year at the 1818 Club in Duluth, GA.  From left to right, Dr. Jerry Strader (Abilene, TX), Wayne Tomlinson (Brentwood, TN), Rob Browne (Executive Director and Director of Russian Operations), Sherriann Hicks (Atlanta, GA), Dr. Andrew Vick (St. Louis, MO), Jim Pack, Jr. (Atlanta, GA), and Tony Morrow (Director of Ukrainian Operations, Abilene, TX) are pictured below.  We are very grateful to our Board for their commitment and service to this ministry. Please keep them in prayer as you also remember our staff, volunteers, Mentors, and of course orphans.  Also, click on this link to read a brief profile on each of our Board Members and see a better picture than below of what they really look like.  They serve quietly and behind the scenes but it is important that you know more of who they are and the passion they bring to our work.

YouthReach International - Board of Directors

In less then 3 weeks we will have completed Mentor Training Retreats in Novosibirsk, Russia, as well as Donetsk and Simferopel, Ukraine.  These efforts are beyond key to our work.  A mentoring ministry is only as strong as its mentors and these retreats are all about developing the depth of our mentor teams in both countries.  Please pray for Mike Neill (College Park, GA) and Margaret Moore (Abilene, TX) as they join me in Novosibirsk, February 24-26, 2012. Tony Morrow will be carrying out the Ukrainian Retreats the last week of February and first week of March.  These meetings are especially key for our Ukraine arm right now.  Your prayers for Tony as well as any encouragement you can push his way will bless our efforts there immensely.  Thank you in advance for them!

Next month's activities include Chick-fil-A SERVE Seminars in Novosibirsk and Tomsk, Russia, as well as a team from Greater Atlanta Christian School going to work alongside partner church, Tomsk Christian Church, in Tomsk, Russia.

An upcoming announcement about our spring fundraising dinner in Nashville, TN, on May 5, is just around the corner.  In a sense, I am burying the headline but you will hear more about this in the coming weeks.  Those of you in middle Tennessee, please save Saturday, May 5, at 6 p.m. for a very special evening with YouthReach International in Franklin, TN.   More on that in an email all by itself.

Finally, are you interested in serving on YouthReach International's Prayer Team?  It kicks off tomorrow and a few places do remain.  Please contact Tony Morrow (tony@youthreach.org) immediately if you desire to stand with our ministry in this way.
Please refer to the Latest News page on our website for prayer requests, praise reports, and online resources.

With sincerest thanks and deep appreciation for you all, I am,

Rob Browne
Executive Director/Director of Russian Operations
YouthReach International

Cherry On Top

Lately it seems my daughter Emily is growing up at an exponential rate. Seems just not too long ago we were having tea parties in her room. No, I didn’t have to dress up. But poor Teddy-teddy and the others did. I remember playing a Winnie-the-Pooh game similar to musical chairs.

Emily and her friend Lexi @ Keith Urban concert.
It was Emily's 16th birthday.

I can’t mention here all of the ways she makes me proud. It’s a thousand ways every day. My son Ethan too…but that’s a different subject for a different day.

Nowadays she’s all about studying, friends, and lately, dances.Dances. Yeah. High school homecoming in particular.

I am oblivious to the weeks of preparation, ordering, shopping, etc required until a some crisis comes along. Take women’s shoes for example. Now, I’m not real proud of this but I seem to have had the knack for finding the right women’s shoe for this occasion.

At home, I sort of sit by like a piece of furniture trying to stay out of the way while she and Linda are searching on-line for the perfect dress. I watch as stress-levels max out when it hasn’t arrived the day of the dance - discover it’s lost in shipping. They rush out to buy a replacement and arrive home to find the original in the mailbox while they were out. The Crisis shifts from “What am I going to wear?” to Which ONE am I going to wear?”

Homecoming 2012 - the gratuitous
photo with dad

But the joy I get out of this is waiting in my chair in the living room when she emerges from her bedroom. It really leaves me breathless is that my little girl is so stunningly beautiful. God is changing her before our very eyes.

The other joy I had was picking her up afterward. Don’t get me wrong, it was full of similar stresses as preparing for the dance such as “Post-dance parental pick-up traffic” and “finding each other in the parking lot by cell phone”.

We didn’t say much. But I relished the 10-minutes just riding in the car with her all decked out in her new dress, hair, make-up, shoes and all.

So, I’ve been thinking. Recently I started reading the One-Year Bible. I’m just getting started so you can as you can guess I’m reading a lot of the Book of Genesis. In reading the creation story I came to the part about God creating Eve.

As I read I got the idea that God’s creation is sort of like an ice cream sundae. You take an empty bowl (a void) and you fill it up with all kinds of good stuff! Scoops of different flavors of ice cream, top it with chocolate, butterscotch, caramel, fruit and nuts (Ok, you can skip the nuts if you like) then whipped cream, and on the pinnacle of the sumptuous heap of ice cream….a …bright…shining…cherry.

Like an epic symphony building, building, BUILDING until the crash of the final….wait scratch that...the final “TING”…of the triangle. The perfect endnote.

So this is what Eve is like; the cherry on top; the final “ting” at the end of the symphony.

This is what I hope us guys remember; us men, boys, boyfriends, dads, husbands, brothers, sons. Let’s all remember that they; women, girls, girlfriends, moms, wives, and sisters are the final note in the masterpiece, the crescendo of all that is good..

I hope I can remember always that the women in my life represent the pinnacle of creation and that I can treat them as such.

The cherry on top.

"Praise God" for all of man's ingenuity and technology.

Me and Alexey

What an awesome morning!

I coudn't sleep after 630 or so. So, I got up. As usual I first went to the computer and started my daily routine of signing in to all the various social networks email accounts, blogs, etc.

I had recently signed up on a social network called "vkontakte.ru" (vK.ru). It's sort of a eastern European Facebook. Many of our orphan outreach team's Ukrainian members are there. I can easily communicate with them in English (as they speak the language or several languages fluently).

Usually, if I communicate with kids it is through our team mentors (90% of the time). My Russian is "ochen ploho!"... very bad. I am so thankful for our mentors and the way they serve these children by helping us to teach and communicate. Mostly, i'm thankful for their patience with my poor language skills. Without complaining they take the time to translate and correct my English into Russian.

However, on vK.ru, I also found several of the kids that we spend time with each summer and December.

So this morning I added a few of the recent "graduates" - these are 16-17 year-olds that are typically in a trade school.

I found my friend Alexey and added him to my friend list. Within just a few moments I hear a "clack". I got a message from him!

Now, my browser of choice is Google Chrome and I have Google Translate (GT) functioning in the background. In an instant I see the Russian become English! I quickly opened a new tab and clicked my link to GT. I tapped a message and copy/pasted it to reply to Alexey.

Then I asked, "Do you see my response in Russian or English?"

He responds..."Russian, of course. ???" Like, "Well duh!"

Like me, Alexey is
a goalkeeper also.

All I'm saying is "Praise God" for all of man's ingenuity and technology. He has made it possible for me to stay in contact with kids that I know and love 5,000 miles away! God is good. Always. All the time.












P.S. he wants to know when we are coming back. ;)

Some of my favorite December trip photos from

Linda and Vika

Me and Yana

Arthur and Sasha in Saul's armor

King Arthur

Queen Sveta

Vika 

Akmed

Team Sim 12/2011

With Anya and Vika at the Central Internacht

Three old ladies

Nastya and Nastya

sasha and Kolya

Angelika and Sveta

Linda and I with Aida

My favorite "1"

Aida wanted a message written on her arm. (She's peeking)

Kolya, me, Akmed, and Sasha hangin.

Me and "Azhmed"

Violetta

Linda, Arthur and their group

I laughed so hard. Joseph's brothers roughing him him up.

Linda and her baby

Me and Violetta

Me and some of the group

Linda and Angelika

Nastya and some little ones

Me and Adile

Little ones

Akmed

zhora

Nastya's

Christy and Linda

Sasha and Sasha

Dear TeamSim friends:

The December 2011 team just returned from Simferopol a few days ago. What a blessing the trip was. My wife, Linda, joined me for the first time in this ministry. Along with Donelson Chuirch of Christ member Christy Blazer. Our 3-man team joined with some of our Ukrainian team members Anastasia (Nastya) Skovorodnykova, Sasha Lifentseva, Masha Yermochenkova, Violetta Alimova, and our dear friend and lead mentor Arthur Kazaryan. 

TeamSim - December 2011 (L-R: Nastya S., Joel, Linda, Sasha,
Christy, Masha, and Arthur Kazaryan.

Together we hosted as many as 42 orphaned children at the Simferopol City Children's Home (Gorodskoi Detskyi Dom) directed Mrs. Yelena Nabiyevna. We met each afternoon for a little over 2 hours. We taught lessons about the transforming power of God’s grace and love through Romans 12:2. We also played games and worked on crafts together.

Violetta with her kids

Stuck on the elevator

One of my "1's"

Nastya with some little ones.

We were blessed to see many of the same children that we have come to know and love at the children’s home. Hugs were being given everywhere as the unconditional love of Christ overflowed onto the children and staff from our team and mentors.

Linda and Arthur with their group

In addition we spent several hours visiting some of our past team members, Anya Goliakova and Viktoria Vdovychencko, who are now on staff at the Simferopol Central Internacht for Girls. The government-run boarding school is for orphaned, abandoned and at-risk girls ages 5-17. We were able to meet with the director and secure an invitation to work with the children in that facility. Please keep Anya and Vika in your prayers. Weekly suicide attempt is a common event there. Anya and Vika have a monumental task in showing these girls their value in Christ. It was a blessing to pray over them as a team.

L-R: Linda, Joel, Anya G, Christy, Arthur, Vika

One highlight for me personally was hearing from my old friend Igor. He was 14 when we first met at Camp Satera in Alushta. He was incorrigible. Over the next few years, we worked at the Gvardiskoi Village orphanage where he lived. I saw a growing and maturing in Igor. He is now living and attending trade school in Kherson. He regularly talks with Nastya by phone. Ironically he often encourages her when she is struggling by telling her God will handle it. I was so blessed to talk with him by phone. Fatyma Alimova showed me a recent photo on her cell phone. He looks so grown up at 18. God has his hands on him.

Return trip planned: In June 2012 I’ll be leading a team to return to Simferopol to continue and expand the ministry there. The tentative plan is to depart in early June for a trip lasting 15 days. The team will plan to minister to children in two facilities: The Gorodskoi Children’s Home (Detskyi Dom) and the Central Internacht. The team recruiting goal is 6 team members with 6-8 mentors.

Basics:
Team recruiting goal: 6 members (US); 6-8 Mentors (UKR)
Tentative dates: June 5-19
Approx. Funding needed: $3200 (per person)
Funding deadlines:

- Initial deposit ($250) Jan 15

- 50% - March 15

- 100% - April 15

Please begin prayerfully considering joining the team. The deadline for joining is January 15. Team training begins Janauary 15.

Please contact me for more detailed information. We’ll hold an informational meeting in late December or early January of which I’ll communicate the exact date soon. In teh meantime. feel free to contact me anytime by phone, text, or email.

You CAN make a difference in the life of an abandoned or at-risk child, today. Join us. Change the way you see and think.

In Him.
Joel
Joel Butts
Orphan outreach ministry volunteer
and partner with Donelson Church of Christ
and YouthReach International

prophet1961@bellsouth.net
615-429-3320

Websites:
http://www.donelsonchurch.org
http://www.youthreach.org

Nov. 29, 2011

You never really know how far-reaching your impact on the world is until you take a bit of a risk and go out on the skinny end of a limb sometimes. Some would call it, "stepping out of the boat."

But it's hard for some folks. Trust for most of us is hard anyway. Add to that trusting a God we've never seen. Well, but then, that's what faith is - trusting in that which we cannot see.

A couple of decades ago I recommitted myself to trying my best to following Christ. But when it came to claiming him to my oldest friends - THAT was tough. At one point though I decided that I just wasn't going to let that stop me. Don't get me wrong - it's still not easy.

I used to coach soccer at many levels. When teaching any new skill or trick, there's always the kid who complains "I can't do it!" A fellow coach put like this; " Well, if it were easy, anyone could do it." Aren't we sometimes like that kid? But what happens if maybe we find that we can do it?

I took this saying to heart. As I began to reveal my faith to others I soon began to discover that some of those oldest friends had come to know Jesus the same as I had.

It's pretty cool to see who we walk beside down the road. It's like after Jesus' death and resurrection. His closest friends we're such sad-sacks. They hadn't heard ANYTHING he'd said! He appeared to many of them. Walked right BESIDE them!

That same day two of them were walking to the village Emmaus, about seven miles out of Jerusalem. They were deep in conversation, going over all these things that had happened. In the middle of their talk and questions, Jesus came up and walked along with them. But they were not able to recognize who he was. He asked, "What's this you're discussing so intently as you walk along?" They just stood there, long-faced, like they had lost their best friend. ~ Luke 24:13-35 (The Message)

 They didn't even recognize him.

Sometimes, I'm walking right beside a brother or a sister and I don't even know it. Somebody I hadn't expected to see live out their life in faith and obedience. It's just cool how God reveals them to me sometimes!

Turns out I was walking right beside one of my best, life-long friends all along.

I have a college friend who teaches elementary school. She and her family sponsor one of my most favorite kids in Ukraine. A girl named Yulia (Julia). She wrote me the other day to tell me about a way that she used our team and efforts to teach a lesson about helping others. It went something like this:

The bulletin board outside her classroom is titled "holiday helpers". She tried to explain the concept of "less fortunate" but they were having trouble getting it.  So she explained as much as she could about what the work and ministry our team provides to orphans in Ukraine.  She told them about Yulia. To her surprise about ten of them wrote how they would help her. She said she cried as she was grading them. "Such precious Angels" she calls them.

Check out what some of them wrote.

"I would like to help Julia by giving her pajamas, toys so it would be a happy Christmas for her. I feel bad for her because I get presents and she doesn't. I would like to visit her to make her feel better."

"I want to give Julia clothes and a stuffed animal. Clothes would keep her warm and maybe a stuffed animal would make her smile and feel safe. I hope it would make her happy and it would make me happy to help her. Merry Christmas Julia!"

"I would try to help Julia. She is a young girl that lives in an orphanage in the Ukraine. I would love to give her a Christmas tree so she could see how pretty one is. I would also like to help her by giving her some cookies, a family, a big house, and lots of food. I would give her those things becasue she doesn't have them."

"I would help Julie by writing this letter to her. I feel bad that she doesn't get the things I do and she is only 12 years old. Maybe reading my letter would help her to feel loved."

So without ever having met any of these East coast third graders we've somehow managed to impact the way they see, and think. You never know who you're walking with. Get out of the boat. Better yet get out on the skinny end of the limb - that's where the best view is if you want to see who you're walking with!

"What is essential is invisible to the eye." Change the way you see and think. Make a list of the of the people who impacted your life.

We leave in 3 days. Can't wait to hug all my friends and those awesome kids.

Peace.

"May the nations be glad and sing for joy..."

My friend Stan Bryan sent this to me. It's a video of a congregation singing his favorite hymn in Donetsk, Ukraine. This came from a Fall Singing Festival. The hymn is entitled "Slavite" or "Praise". You will eventually see Stan leading the singing. BEAUTIFUL!

http://youtu.be/ks_bmxUNd18

Update - 12 NOV, 2011

Anya Goliakova

The excerpt below comes from my friend Georges Carillet. He is President of Commonwealth International University in Simferopol, Ukraine (Crimea). Georges is one of the many contacts I've made there during the years I've spent ministering to orphans there. In fact Georges has indirectly impacted our team's ability to minister in Simferopol. He began teaching the Gospel many years ago through the university he and his wife LaVergne, founded. Several of our team mentors came to know Christ because of Georges and LaVergne.
Below, Georges speaks of two young women who work in a state run orphan facility. Our team worked in this same orphanage in December, 2010. These two young ladies, Anya Goliakova and Viktoria (Vika) Vdovychenko, are also members of our team and have served as YouthReach 12-3-1 Mentors. Please read Georges article and keep Anya and Vika in your prayers.

It is our hope that they will be able to join us this December as we journey to Simferopol.

From Georges Carillet - CIU Newsletter....

Vika Vdovichenko

"Another prayer request: orphans and those who work with them. Our two Disney interns that returned in the summer were looking for work with college students and children. Recently they found work in a state orphanage boarding school in Simferopol. Caring social work is always demanding and stressful, but add to that the corruption that they see and it is almost overwhelming. Allegedly, even the Ministry of Education is using the orphanage school to launder money and otherwise do financially corrupt things. Makes it hard for the kids to get the chance that they need. One of the results: they found most of the kids without soap and shampoo. Hopeful Hearts (Kathy Drane) found out about the need and bought soap and shampoo for the 80 to 100 kids.

By the way, these two young women exemplify the kind of fruit that CIU has been blessed to help cultivate. Disney invited them to become their employees but they chose to return to Ukraine to seek paid ministry positions, of which there are very few and are poorly paid. For several months they were -- as they were when they were our students -- unpaid volunteers working with college students and orphans. Then a "paid ministry" position came up for one of them and then the other at the same orphanage. "Ministry" because these young women understand that that is what God calls them to; "paid" because they are paid something as employees of the state, though not enough to live on. Pray for them and "their children."

One of these 'ministers' came to Christ at CIU and was baptized by me just two years ago (featured in our October 6, 2009 newsletter). Pray for CIU's unique ministry in fulfilling the Great Commission in Ukraine -- making disciples of Christ who make disciples of Christ."

Grace and Peace.
Joel