Omsk, Siberia Orpanage Project
Earlier this year my younger brother Paul joined a number of other folks on a mission trip to Siberia. They went to visit and deliver humanitarian aid to a number of needy institutions in that country. Among them was a hospital, a nursing home and an orphanage.
During his visit he kept a journal of what he saw, what he felt and what was happening in his life in relation to how God was changing his outlook on things. When he returned he spent a lot of time reflecting and finally wrote a booklet telling all of us and showing with photos he had taken, just what kind of conditions these people live in over there and how it felt to bring some of God's goodness to these peoples lives.
I was very impressed with his writings and his insight. I was also very touched.
We grew up in a family of 11 kids. We struggled, or so we thought. We always ate really well, always had enough clothing to keep nice and warm, always had a warm house and there was always lots of love even when we fought with each other. Now I realize that in comparison, we were rich, looking at what Paul say in Siberia.
I know God has blessed Sue and I with so much. And he has given me the opportunity to have a wonderful way of sharing with the rest of the world through the Internet. I feel he has given me these oportunities for a reason and that I must use some of this space for his work also.
The story Paul shared with me upon his return has touched me deep enough to make me want to share it with you also. Sue and I have also decided to make this our Christmas project this year and possibly in years to come, who knows.
I invite any of you that feel gifted by God and wish to share some of your wealth with those in such need, to take the time to read this and possibly consider a small gift to the Orpanage as well. I have been assured by Paul that any funds sent to the address below and annotated to go to the Orphanage will indeed go directly to that cause. There are no administration costs, no hidden expenses that will take away from the dollars you send. I was the biggest skeptic as I will not donate to anything that 100% does not go direct to the needy on the end. So I asked him to check out a lot of things and make arrangements so that any money sent will go 100% all the way to a pastor in Siberia who will make sure the orphanage gets the supplies it needs to help these treasures from God who are sort of stuck in this Limbo without a loving family like most of us here have.
Here is the note containing the mailing information:
Hey John,
Just thought I let you know that I now have the final papers for the Moriah Ministry 501(c)(3) non profit organization dedicated to ministering in Russia...
Please make checks payable to "Moriah Ministry" Please make a memo on the check that it is for the "Siberian mission Project" and can be mailed directly to
Moriah Ministry
Attn. Paul Draxler
RR 7, 10866 Mary Joan Ct.
Appleton, WI 54915
John, I have a real good feeling about this. God is doing some powerful things and I can feel His hand on this too!!!
Have a great and blessed day
Love ya,
Bugs
This is the letter Paul shared with all us family members asking us to consider this project
A Letter from Paul to the Draxlers ........ ( well not quite biblical but heart is in the same place)
Greetings to all the members of the Draxler Family!
You are all such a blessing to me and I thank God for putting each one of you in my life for He has created each of you for a special purpose…."Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ."
Philippians 1:6
An early Christmas blessing to you as you are by now preparing for this Joy filled Holiday season. With the wonderful warm weather we’ve had up until this point it’s hard to imagine Christmas is so close…okay, at least here in Wisconsin we’ve had many days of unseasonably warm weather. I know we’ll pay for it later!
This year there seems to be a special appreciation for all that we have, in the security of our family and friends, the safety of our homes and where we live, and in the many blessings God has given each of us according to our needs. So, along with preparing the shopping lists for all of your Christmas needs and the ones on your "gift list" I’d like to suggest a new option for making a charitable donation from our family to a very worthwhile cause. In the past we’ve donated to various organizations. We’ve looked for those most needing assistance and able to benefit the most from what we gave. And also to a cause that touched our hearts deeper and more sincere than others. I know of one such need that I’ve seen for myself and it has touched my heart so deeply that I’m overwhelmed at the opportunities it presents. When something touches your heart to the point that it makes tears run down your face you then know God is prompting you to do something about it. And so it is with this one….it is an orphanage in Omsk, Siberia. The photos of the children you see below were taken at the orphanage and sent to me by a friend who was there recently. Her name is Anna Nakhaeva. Anna is from Omsk and went there as an interpreter for a family from New York who was adopting a baby from the orphanage. This is what Anna wrote to me about the orphanage; "Today we were in the orphanage and there were a lot of little children, and again it was a great pain in my heart. But then I went to the church and I felt God is with me and He will help me to do goodness for this children. I want to ask you Paul for a favour. If you will hear about people in your city who are enable to have children and they want to have one, maybe they can adopte a child from Russia like this pair from America, which is in Omsk now. I will be happy if I will do something even for a one child. I will pray for this children. I so eager to help them more. You know I've spent in the orphanage only 4 days but I already love all children in the group. There are 9 of them and every of them has a disease. One girl of 2 years old has cerebral palsy and another one has not one eye. Oh, my God, Paul it is so hard to see all this. I had even a feeling that my heart is burning and bleeding like in the Hell. Paul, if you or maybe your friend or brothers and sisters from your Church have an opportunity to sent some goods for babies (I mean pampers and food for babies) to Omsk, please do it. I will appreciate. I am gratefull you for your letters, dear Paul."
As you can tell Anna was deeply touched by her experience there. Anna is a wonderful girl; she was one of the interpreters during my trip to Russia this summer. Though we visited similar places the impact of all this to Anna only came after we left. Read what Anna wrote in a letter shortly after I arrived home, "I do not forget those days when you were here in Omsk. You know it was a great amazement for me when people came from other part of the world to say that there is God in heaven. What for? Only now I understand what you’ve done here — you’ve brought much love and kindness. It is very hard job I think. You know that life in Russia is not very easy, and sometimes I think that such situation as we have in this country is the same all over the world. That the world is so noisy and cruel, and it is crowded only with earth-fed people, who are always trying to hurt each other. I see this world like this. But sometimes when I meet such people like you, I think I am mistaken. I am so happy that I had an opportunity to meet you and to speak to you, because this communication gave me much. I realized that I should do much goodness to people who are around me and even strangers. You know, it is very hard to do in Russia, because when you do good things, people try to answer you with bad things, It is usual situation in this country, because people are so hopeless, and that is why they become angry and even cruel. It is impossible to change this situation. But in spite this we should do goodness, as even in big crowd of hopeless creatures we will find one soul who needs our love and care. Like it happens with me." This change in Anna is nothing short of a miracle.
"One girl is without an eye (I've already told you about her). I love her so much, she is also my favorite! I am so eager to take her away from this orphanage! I'd love to take her home but I couldn't afford to do this."
"I love them so much. You know I've decieded for myself that when I will earn enough money for living I will take a child from the orphanage. I will do. My Mom says that it is just my wish for this very moment, but I explaned her that it is not my own wish, but God put this decision on my heart. I thank God so much for He saves me from my depression and that He puts happyness
into my heart. I am so happy now! You even can't imagine! I want to thank you once more as YOU showed me the point from which I
began a new life - life with God in my heart, and now God shows me the right way of living.
"I am crying again and again as I could't do much for this children. The head doctor even prohibited me to play with them now. I am so upset."
Anna
So you ask, how do we help when they’re so far away? If your interested we can do a couple of things. Anna writes; "You ask me about the best way to send supply. I don't know...It is easier and cheaper for you to send money and me to buy thing here in Omsk. But I know that our Russian cloths is not of high quality and nurses say that such things usually failed quicker. That is, nurses asked to send cloths from America. As for pampers - they need them very very much, as they use for this purpose paper and old clothes. You can send money and I can buy pampers here." This evening I called Irina (we go different Churches) She promissed to help me to buy necessary things for children and to transport them into the orphanage." I trust Anna and Irina 100% and would send money via Western Union if everyone would feel comfortable with that. Just to let you know why I trust Anna read what she did with the money that was given her for being the interpreter for the couple from New York; "Yesterday they gave me money and I bought a lot of nice cloths for my children. I've bought 4 pairs of shoes, 5 shirts, 1 dress, 2 bags of pampers, panties and a few t-shirts. This attitude was characteristic of all of the people I met there too. Though they are a poorer people by our standards, they were all more than willing to share whatever they have.
The other thing we can do is ship the needed items ourselves. Here is what Anna says is needed "You've asked me about necessary goods for children, so I have a list of necessary things: they need dresses for girls (size 12-16-18 months), shoes (I am not sure for size, may be 3 or 4 in your sistem, to be more accurate 11-12 sentimetres), then socks and panty-tights, and also baby's bootees. And the most neseccary thing which nurses and teachers ask for - is pampers. This is the most essential part of their request. I’m sure this list is not all inclusive, it just reflects the most needed items. Any baby items up to age four (orphanage is for children up to age four) would be greatly appreciated. I’ve checked in to the cost for shipping freight to that location and it is not unreasonable. Anything from a single box or pallet all the way up to a huge, 8 x 10 x 20 foot shipping container. If anyone wants to do this I’ll make the arrangements…my neighbor who is a good friend, is in charge of international shipping for Banta Corporation, Healthcare Group. Not a problem she says!
As a last note of assurance about sending money or goods to this orphanage; The money would not go directly to the orphanage, it would go to Anna and Irina or if you prefer to the church she attends, to be administered by the church. She is checking with her Pastor (Pastor Sergey Nickolaevich whom I met and had lunch at his home when I was there) as this would provide the church an opportunity to minister in the orphanage as well. Providing humanitarian aid through a church organization often opens the door to the beneficiary, or orphanage in this case, for the church to minister to them. They then realize the true meaning of God’s word as written in James 2:15-17. "If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, "Depart in peace, be warmed and filled," but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead." I will also be stopping in Omsk after another mission trip, which takes place this Jan. 26 — Feb 9. There I hope to visit this orphanage and meet the Administrator that Anna has spoken to.
I now pray that this message has touched your heart too and God will stir you in such a way so as to bring out the generosity that our family has been known for.
May God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, bless you with every good blessing that He has prepared for you since the beginning of time.
Peace and Love,
Paul