|
Aa ron is a little boy who was in Flightline: Adventures (our children's ministry at Lifepoint).
Aaron sold lemon-aid and muffins, and told our story, to raise money to send us to Ukraine.
I was so moved,
not only by Aaron's gift, but by his heart and passion that our fund raising will now be called, "Aaron's Gift."
When you make your donations to Lifepoint...Kiev, you are building on the foundation laid by Aaron's Gift.
Thank you, Aaron! You have inspired me and changed my life!
For Recurring Monthly Donations, Click Below on
$10, $25, $50 or $100.
Click here to make a one-time donation.
 Here’s Lifepoint...Kiev’s
Fund Raising Strategy: Bologna Sandwiches and Board Games Night! You may be thinking that you can’t afford to send
the kind of money it would take to support a church in Ukraine. But the money you invest will go such a long way there…we
will need about $5000 to $6000 month to support the church and it’s ministries. Now, I’ve got a wife and four kids, so I know how tough it is to make a commitment to spend
more money each month. I also know how important it is to spend time with my family and teach them things that will help them
have their minds renewed and resist conforming to the pattern of this world (ref. Romans 12:2). So how can you accomplish these things? - Spend time with
family/friends.
- Teach valuable life-lessons from God’s word, and;
- Help support the Kingdom of God in Ukraine?
Our
idea is Bologna Sandwiches and Board Games Night! Here’s how it works:For ONE MEAL per month—maybe a Friday night, Saturday afternoon or Sunday lunch—instead of going
out to eat at a restaurant…get some “sandwich fixins’”, break out your favorite board games and spend
some time with your family!Then take
the money you would have spent for that one meal per month and send it to Lifepoint...Kiev! How much does a meal out cost? It may seem like a very small, insignificant amount, but it only takes a couple
hundred people sending $25 or $30 per month to Lifepoint...Kiev and we will have almost everything we need to provide for
the financial needs of this ministry. I really recommend that you talk to your kids about WHY
you’re doing this…that by giving up one night at a restaurant, you’re helping people in other parts of
the world! People are being fed and cared for, both physically and spiritually, because your kids are sharing with them! Who knows what kind of impact one meal per month can have on your family? I know it will change
the lives of Ukrainians! When you commit to doing this, let us know. We will email
you pictures and stories each month. You can share these pictures and stories with your family so they’ll know exactly
who they are helping. Thank you so much for joining us on this great adventure.
Thank you so much for giving changing the lives of people in Ukraine. Thank you for being a part of changing the world. MUCH LOVE!
Ollie
We’ll Go—You
Give
Okay, so maybe God hasn’t called you to do something this crazy!
That’s cool! Your job is no less important! We’re on a team together! When I went to Ukraine this summer, lots
of people generously donated money and enabled me to make the trip (and get this vision!) I need you to be praying! I really do! I need you to
pray that God will meet all our needs and show his love to the people of Kiev! BUT…I need more than just your prayers!
As simple-minded and idealistic I am, I know that it also takes cash! We’re going to have to make a couple
trips to Kiev over the next few months to work out some logistics and meet with our team. We need money
to make these trips and for other needs that will come up along the way. We also need lots of people to commit to help us out each month. It honestly doesn’t
take a ton of money to live and run a church in Ukraine. But the people in Ukraine really don’t have anything and since
the people we’re going to reach aren’t even Christians yet, the idea of “tithes and offerings”
will be as foreign to them as my English language!
Donations can
be sent to this address:
Lifepoint-Kiev
c/o Lifepoint Church
P.O.
Box 1148
Byron, GA 31008
If you’re sending a dollar, just put it in an envelope and mail it to the above
address. If you’re send a check please make it out to Lifepoint Church
and on the “for” line just put “Lifepoint-Kiev.”
Remember…We’ll Go—You Give!
Financial Needs Current
One Time Needs We REALLY need a van! Vehicles are more expensive here in Ukraine, but it is much simpler
to buy something here in Europe, than to ship something from the States. We need about $15,000 to buy a decent used van. We
have an idea for raising this money! We would like to ask several youth groups to have fund-raisers to
raise this money. We would like to buy a vehicle in December, so we ask you help us with this! We have not been able to purchase our multiple-entry, 5-year visas. Current Monthly Needs - $4,000—Ministry
and Living Expenses
We need approximately $4,000 per month in ministry
and living expenses. This covers rent, food, utilities, translators, language studies and ministry expenses. Other Prayer Requests - Pray about
coming to Ukraine on mission trips, etc. WE NEED YOU!!!
How Your Prayers Have Been Answered Just moving here was incredibly difficult. Almost all the things we take for granted
everyday in America changed (going to Walmart, driving a car, options for restaurants, dishwashers, clothes driers, air conditioning,
ZAXBY’S!! all gone). We moved into a tiny duplex apartment in a village outside Kiev. It was too hot to close the windows,
but with them open there was the constant smell of out-houses all around (not very pleasant). We not only understood the hopelessness
that many people feels…but we felt it ourselves. Fighting depression was a daily necessity. With the help of
some new and very dear friends, we were able to find a very nice, very beautiful, very clean and modern apartment in the city.
Cristi is happy here, the kids are happy here and we love it! With all the costs associated, we’re almost the same here
in this beautiful new apartment, as we did at the crappy one in the village! And by the way…it
helps living in the same city God’s given you a vision for… As many of you
know, I had to have gall bladder surgery the weekend before we moved to Ukraine. We currently don’t have medical insurance
and the total of my medical bills was almost $24,000. So far, almost $18,000 of those medical bills has been written off to
charity, with others currently considering the amount they will write-off!! When I was in the hospital, it seemed that everyone
who attended me, whether they were doctors or nurses or techs we’re either believers who prayed for us and encouraged
us; or people with some connection to the Russian speaking world. I want to thank all the medical
people who have been so generous and caring. I also want to thank my sister-in-law Lisa Wray, who is the
world’s greatest financial secretary!! She’s not only handling our finances, she’s been contacting these
people and telling our story—this is huge, especially to a person like me who’s terrified about making phone calls! I came to Ukraine knowing a few people, but still we felt very lonely. I’ve said it before, even when you’re
in a room full of people; if they’re all speaking a language you don’t understand…it feels so lonely. But in the last few weeks we’ve made so many new friends!! We’ve got friends in Vinnytsia, Rivne and here
in Kiev. There is an English-language church here called International Christian Assembly. So many people there have put so
much effort into reaching out to us! It really helps to have Americans who understand the transition and let us vent. Donations can be made by mailing checks to Lifepoint Church, P.O. Box 1148, Byron, GA 31008 or online at the "Add
to Aaron's Gift" page. If you would like to show the "Comfortable Video" at church, bible study,
men's/women's group, youth group, etc. please send me an email and I'll mail you copies of the video.
|
