New Letter from Dima

Dear sister Christie and brother Mike,

Praise the Lord, we had really wonderful weekend, we tire, but so happy and thankful God for greatest possibility serve for His GLORY. Praise the Lord!!!! In Saturday we had Sunday school lesson in children tuberculosis sanatorium and in Sunday we had Sunday school lessons in orphanage in Novaya Vodolaga and in orphanage Vysokij town. God really so good for us, many children took part in these lessons. This week we talk and children read story "Lost Son", this is really good story to explain children how great heart have our wonderful Heaven Father and how important understand that we have sin and we have great privilege to repent. We talk what repentance is: 1 - we have to confess that we have sin; 2 - we have to have desire for repentance; 3 - ask God for forgiveness; 4 - received forgiveness from God and start lives with God, have fellowship with Him through prayers and reading Bible. This is very clear four steps for children and many of them understand what repentance is. It was really so wonderful to see how children listen and how these eyes changed. Praise the Lord!!!!!

We really so thankful God for girl Inna Bezdetko, she leave orphanage in Vysokij town, special orphanage for children with some mental problems. Praise God for her, she attend church with us and she try to have pure moral life. She study in industrial school and will received plasterer profession, as for me this is not good profession for young girl. She live in the hostel and as she tell us many young boys and girls smoke, drink and have sex, this is terrible, but ............. We so thankful God that Inna try keep pure moral life and seek God. Praise the Lord. Please keep Inna in your prayers.

Thank you very much for prayers this is really very important for us. Thank you!!! May God richly bless you.



With love in Jesus
bro. Dima and sis. Galya Solyakov
Kharkov, Ukraine

Visiting The Children of Ukraine

We have been in Kharkov for almost 3 days and it has been a busy time. So busy, it is easy to lose track of what day it is. The Lord has given us grace to not suffer jet lag and our energy is doing well.

We had the awesome privelege of seeing Green Forest Orphanage in Visoky once again.
It was a very special time to walk in there once again. This was the home of our daughters for many years. We met the lady who taught her to walk when she first arrived at the orphanage at the age of 4. She greeted us with tears of joy. We were able to share pictures that we plan to leave.

Dima had a lengthy conversation with one of the workers and I was fascinated that 6 little children sat in chairs quietly without a peep. We moved over to them to sit with them and give them some attention, and then they all started hugging us and asking questions.
One little boy Sasha, remembered us. He was young when we were there before, maybe 5.
He is now 7, so this is his last year. He saw pictures of Sarah and Erika and called them by thier Ukrainian names. He had little tears and was so gentle in his manner.
He hugged my arm and we communicated with smiles and hugs.
When we were leaving he began to quietly weep and my heart broke.
Oh how I hope this little guy finds a home. I do not know his situation, only that he needs to be loved.

We visited the Hostel for girls. They were offically going to be shut down because there are hot plates instead of a stove. We will be purchasing a stove for the girls and they will then be able to stay at the Hostel.

The girls also need a washing machine. The one they had is broken. They have been washing clothes in a sink. One of the workers has to wash heavy blankets and towels by hand. They really NEED a washer, so they will be getting one of those too.

We have visited the TB Sanitarium twice and have been able to present the gospel once again to the children. Mostly, we sat with them and loved them. We taught them "The Joy of the Lord is my Strength", in english, with motions and they seemed to like it. On our way out the gate, little Natasha was repeating our names over and over and telling us "good bye"! To which we replied "dos vadana".

This afternoon after this writing, we will be heading to another orphanage.

Tonight we plan to meet with a translator we met 2 years ago.... Misha.
We are looking forward to talking with him again.

We are In Kiev

Praise the Lord, we are sitting in Jay and Judy Francis's apartment in Kiev. We leave in a couple of hours for the train to head to Kharkov. Our trip was GREAT! Very good plane drivers. :)

Tomorrow is the Day!

When I was a little kid, I went to DisneyLand. I remember the anticipation and waiting to go and it was so exciting.

That is about how I feel right now, leaving for Ukraine. Mike and I are so blessed to be able to take this trip, and I can't think of anything more that I would want to do than this. It is WAY better than Disneyland. It is real, not fantasy land. Right now it is tomorrow land, but tomorrow, it will be real today land. :)

Please pray that hearts will be prepared to receive the Words that the Lord give us to share. Please pray that our words will be His words, and His words only.

The rest of the team that will be meeting us in Kiev and Kharkov are excited with anticipation too, and we look forward to seeing them again.

We also would like to thank the Lord for His provision for this trip. It is amazing how things have worked out.

Stooping Very Low

We have had a jar in our office for the last year or so to collect for Ukraine Orphans.
We empty it now and then. It is a visible jar with a picture of the Orpans from Erika and Sarah's orphanage on the front. Sometimes our customers deposit coins in there, sometimes checks, sometimes cash. We were able to give a little over a hundred dollars once.

Well, a few weeks ago, I noticed about 35 to 40 dollars in there. I went to get it out today to get ready for our trip, and lo and behold the jar was empty! Everything but 15 cents! Even the pennies Anna had put in there were gone.

I asked Mike and he said, I figured you already took it out. I asked our worker and he said he found the jar under a chair and the lid in the middle of the floor. ???? And he didn't say anything about it???? I would have found that RATHER ODD. But he didn't.

So, somebody, STOLE money from those who have NOTHING. Isn't that the SADDEST thing?
It is obvious what that money goes for, and they STOLE IT! I can't believe it!

That kind of thing just doesn't happen around here, but I guess it does now.

How very sad.

I left a note on the jar that said, "To Whoever Stole The Orphans Money, God Knows Who You Are."

I'm sounding a little miffed, and I really need to pray about my heart towards whoever it is. I hope they come forward and bring it back.

I'm so sad. It wasn't a huge amount of money, but it wasn't theirs to take.:(

The Countdow Begins

It is less than one week from the day we leave for Ukraine. Our daughter in law and grandson will arrive on Saturday! It is so close.

I am trying to tie up loose ends here to get prepared.
One of those loose ends is getting an antibiotic to take with us just in case.
Getting laundry done is a biggie.

We are trying to pack very light. We don't want to have too much luggage.

Things to pray for:

Our apartment was reduced to 1 bedroom instead of 2. We would be better with 2,because a translator will stay with us, but the price jumped, so we are having our contact look for us and when he gets back with us we will make a decision from there. We want to be careful with money and not use money we don't have to. That way we can purchase more for the kids.

Pray that we will safely arrive and get to the train station on time.
Pray for hearts to be prepared ahead of time to hear the Good News of Jesus Christ.

2 of the girlies have slight colds. Please pray that they are not sick while we are gone.

Erika developed a blister where she puts her leg on and is unable to wear her legs.
Please pray the blister HEALS before we leave so she can go out of the house!

As we visit the girls orphanage, please pray that the pictures we bring will minister to the workers there and that they will treat potential parents there to adopt nicely instead of with contempt.
Also Pray for SALVATION to all who HEAR.

EXCELLENT NEWS!



Jay and Judy are going to take the train with us to Kharkov and stay for a few days!
Yea. They are in language school in Kiev right now, but will be able to take a couple of days. That means extra study when they get back! :)


We are so happy that the girlies will be in good hands with Becca.

More later........

I'm hangin' on to my hat. This is gonna be one wild ride! :) Yippie!

Becca and Sam are Coming!

It is official.... When Mike and I leave for Ukraine, the girls will be in the wonderful, capable hands of Becca and baby Sam. Becca has so graciously offered to watch the girls at our house while we are gone. Thi sis such a blessing and takes a huge burden from my heart. The girls will be able to continue their studies and take care of the animals so we will not need to get other care takers for our menagerie of animals. My daughters in law, each and every one of them are such jewels and blessings. I am such a fortunate and blessed mom. :)

Jay and Judy Francis On thier Way!

Jay and Judy Francis left the United States to make their way to Kiev Ukraine yesterday August 10th.

They will be attending language school for a while and then moving to a different area where Jay will teach in the Seminary. They are excited about their move and have been waiting a long time to go.

Jay and Judy are with Send International.

We hope to see them in Kiev when we are there next month.

5 week countdown!

It is just 5 weeks until our trip to Ukraine. I can't believe it is coming up so fast.
Our daughter Becca and Sam are coming from D.C. to take care of the girls. Becca will take care of the girls and the girls will take care of Sam. :)

We are so blessed to have family here while we are gone. This will make it possible for the girls to continue their animal care and not have to be away from home.

We are so much looking forward to meeting our translator Yana, and seeing Hal and Dima and Galya. We very much look forward to ministering to the children and spending time with them. There is much to do and much to learn.

I hope we do have time to visit the Retirement home. It isn't a retirement home like we have, but more of a hospital for those who have no where to go, who are sick and bedridden. I hope we can offer love and hope to them and be able to share Jesus with those who don't have long to be on this earth.

As the time comes up, please be in prayer for finances, both for Mike and I and for the monies needed for supplies to the orphanages and TB sanitarium. Please pray that God will prepare the hearts of those who hear the message of Jesus Christ to follow that call. Please pray that the Lord will send long term workers to disciple and minister to the children and those who graduate from the orphanages.

Dima and Galya are doing so very much, but can't do it all.

Please pray for wisdom for Mike and I as we endeavor to serve our Lord.

If you are interested in donating to this trip:

You can send a check to

Community Bible Chapel (indicate Ukraine trip 08)
418 East Main Street
Richardson TX 75081

When It Comes To Adoption....

How old is too old? I'm speaking of parents here not children. A child is never too old to be adopted, though some misinformed believe that to be true. I think some of this stems from a well respected man called James Dobson. I remember him saying children learn most of their values by the age of 5. (don't quote me on that exactly)
Meaning, by 5, a child is pretty set.

I say a big Respectful BOLOGNA!

Parents are much more set in their ways and need to relearn many things as each child is born or comes into the family to help mold and shape us into what the Father wants us to be. :)

So how old is too old? I believe in the United States, you can adopt until the age of 63. In Ukraine, there is no age right now.(they were looking at no more than a 40 year age difference. Meaning if you are 45 you could not adopt a child under 5.) Different countries have different views.

So do you have bedrooms just sitting there? Kids gone or in college? You are in your 40's or 50's? Don't you have fond memories of those earlier parenting years?
Why not open your heart and home to a child who will most likely wind up on the street?

For those who think it is too late for an older child, think about how our Heavenly Father looks at us? Are we too old for him to reach? Are we too old for him to change? If he can reach down and change the heart of a 50 year old alcoholic, is His arm to short to reach down and change the heart of a 5 year old, or a 15 year old?

We are to work until HE comes. Consider how you might fulfill that job, and fill up those spare bedrooms!

(the above photo is of a few teenage orphans in Kharkov Ukraine, in about 2 to 3 years, these girls will be sent out onto the streets and probably face a life of prostitution, drug abuse, or worse)
They look like the girls down the street, and they could be at home sleeping in one of those "spare" bedrooms. :)

All About Losing

I have been keeping up with a couple of blogs, and the issue of loss and losing has been coming up. We are almost 2 years down the Road with Erika, and 3 with Sarah, 4 with Anna. Yet, the issue of loss is always there. YES there are gains, but there are also losses. Every birthday, they are reminded that they lost a birth mother. Every Christmas, they are reminded that there are people out there probably celebrating Christmas without them.
The issues aren't necessarily on the "front burner" of their minds or even mine, we love birthdays and Christmas, but they are there.

I was thinking about what our children "lose" when they become our children. They lose EVERYTHING. Even their underwear. They take NOTHING with them. Then, those little fragile lives are placed into the hands of complete strangers and they get on a train, then a plane, then in a car, and these are traumatic experiences for them. They go off into the unfamiliar, unkown armed many times with misinformation like, "your new parents will beat you, sell you, they are going to take body parts from you" etc.

So not only are they stripped of their dignity, they are armed with fear.

These experiences are so related to our spiritual walk.

Aren't we ALL sick, and naked and fearful and imprisoned and many times don't know it? And here comes our Lord in to rescue us from the pits of despair, and many times because of misinformation, we respond in fear, and we follow kicking and screaming into LIFE because we don't know what it is like to really be alive, we are so used to the familiar.
And just like the orphaned child, grieves his loss and is then able to embrace his gain; we realize, WOW! We have a REAL LIFE I can really trust my Lord. I WANT to hold His hand. I WANT to sit at His feet. I Want Him to love me. I am FULL of Joy unspeakable. This is real LIFE. It is incomprehensible that we would have wanted to stay in our sin.

Our losses become GAIN. It's the process that hurts. But on the other side, we become thankful for the breaking process we go through, as it helps us to understand the joy.

As adoptive parents, it is our ministry to our children to guide them, to lead them to life and to love them through the process, eventually introducing them to yet another hand to Hold. That of our Heavenly Father. What they will come to realize is that He was holding their hand the whole time.

So What IS the BEST WAY to help Orphans in Ukraine

I posed this question to Papa Dima last week when he was visiting our home. His answer:

ADOPT ADOPT ADOPT!!! With emphasis on ADOPT!

He talked about how groups come in and bring LOADS of gifts etc., only for them to not reach the children, but to be sold or stolen, or to sit on a shelf.

One example was socks. The children are only allowed 2 pairs of socks per YEAR. If a missions group comes in and brings a large amount of socks and gives them to the director of the orphanage for distribution. They will sit, or be sold. The children have already been given their allotment for the year.

One of the ways to get around this is to hand out things DIRECTLY to the children.
If they have a direct need of socks (socks with holes, or too small) he gives them new socks; same with underwear.
He also hands out shampoo,soap, laundry soap (for girls who are afraid not to wash their jeans out for fear they won't come back), toilet paper etc.

Another thing he mentioned was the aftermath that happens after a group comes through.
He said many times people, with good intention will promise to write the children, and many times they do, but after a couple of exchanges, the correspondence stops and the children experience another rejection.

The needs are so very great. Teaching children who age out of the orphanages how to live in a society they have never lived in is a huge need. Many have never had money and don't understand its value. They do not understand how to cook, how to clean, how to wash, how to care for themselves, how to study, self discipline, etc. They have been raised as a group without knowledge. Many do not go on to university because they learned nothing while they were in orphanage schools. There is much pressure to "NOT CARE". Those that DO care have a very difficult time studying and learning with such limited resources.

School supplies are in high demand, but he gives them to the children who are serious about learning. When they show that they are really trying to learn, he will give them happily. That way there is no waste.

The big problem to is that these children do not understand what a "Family" is.
They have heard of mama and papa and they all want one, but don't understand really what one is or what one does.

I remember Erika didn't know that mommas and papas are married. She announced after about 8 months of being home that she was going to Marry Papa. When Anna told her daddy was already married she asked. We said, "yes, daddy is married to mommy" and she was very upset that she would not be marrying daddy when she was older. :)

We all found that quite funny, but she didn't. She still didn't understand how a family functions. After 2 plus years I think she understands MUCH better now.
And... she isn't mad at mama for being married to daddy. :)

For those reading this, wanting to help orphans.... is it possible to open your hearts to adoption. Adoption of an older child who has almost NO chance once they leave the orphanage?

The newest statistics for Ukraine are staggering... 5% of orphans who age out of the system will live a fairly normal life. 70% will wind up in Prison at some time. 10% will commit suicide. More than 60 percent are unnaccounted for after 5 years. (most probably in prison, dead or have gone into prostitution or are homeless)........

They are just kids. Kids who have been given life, but have NO life.
They are kids that need to wake up spiritually.

What is the answer for how to help those who are not adopted???

The chances of being adopted after the age of 4 go down staggeringly each year.
The chances of an older child being adopted is like the chance of winning the lottery.

First off: Their spiritual needs are of most importance.
Remember to pray for them often.

Their physical needs are important.... having a fund to give them what they need
AS they need it is important.

Regular visits from people who can minister to the kids and build trust is vitally important to them. That is their lifeline to the outside.

Continued visits, teaching, instruction and bible study is hugely important for those who leave the orphanage system.
This would include instruction in money matters, how to cook, monitoring yourself, getting to bed on time, study, personal health habits, moral lessons etc.

Ukraine Here We Come!

We are so blessed. We will be going to Ukraine for a short term mission trip in September. We will be able to visit with Papa Dima and his family, and Mr. Hal Tait.
The focus of our trip will be to visit the orphanages that Dima teaches at on a regular basis and visit the TB Sanitarium and hopefully the Infirm and Older Persons home.

Dima sent a couple of pictures of an Elderly lady and my heart was so touched by those pictures.

I can barely contain my excitement, at the thought of going once again to Ukraine.
We left our hearts there 2 years ago and have longed to go back.

We know that all is in God's timing, and that the girls will be well taken care of in our absence.

Eventually, we will take them with us, but not this time for this occasion.
As you think of it, please hold us up in your prayers.

A few people have asked about contribuitons:

If you would like to contribute to the missions trip fund, which will go to purchase bibles, clothing, school supplies, shoes, socks, blankets, adult pajamas, slippers, etc, you can send a donation to:

Community Bible Chapel
418 E. Main Street
Richardson TX 75081

In the memo area put: "Miscellaneous missions: Ukraine Trip 2008"

Most of all, we covet your prayers.

Right now, pray that we can find cheap airline tickets. :)

I am probably going to start a new blog specifically for Ukraine Missions, but need some time to pray and discuss it with Mike and our church leadership.

Bless Ya'll

And SEE some of YOU In UKRAINE!

A few pictures from our trip in 2006