My name is Dmitriy Grishchuk. I serve as one of the ministers of Let’s Love Donetsk Regional Benevolence Foundation. I would like to share with you about our ministry to glorify the Lord by reaching out to the orphan children of the city Donetsk and Donetsk region while helping them with their needs.

Our ministry began in 2000, when along with another Christian brother we began taking regular trips to one of the orphanages in Donetsk region. In time, other brothers and sisters joined our ministry and we expanded the “geography” of our ministry, including three more orphanages into our mission map.

During the last seven years the Lord has walked with us through many trials, learning and sometimes correction.Finally, by His grace we have reached the new stage of our work by registering Let’s Love Foundation in the summer of 2007. Today Let’s Love Donetsk Regional Benevolence Foundation (DRBF) has about 10 permanent committed ministers who work with the three orphanages in the city Donetsk. Many Churches of Christ both in Ukraine and the United Statesare cooperating with us, as well as various groups, funds, and individual Christians whose hearts are filled with care for orphan children.

Nowadays, we work in the orphanage #1(located in Donetsk), orphanage in the town of Uglegorsk, and  “Raduga” (Rainbow) orphanage located in the town of Makeyevka. What is the point of our ministry? The old Soviet orphanage system has outdated itself a long time ago and it does not give any positive results. Children can not receive worthy upbringing and as a result, many of them fall out of the government system once they graduate from  the orphanage. Leaving the walls of the orphanage, they face the reality of life, which is often expressed in the violence of the world around them. Being lonely, often with no support and good advice, some of them settle a score with life, one may decide to be a thief, another will become a prostitute, but many of themwill go to drugs. The aim of our ministry is to build bridges between the orphan children on one hand and God on the other hand. We see the following goals:

1.      become their friends, and later their mentors and good advisers in their adult life;

2.      introduce and later make Jesus their friend;

3.      open their eyes to the reality of the world and many myths and monstrous lies about smoking, using alcohol, drugs, sex, crime, etc.

4.      introduce them to the rules of life according to the Word of God;

5.      reveal in them talents and skills while teaching them to find their place in life after graduating from the orphanage.

God is merciful towards us. He is constantly maturing our work, making it more effective, spiritual, and useful.

We visit the orphanages on a weekly basis and conduct Bible, ethical and moral lessons with one of the age groups of that orphanage.

Every three months, we try to take the orphans to Donetsk forthe circus and scientific programs.  We also have church for the children in Donetsk.

In summer time, we conduct weekly day time camps at the orphanages which provide us to spend more time with the kids in fellowship, where we strengthen the bridges that have been already built.

Every year we take kids from various orphanages to a big summer camp, that we organize in Crimea.

We have many more plans and a big vision. For example, the last two years we have been praying and seeking God’s will in starting “Welcome Home” rehabilitation center  in Donetsk for the orphanage graduates where they can get spiritual, psychological and juridical advice. This would be a place to spend a night and be helped when there is need.

We are open for working with everyone who receives a calling from the Lord in this direction. We need your prayers, financial blessings andwisdom for this ministry.

I believe that one day there will be no orphanages in Ukraine, there will be no orphan children, street children, but today while this ugliness of sin is blooming, we need to do our best to let the Lord have the victory and root out the sin.

I would like to hear about your ministry in your service to Jesus and your ideas about aforesaid.

May the Lord bless you!

Grishchuk D.G.

Chairman of Let’s Love DRBF Supervisory Board