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Privyet! (Hello!)
"May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, that your way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations. Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you!" Psalm 67:1-3
It is the end of the year and we give thanks and praise to our Lord for what he has done this past year. During this season we are reminded that it is not what we have done but what Christ has done for us. It is only because of his death on the cross that we have good news to share with those living with HIV/AIDS, children with disabilities, as well as doctors, nurses, and students of the health care professions.
As we look back over the past year we see how God is working through adopting families to provide care and love for children from Ukraine with the severest disabilities. (We so appreciate the Christmas cards and updates from these precious families.)
We have seen how Tanya is providing true hope to parents and grandparents when medicine has done all it can do for their children hospitalized at Okmatdet.
We have seen how doctors are asking the tough spiritual questions to give meaning and purpose to what they do as they use their God-given gifts to care for children with serious medical issues.
We have seen how both foreign and Ukrainian medical students are desiring to learn how to share their faith with sensitivity, respect and permission out of the overflow of grace and understanding that Christ has given them.
We have seen how the conflict in Eastern Ukraine is creating openness in officials at Ukrainian medical institutes that once were closed to working with Christian organizations.
We are seeing the great need for and interest from medical professionals in the USA to learn how to break down the barriers that have prevented them from sharing their faith in our increasingly politically-correct secular society.
We are seeing the impact on medical students from 35 countries being taught from a Christian perspective by speakers from 12 countries and 9 global Christian medical organizations.
We are seeing God continue to work through UMO. Together God uses his calling on our lives combined with your financial and prayer support as the means to make his ways and saving power known on the earth in Ukraine and beyond. And we are thankful.
Your partnership helps us accomplish what God has called us to do through this ministry. Though our deficit has begun to decrease since Thanksgiving, we still need $6,000 by the end of the year to allow the ministry to begin 2016 debt free.
It is not to late to consider a year-end gift to UMO. You can contribute online or send a check post-marked before December 31 to UMO, P.O. Box 2824, Salisbury MD 21802.
We leave for Ukraine in early January but will be returning to the US at the end of the month to shore up our support. If you would like us to speak at your church, small group or during an upcoming missions conference, please let us know. (We will be in Alabama/Mississippi in late January and early February. Plans call for visits to North Carolina, Kentucky and Ohio. We'd love to add a visit to you!)
We thank you for your prayers and support in this great calling on our lives.
By His grace and for His glory,
Jim and Marianna
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