But you, O God, do see trouble and grief; you
consider it to take it in hand. The victim commits himself to you; you are the
helper of the fatherless. – Psalm 10:14
I
cannot fully express to you how beautiful this verse has become to me. God is breaking my heart for what breaks His
through the mission trips to Ukraine I’ve taken part in, and I hope I never
recover from the wound until the day the Lord completes His story of
restoration and indeed makes all
things new (Rev. 21).
Restoration
starts now. God has given me the
incredible privilege to join once again with Northland Church and Hope for
Orphans, this time through an orphan camp in Omsk, Russia (in the province of
Siberia!). Partnering alongside a local
church in Omsk, we will share Bible stories, play various games and sports,
perform skits, teach crafts; and be a source of love, hope, and joy for orphans
who desperately need to experience the fullness of Jesus. Many of these children are street kids –
abandoned by their parents, literally orphaned, or run-aways escaping abusive
homes. Most of them end up in crime or
prostitution because they are completely vulnerable without anyone to care for
or defend them. Orphans are culturally
viewed as “someone else’s problem.”
But
the Lord doesn’t view them that way; He sees His precious children created in
the dignity and value of His image, and Hope for Orphans seeks to reveal this
Truth in word and deed. I fully believe
in the restoration God is bringing through the ministry of HfO. I’m honored to be a part of a small team who
volunteer our time to help HfO develop a new website and find the resources HfO
needs in order to develop a trade school and transition home where orphans can
escape the cycle of abuse, neglect, and abandonment. As amazing as HfO’s orphan camps are, there
is so much more to come!
I
leave for orphan camp in Omsk on July 8th and will return July 20th. This is something I cannot possibly do
alone. Would you consider supporting me
financially and through prayer? The
visas required in order to travel to Russia are expensive, and the trip will
cost $3,300 total. You can donate to my trip online through this link: http://donate.northlandchurch.net/abi-mills
Russia is a spiritual
wasteland. Please pray that we will
boldly and joyfully bear the good news of the Gospel to Russia’s “least of
these.” I am praying every morning
during my drive to work for this trip and the children we will meet – it’d be
wonderful if you would commit to do the same!