Two Hearts For Hope

Our latest project

2012-01-24T08:13:00.002-06:00

We are excited to announce our next big project in Russia! Our goal is to raise $20,000 for a new playground at the baby orphanage in Volgograd. The orphanage currently does not have a playground, only a small area with a few Soviet Era structures. The children have little to no room to run around and exercise their bodies and brain.

A new playground would get the children moving and having fun at the same time. The children will have climbing structures to exercise their legs, bars exercise arms and shoulders and all together the equipment encourages children to run, giving them a healthy does of cardiovascular exercise.

Playground equipment has also been proven to help develop toddlers' brain, as they learn about the world through motor activities and sensory experiences. Brain development in the first six years of life is especially important, and the more the children exercise both their sensory and motor skills, the more brain connections are created.

Playgrounds not only have physical benefits but social and self-confidence benefits as well. Children learn how to take turns and exercise self-control through group interaction. Children also gain self-confidence as they master the playground structures which leads to an increase in self-esteem.

We feel it is essential for the orphans to have a playground that will aid in their physical, mental, and social well-being.

Please consider helping the children of Volgograd!

To make a donation please visit our website - http://www.twoheartsforhope.org/playground.html

Christmas for Chilik

2012-01-03T11:25:00.003-06:00

Here are some pictures we received from Kazakhstan. This is the New Year's/Christmas party at the Chilik special needs orphanage. We purchased each child a new pair of shoes and a New Year's costume. They also received a small gift from Ded Moroz (Father Frost) and Snegurochka (Snow Maiden).

Enjoy!

The New Year/Christmas party for the children in Russia will be on January 6th!

A Christmas Reminder

2011-12-18T14:11:00.007-06:00

A year ago the pastor at the church I attend told this story in his Sunday sermon. I was thinking about it today and thought it should be shared. As we reflect on what the true meaning of Christmas is let us remember that it is not about toys, parties, cookies, clothes, vacations, etc. Christmas is about the birth of Jesus Christ. For he did not come to teach us the way, he IS the way.

In 1994, two Americans answered an invitation from the Russian Department of Education to teach morals and ethics in the public schools. They were also invited to teach at prisons, businesses, the fire and police departments and a large orphanage. The orphanage had about 100 boys and girls who had been abused, abandoned, and left in the care of the government-run institution.

Near the end of the holiday season the Americans had an opportunity to tell these orphans, for the first time, the traditional story of Christmas. They told them about Mary and Joseph arriving in Bethlehem. Finding no room in the inn, the couple went to a stable, where the baby Jesus was born and placed in a manger. Throughout the story, the children and orphanage staff sat in amazement as they listened. Some sat on the edges of their stools, trying to grasp every word.

Completing the story, the Americans gave the children three small pieces of cardboard to make a crude manger. Each child was given a small paper square, cut from yellow napkins one of the Americans had brought with him. No colored paper was available in the city.

Following instructions, the children tore the paper and carefully laid strips in the manger for straw. Small squares of flannel, cut from a worn-out nightgown, were used for the baby's blanket. A doll-like baby was cut from tan felt they had brought from the United States. The orphans were busy assembling their manger as the Americans walked among them to see if they needed any help.

All went well until one of the Americans, Will Fish, got to a table where little Misha sat. He looked to be about 6 years old and had finished his project. As Will looked at the little boy's manger, he was startled to see not one, but two babies in the manger. Quickly, he called for the translator to ask the boy why there were two babies in the manger. Crossing his arms in front of him and looking at this completed manger scene, Misha began to repeat the story very seriously. For such a young boy, who had only heard the Christmas story once, he related the events accurately until he came to the part where Mary put the baby Jesus in the manger.

Then Misha started to ad-lib. "And when Mary laid the baby in the manger, Jesus looked at me and asked me if I had a place to stay. I told him I have no mamma and I have no papa, so I don't have any place to stay.

Then Jesus told me I could stay with Him. But I told him I couldn't, because I didn't have a gift to give Him like everybody else did. But I wanted to stay with Jesus so much, so I thought about what I had that maybe I could use for a gift. I thought maybe if I kept Him warm, that would be a good gift.

"So I asked Jesus, 'If I keep You warm, will that be a good enough gift?' Jesus told me, 'If you keep Me warm, that will be the best gift anybody ever gave Me.' I got into the manger, and then Jesus looked at me and He told me I could stay with Him - for always."

As little Misha finished his story, his tears splashed down his young cheeks. Putting his hand over his face, his head dropped to the table and his shoulders shook as he sobbed and sobbed. The little orphan had found someone who would never abandon him. Someone who would stay with him - for always!

Gifts that give back!

2011-11-30T09:17:00.004-06:00

Over the year we have many opportunities to purchase gifts for someone special, whether it be a holiday gift or just because. By choosing a "Gift of Hope" you will meet the real needs of the orphans in Kazakhstan and Russia!

All of the items in the catalog were specifically requested from orphanage directors we work with and will make a huge impact on the children still waiting for their forever families.

How it works:

1) Select "Gifts of Hope" that will go directly to an orphan in need. You can purchase an entire item or make a donation towards the total of the item.

2) Give your gift "in honor" of a friend or family member.

3) Check out and print your greeting card!

Gifts that give back are a perfect way to honor your friends and family while taking care of the orphans who have nothing!

Please visit our site today - http://www.twoheartsforhope.org/giftofhope

A Pair of Shoes

2011-11-18T07:39:00.000-06:00

I just finished reading "Red Letters" by Tom Davis. In Chapter 9: Snapshots of Hope, Davis recounts the story of a young woman living in Russia. As you read the story below I encourage you to think of the orphans we are trying to help through Christmas for Russia.

Natasha Koryakina is a second-year university student in Russia, majoring in foreign languages. She looks like any happy normal Russian young woman, and you might guess she comes from a happy normal home. You'd be guessing wrong. Her happiness isn't the product of a wonderful family life. In fact, her past is marked by pain, abandonment, and abuse. So where did she find her smile?

It was a gift handed to her by a man name George Steiner.

"I still remember how George put shoes on my feet when I was at Neya orphanage. It was me and another boy from my class. We still talk about it every time we get together. That small, little moment changed our lives in a profound way."

In the ten years that have passed since that "small, little moment," Natasha graduated from one of the worst orphanages in the Kostroma region and entered a tech school in Kostroma. She eventually got plugged in to the Ministry Center and graduated from her tech school with honors before being accepted to Kostroma State University, a truly rare accomplishment (less than 1 percent of orphans reach this milestone).

The odds were against Natasha. Most girls living in Russian orphanages are forced to leave when they turn fifteen or sixteen. Within two years of their release, 15 percent commit suicide and 60 percent end up as prostitutes.

But when George Steiner put those shoes on her feet, he tipped the scale just enough with his encouragement and compassion to help her rise above the statistics.

His small act helped her believe in herself.

Natasha will never forget George. All he did was give her shoes. But God used those shoes to help Natasha walk into a wonderful, new hope-filled life.

Can you imagine that this simple act of kindness changed Natasha's life forever? One pair of shoes saved her life!

Think about how a small box of presents given with love this Christmas can bring just enough hope to these children to get them through the day, week, month...maybe the rest of their lives.

Please consider supporting an orphan in Russia today! These children are always on the top of God's priority list, make them the top of your list this Christmas!

Visit http://www.twoheartsforhope.org/christmas.html and ACT today!

Christmas for Russia

2011-11-14T09:25:00.001-06:00

The holidays are fast approaching! This year we are giving you the opportunity to truly make a difference in the life of an orphan! We have been blessed with the opportunity to provide each child at Children's Home #1 in the Novgorod Region of Russia with a special gift of their own this Christmas.

Children's Home #1 is home to 200 children age 6-17. Your $15 will sponsor 1 child. Each child will receive a wrapped shoebox full of goodies! Father Christmas will be delivering the shoeboxes to all the children at a Christmas celebration in January. Our in-country friends will purchase the gifts, deliver them and snap photos of the party!

Donations can be made on our website or mailed to:

Two Hearts for Hope
P.O. Box 1928
Lebanon, MO 65536

Deadline for supporting these children is December 1, 2011.

We hope you will add a child from Russia to your gift-giving list this Christmas!

40 Days of Prayer, day 40

2011-11-06T08:00:00.000-06:00

Day 40: "Today, thank the Lord for the past 40 days of prayer for orphans. Ask Him to bring more prayer warriors into battle. Ask Him to help you to continue praying diligently. Ask Him to continue to give you His love for the orphans. Ask Him to continue to challenge the hearts of your congregation that "He who is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and He will reward him for what he has done." Proverbs 19:17

40 Days of Prayer, day 39

2011-11-05T08:00:00.000-05:00

Day 39: "Today, pray for the health of orphans around the world. Ask the Lord to provide medications and treatment for the simple things that are unnecessarily killing children like unclean drinking water, malaria, dysentery, AIDS and malnutrition."

40 Days of Prayer, day 38

2011-11-04T08:00:00.000-05:00

Day 38: "Today, pray for street children. These children live under bushes and in dumps and sewage pipes. They may eat meals out of trash cans. Many people walk by them without seeing them or view them as pests. Ask God to open the churches' eyes to help them see the orphans all around them. Ask the Lord to provide food and shelter for the street children."

40 Days of Prayer, day 37

2011-11-03T08:00:00.000-05:00

Day 37: "Today, pray for families who are in the adoption process. Pray that God will provide the funds and help them with all the necessary details."

40 Days of Prayer, day 36

2011-11-02T08:00:00.000-05:00

Day 36: "Today, ask the Lord to release and speed any care supplies to refugee camps where many orphans live and need even the most basic necessities. Ask Him to cut through any governmental regulations or corrupt leaders to miraculously get the supplies delivered to where they are needed most."

40 Days of Prayer, day 35

2011-11-01T08:00:00.000-05:00

Day 35: "Today, ask the Lord to encourage and strengthen your church. Caring for orphans and changing attitudes and beliefs and actions is tough work and the enemy is bound to attack. Ask for protection for your pastor, his family, their health, and their ministry. Ask for God's hand of blessing on their lives."

40 Days of Prayer, day 34

2011-10-31T08:00:00.000-05:00

Day 34: "Today, pray for yourself and the other prayer team members. Ask the Lord for strength. Ask Him to help you not grow weary in battling for the orphans on your knees."

Creation Groans from Christian Alliance for Orphans on Vimeo.

40 Days of Prayer, day 33

2011-10-30T15:16:00.001-05:00

Day 33: "Today, ask the Lord to help your church be an example of the Lord's love for orphans as written in Psalm 10:17-18 "The helpless put their trust in You. You are the defender of the orphans Lord, You know the hopes of the helpless. Surely You will listen to their cries and comfort them. You will bring justice to the orphans and the oppressed, so people can no longer terrify them."

40 Days of Prayer, day 32

2011-10-29T08:38:00.001-05:00

Day 32: "Today, pray that every member of your church would remember and acknowledge and praise the Lord that before the world was made, He loved us and chose us, and that His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into His own family by bringing us to Himself through Jesus Christ and that this gave Him great pleasure. (Ephesians 1:3-5)"

40 Days of Prayer, day 31

2011-10-29T08:38:00.000-05:00

Day 31: "Today, pray for families in countries all over the world who have room in their homes and hearts for a fatherless child. Ask that the Lord would speak to them even now, leading them to consider adoption or foster care."

40 Days of Prayer, day 30

2011-10-27T10:19:00.002-05:00

Day 30: "Today, ask God to protect children affected by war and violent conflicts. Pray that the Lord will protect their vulnerable hearts and keep them safe. Pray that the church will reach out to them."

40 Days of Prayer, day 29

2011-10-26T19:27:00.003-05:00

Day 29: "Today, pray for mothers and fathers who might be having trouble caring for their children and feel they need to give them up or abandon them. Ask God to help them find support. Ask the Lord to meet their needs and give them the resources to be able to take care of their children."

40 Days of Prayer, day 28

2011-10-25T19:41:00.002-05:00

Day 28: "Today, pray for families who are taking care of their grandchildren or nieces or nephews in addition to their own children. Ask the Lord to bless them for their sacrifice and to provide enough food, clothes, education, and shelter for all of their children."

40 Days of Prayer, day 27

2011-10-24T19:40:00.002-05:00

Day 27: "Today, ask God to care for child-headed households. Pray that the Lord will provide for their needs. Pray that an adult would come alongside them and adopt them. Ask the Lord to protect them from abuse."

5K Day!

2011-10-24T08:40:00.000-05:00

We had such a fantastic time at An Orphan's Hope on Saturday!

Thank you to everyone who supported us by donating, sponsoring, attending and volunteering!

It was great to see old friends and make new ones. We had a great time talking to everyone, especially those that registered without being familiar with Two Hearts.

There was a soldier in the Army who registered the day of because he found the event online and, after just returning from Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, knew he had to be here.

Our first place winner was in town for his 10 year college reunion and was looking online for races in the area. After finding many, he chose the race that he thought had the best cause.

There were runners that attend local colleges and are now aware of the plight of the orphan in Kazakhstan and Russia.

Even a lady who was just taking a walk through the park came over to our pavilion to ask about us and donated to the project!

The event raised $7795 for the Ust-Kamenogorsk Window Project and there are still more donations coming in!

We have received such great feedback and are so excited the day was awesome! Even the face painter commented on how sweet and polite the kids were. Our 2nd year was a wonderful success! All the glory to God!

Congratulations to:

Men's Overall Winners:

1) Peter Winterburn 22:30
2) David Prud'homme 25:25
3) Eric Endsley 29:06

Women's Overall Winners:

1) Stacy Segebarth 30:33
2) Samantha Johnson 30:52
3) Dani DePoy 31:08

Child 5 and under winner: Aidan Heasley

Child over 6 and over winner: Natalie Tiller

Superlative Awards:

Team that collected the most money: Teak Aktobe (The Dykes Family, The Feliciano Family, and The Egan Family)
Child that collected the most money: Nick Kitzman

The results are posted here - http://www.walkforkaz.com/raceresults.html

If you would like to see pictures, "like" us on facebook - https://www.facebook.com/pages/An-Orphans-Hope-5K/168851813168112?ref=ts

40 Days of Prayer, day 26

2011-10-23T18:21:00.001-05:00

Day 26: "Today, pray for children who are not yet orphans but may only have one parent who may be sick or dying. Pray for health and safety of their parent. Pray for God's provision. Pray for protection for the children in these households."

40 Days of Prayer, day 25

2011-10-22T09:38:00.000-05:00

Day 25: "Today, pray for God's provision for your church's orphan care ministry. Ask Him to provide people, prayers, money and food, and supplies to give the orphans all the care they need."

Want to start an orphan ministry in your church? Check out this website and watch the video to learn how!

http://www.hopefororphans.com/Display.asp?Page=launchministry

40 Days of Prayer, day 24

2011-10-21T09:33:00.000-05:00

Day 24: "Today, pray for any church staff members and leaders. Ask for the Lord's hand of blessing in their lives. Lift up the health and safety of them and their families. Ask also that the Lord would break their hearts for the orphans in your community."

For God So Loved - OS from Christian Alliance for Orphans on Vimeo.

40 Days of Prayer, day 23

2011-10-20T09:26:00.000-05:00

Day 23: "Today, ask the Lord to strengthen the faith and resolve of Christians woking in orphan ministries."

We covet your prayers. Please lift up Stacy and Kim, our in-country teams in Kazakhstan and Russia, and our Board of Directors as we seek to live out Proverbs 31:8 and speak up for the ones who can't speak for themselves.

To meet our Board of Directors, click here

40 Days of Prayer, day 22

2011-10-19T09:16:00.000-05:00

Day 22: "Today, pray for the families who have members living with HIV and AIDS. Pray for the children orphaned by this disease. Ask God to provide treatment, care and support through the church."

40 Days of Prayer, day 21

2011-10-18T15:37:00.003-05:00

Day 21: "Today, pray for the government leaders in your country. Ask the Lord to burden their hearts for the orphans. Ask that they would feel compelled to protect and provide for orphans."

Did you know:

There are nearly 500,000 children in foster care in the United States.
Over 250,000 will never return home.
Over 123,000 need adoptive homes right now.
More than 29,000 aged out of foster care in 2008, at age 18 without anyone, to live on their own, unprepared and unsupported.

Can you change the life of a waiting child?
Can you adopt? Can you foster?

http://www.heartgalleryofamerica.org/

40 Days of Prayer, day 20

2011-10-17T07:52:00.000-05:00

Day 20: "Today, pray that the Christians in your village, town, city, and country would believe and live out the truth of Proverbs 14:31 "He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God."

This is The Harbor. We were blessed to be able to spend the night here when we visited Russia in May. This organization is fantastic and a great way for you to honor God by honoring the needy. The orphans in Russia truly have no one when they leave the orphanage system.

40 Days of Prayer, day 19

2011-10-16T08:00:00.000-05:00

Day 19: "Today, pray for your Pastor. Ask God to provide him with resources, encouragement, courage, and a strong prayer team to support him as he seeks to live out James 1:27 "Pure and lasting religion in the sight of God our Father means that we must care for orphans and widows in their troubles, and refuse to let the world corrupt us."

Is the Orphan My Neighbor? Russell D. Moore

— THURSDAY, OCTOBER 7TH, 2010 —

I will never forget seeing her pull the measuring tape out of her purse as she talked about the skull of her child.

The woman, standing in an airport in Russia with my wife and me, was, like us, an American. She, like us, was in the former Soviet Union to pursue adoption. But she was worried. She had heard “horror stories” about fetal alcohol syndrome and various other nightmares. She said that the measuring tape was for gauging the size of the craniums of her potential children, to “make sure there’s nothing wrong with them.”

The reason I think about this conversation so much these days is because I am finding—more and more often—that one of the primary obstacles for Christians in advocating for the fatherless can be summed up right there in that measuring tape: the issue of fear. As much as we might not want to admit it, many of us don’t think much about orphans because, frankly, we’re scared of them.

Orphans are unpredictable. Often we don’t know where they’ve come from, what kind of genetic maladies and urges lie dormant somewhere in those genes. Moreover, in virtually every situation of fatherlessness, there is some kind of tragedy: a divorce, a suicide, a rape, a drug overdose, a disease, a drought, a civil war, and on and on. We’d rather not think about such things, and we’re afraid often of what kind of lasting mark they leave on their victims.

Those of us who know Christ ought to recognize that fear is often a deterrent to justice, a deterrent that has been indicted, crucified, and buried in the triumph of Jesus. In Jesus’ story of the so-called “good Samaritan,” after all, Jesus presents us with a man who “fell among robbers” and was beaten, nearly to death (Lk. 10:30). With little commentary on why, Jesus tells us, simply, that two passers-by, both religious officials, moved on to the other side, to avoid the wounded man (Lk. 10:31-32).

While many have speculated that there might have been theological reasons behind their neglect (the fear of becoming ceremonially unclean from touching a corpse), the most compelling reason I’ve ever heard was from Martin Luther King, Jr., who wondered whether the passers-by were simply afraid.

After all, there were no streetlights on the road from Jerusalem to Jericho—the setting of this story. There was no police force. A man beaten by terrorists is a good signal that the evildoers are still about, perhaps hiding in the caves along the roadside, lying in wait for their next victim. Moving on along, quickly and quietly, probably just seemed like prudence.

But Jesus never was one for justification by prudence alone. He praised a Samaritan—a reviled outcast from the official religious structures—for the compassion he demonstrated toward this man. And the compassion Jesus commended—and commanded from us in imitation—wasn’t mere charity. The Samaritan didn’t simply help the beaten man; he gave him his own animal, set him up in an inn, and paid for all his expenses for his ongoing care (Lk. 10:34-35). Any Israelite hearing this account would have seen immediately what was going on. The Samaritan was treating the beaten man like family.

Right now, there is a crisis of fatherlessness all around the world. Chances are, in your community, the foster care system is bulging with children, moving from home to home to home, with no rootedness or permanence in sight. Right now, as you read this, children are “aging out” of orphanages around the world. Many of them will spiral downward into the hopelessness of drug addiction, prostitution, or suicide. Children in the Third World are languishing in group-homes, because both parents have died from disease or have been slaughtered in war. The curse is afoot, and it leaves orphans in its wake.

Not every Christian is called to adopt or to foster children. And not every family is equipped to serve every possible scenario of special needs that come along with particular children. Orphan care isn’t easy. Families who care for the least of these must count the cost, and be willing to offer up whatever sacrifice is needed to carry through with their commitments to the children who enter into their lives.

But, while not all of us are called to adopt, the Christian Scriptures tell us that all of us are called to care “widows and orphans in their distress” (Jas. 1:27). All of us are to be conformed to the mission of our Father God, a mission that includes justice for the fatherless (Exod. 22:22; Deut. 10:18; Ps. 10:18; Prov. 23:10-11; Isa. 1:17; Jer. 7:6; Zech. 7:10). As we are conformed to the image of Christ, we share with him his welcoming of the oppressed, the abandoned, the marginalized; we recognize his face in the “least of these,” his little brother and sisters (Matt. 25:40).

The followers of Jesus should fill in the gap left by a contemporary Western consumer culture that extends even to the conception and adoption of children. Who better than those who have been welcomed by Christ to care for the most feared and least sought after of the world’s orphans? After all, who are we, as those who are the invited to Jesus’ wedding feast? We are “the poor and the crippled and the blind and the lame” (Lk. 14:21). Since that is the case, Jesus tells us, we are to model the same kind of risk-taking, unconditional love (Lk. 14:12), the kind that casts out fear.

Yes, orphan care can be risky. Justice for the fatherless will sap far more from us than just the time it takes to advocate. These kids need to be reared, to be taught, to be hugged, to be heard. Children who have been traumatized often need more than we ever expect to give. It is easier to ignore those cries. But love of any kind is risky.

The Gospel means it’s worth it to love, even to the point of shedding your own blood. After all, that’s what made a family for ex-orphans like us.

40 Days of Prayer, day 18

2011-10-15T08:00:00.000-05:00

Day 18: "Today, ask the Lord to raise up respite care providers to support and give relief to the caregivers caring for orphans who are waiting to have families adopt them."

40 Days of Prayer, day 17

2011-10-14T08:30:00.000-05:00

Day 17: "Today, ask for forgiveness for Christians around the world who forget the orphans and forget to heed 1 John 3:17 "If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?"

A very powerful video!

True Religion from Christian Alliance for Orphans on Vimeo.

40 Days of Prayer, day 16

2011-10-13T14:15:00.001-05:00

Day 16: "Today, pray that because of God's mercy, He will provide caregivers and counselors for children who have been abused."

40 Days of Prayer, day 15

2011-10-12T08:00:00.000-05:00

Day 15: "Today, pray for yourself as a church member. Ask the Lord to lead you on, that you might walk in obedience. Ask God to show you how to encourage your church family or youth to care for the needs of orphans."

In you the orphan finds mercy.

Hosea 14:3

Never take advantage of any widow or orphan. If you do and they cry out to me, you can be sure that I will hear their cry.

Exodus 22:22-23

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father."

Romans 8:14-16

But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.

Galatians 4:4-6

You are the helper of the fatherless. LORD, You have heard the desire of the humble; You will prepare their heart; You will cause Your ear to hear, To do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed, That the man of the earth may oppress no more.

Psalms 10:14,17-18

Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.

James 1:27

Father to the fatherless, defender of widows — this is God, whose dwelling is holy. God places the lonely in families.

Psalms 68:5-6

When you are harvesting your crops and forget to bring in a bundle of grain from your field, don’t go back to get it. Leave it for the foreigners, orphans, and widows. Then the LORD your God will bless you in all you do.

Deuteronomy 24:19

Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans. Fight for the rights of widows.

Isaiah 1:17

Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; ensure justice for those being crushed. Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless, and see that they get justice.

Proverbs 31:8-9

And anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf is welcoming me.

Matthew 18:5

I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!

Matthew 25:40

At work in Russia

2011-10-11T12:44:00.000-05:00

Bright Smiles - Novgorod

Last month the Russian division of Colgate donated 200 new toothbrushes and tubes of toothpaste to the children's home in the Novgorod region of Russia!

We were told some of the toothbrushes were the electric type and the children thought they were the coolest thing!

A note from the director:

"Thank you very much for your help in arranging the gifts from the company Colgate: the toothpaste and toothbrushes. These items are always needed. We have begun our school year. The children have begun their studies, they are playing sports and are involved in the Arts. They grew so much over the summer. Those who lived with families learned a great deal from their experiences. We are sad to part with our graduates, but they have moved on to their own adult lives now. They are fine adults, we are happy for their accomplishments.
Thank you again. Good luck in all your nobel deeds."

Medical Supplies - Volgograd

We also started to work in the Volgograd region. Last month we were able to support one of the baby orphanages by purchasing medical supplies for the disabled children.

We purchased:

- 4 laser radiation therapy devices

- Inhalers

- Walkers

- Shoe covers

- Rubber gloves

- Sterile gowns

- Gauze

- Air Ionizer

We were also able to help a sweet little girl at this orphanage in need of surgery. We assisted with some of the fees needed for her upcoming surgery:

Thank you to all who continue to support TH's in Russia. We love being able to help these sweet children and continue to thank the Lord for your overwhelming love and support!

40 Days of Prayer, day 14

2011-10-11T08:00:00.000-05:00

Day 14: "Today, pray that your whole congregation will believe and be convicted by Proverbs 22:9 "A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor." Ask for the Lord's blessings on those who share their food with orphans."

40 Days of Prayer, day 13

2011-10-10T08:00:00.000-05:00

Day 13: "Today, ask the Lord to lead the lawmakers in every nation to protect and provide for orphans."

The Congressional Coalition on Adoption is a great resource for lawmakers and families.  "The Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute (CCAI) isa non-profit organization that works to raise awareness about the needs ofchildren without families and to remove policy barriers that hinder childrenfrom knowing the love and support a family provides. CCAI is unique inthat each of our programs brings together policymakers and individuals withdirect foster care or adoption experience. We have found that whenpolicymakers hear direct experiences of those affected by orphan and childwelfare policy, they become engaged in this issue and work to bring aboutlegislative improvements in an effort to ensure each child has their right to afamily realized."

Check out all the fantastic work they are doing on behalf of the fatherless!

Website - http://www.ccainstitute.org/

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/theccai?sk=info

Blog - http://ccainstitute.wordpress.com/

Vimeo - http://vimeo.com/ccainstitute

40 days of Prayer, day 12

2011-10-09T08:00:00.000-05:00

Day 12: "Today, pray God, the Defender of the orphan, will rise up and secure justice for the oppressed."

Though I Was Born an Orphan

Though I was born an orphan,

Abandoned and alone,

Enslaved and bound in darkness,

Without a hope or home,

The God of grace and mercy

From his eternal throne

Ordained to be my Father

And claim me as His own.

That I might be adopted

The Father sent his Son

To live in full obedience

And die for what I’ve done.

Now through his resurrection,

Through faith, with him I’m one.

A member of his household,

I am an heir, a son.

To soothe my fear and worry

The Spirit from on high

Was sent to be a witness

That “Father!” I might cry.

O How I love this Father!

I’m never left alone.

He’s come to dwell within me

Until he calls me home.

Since I have this adoption,

I cannot close my home

To widows and to orphans,

Abandoned and alone.

Lord, fill me with compassion

To love the fatherless,

That I might show the nations

How great my Father is!

40 Days of Prayer, day 11

2011-10-08T08:00:00.000-05:00

Day 11: "Today, pray specifically for any orphans you may know by name. Pray for their healthy and safety. Pray for their shelter. Pray that they will be brought into loving families who will provide for their education."

Symbol and Symbat

Zhanai

Genja

Daniel

Lisa and Lena

Max

Masha

Vanya

Lena

Tanya

Dima

Medina

Johnny

Camilla

Christina

40 Days of Prayer, day 10

2011-10-07T07:42:00.000-05:00

Day 10: "Today, ask the Father to set the lonely in families. Pray specifically for families in your community who may be in the process of adopting an orphan. Ask for God's provision for all their needs: physical, emotional and spiritual."

Adoption is a miraculous gift! It has changed our lives and because of it we are here serving the beautiful children left behind in the countries of our children's birth.

Christians are lovingly commanded by God to love others, particularly the innocent, the young, and the poor. If you have ever felt even the smallest pang of curiosity about adoption, the merest flicker of interest in an orphaned child, ask God if he wants to fan it into a flame. Then trust him to take care of the details. As you consider adoption, focus on the resources you do have and let God take care of what you don't.

This Lord has greatly blessed our family through the gift of adoption:

N, adopted from Russia in 2005

J and H, adopted from Kazakhstan in 2007

E, adopted from Russia in 2009

S, adopted from Kazakhstan in 2010

40 Days of Prayer, day 9

2011-10-06T08:00:00.000-05:00

Day 9: "Today, pray that God would break the heart of your city's pastors with the plight of orphans. Ask that He would convict them to lead their churches to pray, go, and love in Jesus' name."

What AreThe Benefits Of Short-Term Mission Trips?

· A greatercommitment to Christ and His plan.

Doing work for God, and seeing results, is likestarting a fire. It is natural for it to continue and grow larger. Once you geta taste of it, you want more. You will see first hand what breaks God's heart and you will have a greater desire to follow his command to care for orphans.

· Advancementof the Kingdom of God.

Souls are usually won to Christ, churches arestrengthened, missionaries are encouraged, by those takingshort-term mission trips. No matter how big or small a project is you still are making a differencein the kingdom of God.

· A betterunderstanding of what it is like in other countries.

You realize that other countries and cultures aredifferent. That other people have different ways of looking at life and doingthings. Your thinking will expand to consider other ways of doing things whichyou never have before.

· A betterunderstanding of orphans and their universal needs.

You find out that children, though they may lookdifferent, are the same all over the world. They have the same feelings, hopes,and desires - they are human just like you are. They need the same love and attention as your own children. They have the right to care and love. You will understand they deserve a better existence.

· A greatervision for missions.

When you see the need first-hand, orphans arenot just statistics, but real children you will come to know and care about. Your heart will overflow with love while you are with the children and grieve for them once you return. You will see that missions are an important part of any ministry, especially those that involve loving orphans. You are more likely to come home and follow God's command to care for orphans.

40 Days of Prayer, day 8

2011-10-05T08:00:00.000-05:00

Day 8: "Today, pray for the Lord to raise up workers for the harvest from your church and community. Ask Him to call Christians to go to the "fields of the fatherless" to experience the joy of caring for orphans as we are commanded in Isaiah 1:16-17...."Give up your wicked ways. Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the orphan. Fight for the right of widows."

If you would like to get involved with Two Hearts for Hope, visit our website and fill out our volunteer form! There are many ways to get involved with our organization.

You can:
1) Pray: All of the orphans in Kazakhstan and Russia have a name and a story. They are real children waiting for a family but unfortunately only 15% will ever find one. We can still make a difference in their lives with prayer. The power of prayer is very real and evident. Please keep the orphans of Kazakhstan and Russia in your daily prayers.

2) Organize a donation drive: We are always in need of physical donations for the children we visit. A great way to support us is to organize a donation drive in your church, school or community.

3) Participate in "An Orphan's Hope 5K": Our 5K will be held at Edwin Warner Park in Nashville on the 22nd! Join us for a family fun day as we walk or run for the orphans in Kazakhstan and Russia! If you can't join us this year please consider becoming a sponsor. 100% of the money raised will go towards the Ust-Kamenogorsk window restoration project.

4) Join us on a mission trip

5) Donate: 98% of donations provide basic necessities to orphans living in Kazakhstan and Russia. We do not receive any compensation for our work. Each person associated with our organization is a volunteer. All cash gifts are tax-deductible.

6) Shop in our store!

"Sometimes I would like to ask God why He allows poverty, famine and injustice in the world when He can do something about it, but I am afraid He will ask me the same thing!"

40 Days of Prayer, day 7

2011-10-04T08:00:00.000-05:00

Day 7: "Today, thank the Lord in advance for all that He is going to do to bring glory to His name in your church and community. Thank Him for the care He is going to provide for orphans through your church."

Creating an Adoption Culture in Your Church - OS from Christian Alliance for Orphans on Vimeo.

40 Days of Prayer, day 6

2011-10-03T08:00:00.000-05:00

Day 6: "Today. ask the Lord to help your church family to live out Proverbs 31:8...Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute."

Day 8, Karakastek/last day

2011-10-02T21:14:00.000-05:00

We headed out this morning for our last day of painting. We stopped at the bazaar in Uzynagash to get some lightbulbs to replace the burned out ones in the bedrooms we painted. While we were there everyone was able to do a little shopping. We got track suits, Kazakh traditional dresses and hats, etc. The merchants had never seen Americans at the bazaar before so it was fun to see them get so excited to serve us. We got some great deals.

We arrived at the orphanage and delegated the work that needed to be done. Two people to each room to do a second coat of paint and two people to the room that had not been painted yet. It went by so fast, it was amazing. On day one we knew there was no way we would finish but Praise the Lord on day 3 we were done and cleaned up by 4 pm, and we even got to play with the babies for an hour.

By the second day the babies were excited to see us and today, day 3, they were crying when we left. It is such a sad place. No love, no stimulation but I do have to say that the children looked healthier and "meatier" than last year. Even the babies looked better and some even had little chub rolls. I believe the water filtration systems we installed has made a huge difference along with the vitamins. The nutrients they are able to get are being absorbed.

A few of the children cried before we said goodbye, and of course the entire team was crying. Before we left the orphanage we prayed over it and the children. It was my favorite moment of the whole week. We all sobbed as we lifted up these precious babies in this orphanage and all the other children we visited. It was a very emotional time for all involved. As we headed out I thought I know we can't change the way they live as a whole but this week we changed the world they live in. It is now bright and beautiful, full of life and color.

On the two hour ride home we all talked about our favorite moments of the trip. Everyone had a different moment and it was so awesome to hear but the common was that we started off as a team and ended up as a family.

We hit the Tsum store for some souvenirs and then out to our last dinner. After that we headed back to the hotel to pack. We left around 1:00 am for our 3:30 am flight out of Almaty. Our flights were awesome (long but smooth) and we are now in Chicago. This is where we all said goodbye. Sad but all of us are ready to see our family and sleep in our own beds!

This week was physically and emotionally hard for every member of our team and our friends in Kazakhstan that traveled with us. We have the most amazing in-country team. This week we ate horse, played with over 300 orphans, replaced bed covers and curtains, took a Soviet train, painted 7 huge rooms in 3 days, built murals out of wall decals and paint, bonded as a family, laughed, cried and drank lots of tea, ate wonderful food and lots of it, got slammed in doors of elevators, hardly got to talk to our family in the US because of bad WiFi, slept less than 5 hours most nights, were treated with the utmost hospitality, listened to the Dombra being played, saw orphanages that were wonderful and some that were not so great, came within inches of car wrecks, shopped at village bazaars, danced and saw men cry and most importantly, brought glory to God. I am sure that I did not mention everything but in a nut shell, that was our week.

This week would not have been possible without all of you! We want to thank everyone who supported this trip, whether it was by sending donations, financially, spiritually or emotionally. We felt your prayers. We are so grateful for the 7 other people that sacrificed their time and money to join us as we were the hands and feet of Jesus by making a difference in the lives of these orphans.

We are forever grateful.

40 Days of Prayer, day 5

2011-10-02T08:00:00.000-05:00

Day 5: "Today, pray for the fatherless in your community. Ask the Lord to protect them and to care for them and to defend them and keep them safe."

The fatherless=widows, strangers, and orphans.

Ideas to care of the fatherless in your community:
- Befriend an international student at your local university.
- Mentor a child through community organizations such as Big Brothers Big Sisters.
- Volunteer at a retirement center.
- Organize a donation drive for any community organization supporting the fatherless.
- Reach out to foster families and offer to provide a day of respite care.

From Fields of the Fatherless:

"I believe when you strip Christianity down to its basics, this is what it means: to feed, clothe, and treat the fatherless as members of one's own family."

40 Days of Prayer, day 4

2011-10-01T08:00:00.000-05:00

Day 4: "Today, ask the Lord to help your church congregation to feel His heart for the orphans as seen in Psalm 68:5-6...A Father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families...."

Why Love Orphans? from Christian Alliance for Orphans on Vimeo.

Day 7, Karakastek

2011-10-01T07:04:00.000-05:00

Today we headed out to the baby house again. As soon as we arrived we started painting. We had 3 people cutting in so we didn't have to tape and the others were working on the murals and rolling the walls. It was so much fun to watch God at work. We weren't sure we would be able to finish all the rooms in 2 days. It went so fast. We were able to finish 5 and half rooms before we left!

The walls are in very bad shape. They are moldy, covered in mildew and the plaster is peeling. The windows are rotting out. They are replacing the windows and the linoleum but it needs so much more work. My prayer for this orphanage is that it shuts down. I hate to be so blunt, but that is what it really needs.

The painting and wall decals have brightened up the rooms a lot and it actually looks beautiful. The colors we painted are pink, blue, green, yellow, purple and orange. It has been so fun to work with everyone on our team. We have laughed constantly and there never has been a dully moment.

At one point during the day Lance and I were painting the yellow room (which is the room my youngest daughter was in) and I heard a single baby crying on the floor above us. It was so so surreal that these children have no one. I wanted to run to the baby and comfort it. The emotions are so strong here for all of us. We have cried through our smiles and yearned to bring every single child home.

While we were there a thunderstorm came through and the entire 3rd floor, the baby floor with about 30 children, started to cry. It makes me so sad to know there are no adoptions going on right now and these children are probably destined to life here.

Around 5pm we went to play with the toddler and older children. Today was much better with them. We gave them all hot wheels, cookies and bananas. They were more engaged and open with us. They laughed, giggled and played. It was a much harder day to leave them. Seeing the children who were babies last year (when we were here building the playground) was especially difficult.

We left the orphanage around 8pm and headed to dinner at The Patio, pizza and sushi. We got back to the hotel around midnight. Tomorrow we head out for our last day at the orphanage.

Keep praying for our team. Thank you for all the encouragement and comments.

(For regular updates and more pictures, please "like" us on facebook)

40 Days of Prayer, day 3

2011-09-30T09:00:00.000-05:00

Day 3: "Today, ask God that of the 2 billion Christians in the world, 7% would show hope to a single orphan, looking after the child in their distress. Ask the Lord to convict the church around the world that if we did this, there would effectively be no more orphans. Ask the Lord to show each of His followers that we can each do something."

There are so many ways to look after an orphan. Every family can and should do something; whether it is adoption, fostering, mentoring, donating to organizations caring for orphans, visiting orphans to provide hope, sponsoring an orphan to build a relationship, or supporting families that have taken in orphans. These simple yet profound acts can change an orphans life.

Day 6, Karakastek

2011-09-30T07:45:00.000-05:00

As soon as the train arrived in Almaty we headed straight to the hotel to shower and ate then got back on the road by 11 am. We are exhausted but still running strong. This trip has been very physically exhausting. Not so much from working but all of the traveling has been hard on us.

We headed to Karakastek, a 2 hour (one way) drive. The orphanage has 42 children, ages birth to 4. We stopped in Uzynagash to buy cookies and bananas, and arrived at the orphanage around 1 pm. The toddler kids were sleeping so we delivered donations (we brought slippers, blankets, hoodies, Desitin, pajamas, medicine and snowsuits) and went to play with the babies. They were so dirty, this is the worst orphanage we have visited out of the 5, by far. Everyone loved on the babies until we were "spoken to" for stimulating them too much and whisked away.

We had lunch in the kitchen, it was very hard for us to eat because of the smell and lack of cleanliness of the orphanage. Then we started scraping and peeling paint, prepping walls, and hanging murals. When we are finished the walls are going to look so beautiful and give some much needed color to this place. We are praying it will help the children with sensory issues, they need it badly.

Before we left we went to play with the toddlers. They were locked in their room by themselves, banging their heads and crying. We brought bananas and they shoved them in their mouths as fast as they could, most cried when they couldn't have another. Some were even trying to eat the peels. It was heartbreaking to watch and disturbed us all. We all wanted to stick every one of them in our pockets and take them home.

Remember the babies we are trying to bring to the United States for life-saving surgery? This orphanage is where they live. We met the girl and took video and photos for the doctors in the states. Please keep praying we can bring her to America. She is in desperate needs of this surgery.

The boy has already had emergency surgery here because his situation has worsened. The surgery was last week and he has been moved out of intensive care. He is doing well. Please continue to play for both of these children.

The orphanage director and the staff loved looking at the family pictures and seeing how much the children have grown!

After Karakastek we went to have Chinese food with some local friends. We wet a lady today who works as the Kazakhstan country manager for the SPOON Foundation. Her name is Saida and she is a beautiful, wonderful lady. We learned all about the great things SPOON is doing with nutrition in the orphanages. They have changed the menus in the orphanages with much resistance at first but now they love the change. Currently they have 8 orphanages on vitamins and new menus. Some have both, some only have one. SPOON was told from an orphanage that receives both that the children are much less sick. It really is much needed and a great program for these babies.

Tomorrow we head back to Karakastek to start our painting. We have 7 rooms to get done in 2 days. Pray we get it done and cleaned up so the babies can move back into their rooms!

(For regular updates and more pictures, please "like" us on facebook)

Day 5, Taraz photos

2011-09-29T13:23:00.002-05:00

(For regular updates and more pictures, please "like" us on facebook)

40 Days of Prayer, day 2

2011-09-29T08:00:00.000-05:00

Day 2: "Today, pray for your Pastor to have guidance and provision as he seeks to follow the Lord's command to care for the orphans."

Did you know that the Bible mentions the importance of caring for the fatherless more than 60 times?! Christians needs to stand together and care for the orphan. We need to visit them in their distress. And it starts at church.

Churches are the most influential source of care and support. Orphan care is being provided through the church in many areas. Orphans continue to receive the best care when the local church, in collaboration with other partners, is at the foundation of program development. As the distribution center for hope in a community, the local church is positioned to identify needs and support interventions for orphan care.

The Church is the Hope for the Orphan. The Church has:
1. The largest participation
2. The widest distribution
3. The simplest administration
4. The fastest expansion
5. The longest continuation
6. The strongest authorization
7. The highest motivation.
(Saddleback Church Orphan Care Initiative)

It is time for churches to rise up make answering the call to care for children without families a priority. Pastors and the leadership of your local church need to understand that God's heart is clearly for the fatherless and doing nothing is a sin.

Day 5, Taraz

2011-09-28T21:11:00.001-05:00

We all had a much needed good nights sleep. We have not been too bad with the jet lag but always hit a wall around 3 pm. We got up and left for the orphanage at 9:30 am. Once we arrived we started to get ready for our volleyball tournament. We walked over to the school but were told the children could not play because they were not allowed to leave school. Another "go with the flow" moment.

We walked back to the orphanage and played with the children that were not in school. Kiefer got involved in a soccer game, those boys are good! Lori played with a little girl named Tanya who she wanted to put in her pocket and take home. Emily was the one all of the kids swarmed around wanting to play Angry Birds on her iPad. We stayed for another hour or so and then headed to the Umit baby house.

We were greeted at Umit by the Deputy in charge because the director is under investigation for some very bad things. This woman has been the deputy for a long time and recognized the children in the pictures we brought by their Kazakh names. Thank you to the families that took the time to send pictures of your children. She looked through the pictures at least 10 times while we were there and commented many times on how beautiful the children are. She thanked us for the donations (we brought Bumbos, sleepers, snowsuits, hats and hoodies) and told us to tell the families that she wishes you health and happiness.

There are 100 children at Umit right now. We had about 45 minutes to play with a group of 4-5 year olds. These children are gorgeous! They were very well taken care of and most of them were even chubby! We were very impressed with how clean and well groomed they were. They were all pretty quiet and really weren't sure what to do with the toys, they were almost like soldiers. You can tell they don't interact with the outside world a lot.

After leaving Umit we went to eat pizza and did some souvenir shopping then headed back to the house to pack. For dinner we had Plov, yummy(!!) then headed to the train station.

We are on the train now. This train is not as nice as the other one and I am pretty sure it was built in the 1800's. Two very drunk women wanted to pay us to sleep on the floor of the train! Let me just say, the facilities are not usable!

One hour left until we arrive in Almaty then we head straight to Karakastek to start painting.

Keep up the prayers, we are feeling them on this side of the world!

Pictures coming as soon as I can download them.

(For regular updates and more pictures, please "like" us on facebook)

40 Days of Prayer, day 1

2011-09-28T08:00:00.000-05:00

Today we are starting "40 Days of Prayer for Orphan Care."

40 Days of Prayer is a resource given out by the Christian Alliance for Orphans, creators of the Orphan Sunday movement. Please join us in praying for the fatherless for 40 days, ending on Orphan Sunday.

Pray alone when necessary and meet whenever possible to join together in agreement in prayer. Gather two or three (or more) people in a home or church or anywhere and the Lord will be with you and hear your prayers as it says in Matthew 18:20, "For where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am in the midst of it."

We ask that today you pledge, along with everyone at Two Hearts, to commit to the next 40 days. You can pledge your support publicly by commenting on this post and helping us spread the word, or privately. Just commit.

Day one: "Today, pray that the Lord would give you a personal sense of responsibility for the next 40 days (and beyond) for praying for orphans, your pastor, your church, and your community. Ask Him to break your heart for the orphans. Ask that He would help you see orphans with His eyes and His heart. Ask Him to use this 40 days of prayer to change you and your church."

Orphan Sunday 2011 from Christian Alliance for Orphans on Vimeo.

Day 4, Taraz

2011-09-27T13:30:00.002-05:00

We arrived in Taraz at 4:40 am and were quickly taken to the house by our driver. The train ride was great, most of us slept and the facilities were fine. Once at the house some of the team went back to sleep, some took showers and drank coffee. Around 9:30 am the driver arrived to take us to Ulan, about a 15 minute drive.

Ulan is home to 97 mostly healthy orphans between the ages of 3-17. There are 18 special needs children. Most of the children are "true" orphans and have no parents. The children here are all Kazakh.

When we arrived we were greeted by several children dressed in their beautiful Kazakh attire handing us bread and pastries. All of us were overwhelmed with emotion, it was truly beautiful. Our team was then interviewed by a journalist for the local Taraz newspaper. The journalist interviewed the team members that have children born in Kazakhstan and their siblings.

We then went to watch a "mini concert" that the children specially prepared for us. We saw singing, dancing, drama and more. Of course I cried through most of it because I could not shake the overwhelming feeling that these beautiful children had no parents to perform for.

In true Kaz mission trip style, we had a "go with the flow" moment when we arrived here and were told that all the beds had already been put together. Plans changed and so we visited every room to put new bed covers on and hang curtains. The children were so appreciative about the beds and covers and thanked us many times. The children are being taught English and loved practicing with us.

We were invited to a traditional Kazakh meal of Bishparmak that the children helped prepare. It was outstanding. The hospitality was wonderful. Over lunch the Director talked to us about how the orphanage runs. She teaches the children life skills, anything from doing their own laundry to cooking their own food. You can tell just by speaking to her how deeply she cares for her kids. She cried through about half of our conversation, especially when talking about the kids not having parents.

After lunch we handed out donations and went to play with the kids. We let each girl pick out her own doll and each boy pick a Beanie Baby and Hot Wheels toy. They also picked enough candy to rot their teeth for months! We painted faces and arms, played hopscotch, soccer and duck-duck goose. The children loved the one-on-one attention. One little girl even cried when Lance had to leave. It was sad but it did not feel hopeless there. We felt like there was a lot of hope for the kids with such a wonderful director.

We left Ulan and headed around town to see a few sites, including some beautiful parks. We then went to dinner (because we had hardly eaten, hahahahaha). Once again we were served like kings. We had Greek salad, Manti, bread, homemade jam and pickles, and tea. We ate a lot and all felt like penguins. Ayman played the guitar and sang to us. We laughed more tonight than I have in a long time.

It was a fantastic day of serving our God and bonding!

Tomorrow we have a volleyball tournament in the morning...the Americans verses the Kazakhs (children of Ulan). Wish us luck, they are one athletic bunch!

Thank you for your continued prayers!

(For regular updates and more pictures, please "like" us on facebook)

Day 2 and 3, Chilik photos

2011-09-27T11:21:00.000-05:00

Day 2 and 3, Chilik

2011-09-26T17:07:00.003-05:00

(Sorry no photos, I am blogging from the train)

Our day started at 5 am when none of us could sleep anymore. We have 2 rooms, 4 people in each. Everyone has their own bed and it is very spacious and clean. We got up, showered and went to eat breakfast, the food is great. After we met our driver and Ayman, our Two Hearts coordinator, in the lobby to head to Chilik. Chilik is a special needs baby house 3 hours outside of Almaty.

When we arrived we were all surprised at how beautiful it was. They have gardens and a beautiful playground. The children were outside riding bikes and sitting in strollers. We met them all. One little boy that captured all of our hearts was 5 years old and had Down's Syndrome. He appeared to be the size of a 12 month old and probably weighed 12 pounds but he is very well taken care of and so happy.

For our tour of the baby rooms we had to put on gowns and masks. It is a happy place with beautiful rooms and wonderful caregivers. You could tell that they loved these children. The first room we visited was the cerebral palsy room. There were about 6-8 children in this room laying around. They were not crying and the room appeared to be very clean. They have a therapist that comes in to work with them twice a week to help build their physical strength.

There was one boy that I recognized from Karakastek last year. He has a cleft/lip palate, heart defect and cerebral palsy. He cannot have surgery because he is too weak. Please pray for him to get stronger so he can have surgery to repair his defects.

Next we headed to the toddler room. At least half of our team fell in love; Lori with a boy that was healthy but emotionally shut down, almost mute and me with a girl that is 3 1/2 and healthy but her birth mother has schizophrenia. Because of this, this sweet little girl is destined to spend her life in an orphanage. Lance was making a very sweet boy with Down's giggle while Susan loved on a girl with Encepholopathy (which is a diagnosis they give kids when they don't really know what they have) but she looked perfectly healthy. Chris was with a boy that had Ptosis and was so very happy. Emily was sitting with the brother of Lori's new friend. This sweet boy has hydrocephalus and the boys are in the orphanage because their mother had died and father hung himself. Sean loved them all, what a sweet boy. Kiefer was the official camera man but I caught him playing so sweetly with a little girl.

We then saw the sensory room, medical rooms and headed to the Director's office to drop off our 6 bags of donations. She was overwhelmed with the generosity of everyone in America (thank YOU!). She did ask us to send her 100 mattresses covers, not the fitted ones but the ones that protect your mattresses from liquid that you lay on top of and underneath the sheet.

We then were taken to the room of new cribs we donated a few months ago. There are 36 new cribs and they are beautiful. The Director thanked us for the chance to take in more children.

After our visit we headed to lunch at a local restaurant and had lagman. It was FABULOUS. Then it was time to head back to Almaty for some souvenir shopping at the TSUM and dinner as a Turkish restaurant. We did not have any time to head back to the hotel before boarding the train so I did not get a chance to download photos.

The train is nice, clean and not too small. We are 2 in a room and there are 11 of us; our group, our coordinator and a local friend and her mother.

Tomorrow morning we are off to Ulan. We hear that we will be on TV at 10 am. I guess it's a pretty big deal what we are doing for them. Hopefully we will get a copy to show you all.

Thank you for the prayers, keep them coming. So far this trip has been life changing!

Day 1, Almaty

2011-09-25T13:04:00.007-05:00

Our team of 8 met in Chicago on Friday around 6 pm. Together we flew to Frankfurt and then on to Almaty. This time together was very significant for our team building. We were able to start bonding and get excited for our upcoming work. Our flights were great, service was good. The flight was rough from Frankfurt to Almaty and one team member, Lori, got sick.

We arrived in Almaty and got to our hotel around 3 am. We slept for 3 hours, had a wonderful breakfast, went to purchase paint supplies for Karakastek and then headed to church. It was so awesome to worship with other believers half way across the world. We all agree that singing and praising our Lord in Kazakhstan was the most awesome experience.

After church we went to eat Shashlik and headed to Ark Village, a private orphanage outside the city. Ark Village is run by a wonderful Italian man named Papa Guido. The village is home to 65 children. It is a beautiful place with lots of love but still a "Kazakh orphanage." The kids come to this orphanage many different ways. Some are dropped off and some arrive from government orphanages. 2 "new" boys (they have been there a year) were brought to the village because someone found them living with dogs, no one else. The village is run like a family. The children are happy, polite and they look and feel alive.

We handed out sidewalk chalk to the kids and they decorated the entire sidewalk without us prompting them. The loved the Beanie Babies and the chocolate was a huge hit!

Ark Village gets no government help. Papa Guido is trying to build a new house so he can house 20 more children. Being in his presence you can feel his love for these children and the way the children love him. He needs to continue doing his amazing work.

Tomorrow we are headed to Chilik, a special needs baby house 3 hours from Almaty. We started supporting them last September but this will be our first visit.

Please continue to pray with us, we are feeling them.

Love to you all,

Stacy and the team!

Enjoy the pictures

Lift off!

2011-09-23T09:01:00.004-05:00

We are off to Kazakhstan!

Please keep Stacy, Chris, Lance, Emily, Susan, Sean, Lori and Keifer in your prayers as they travel the long distance to Kaz.

Pray that each team member is lifted up on this journey and their hearts are open to whatever the Lord has planned for them.

Pray for safe travel with no delays.

Pray for the team's health and safety.

Pray for everyone our team will meet in Kazakhstan, especially the children. Let the light of Jesus shine through each team member as we do His work.

Pray the Lord will bless the families of our team members and help them manage in their absence.

We go on mission trips for three main reasons: to create an awareness, build relationships, and to encourage personal and spiritual growth for all participants.

Pray the projects we have planned are able to help us accomplish these three main goals and that the work the Lord has called us to do will be done in a manner pleasing to Him.

We are on our way!

2011-09-22T08:32:00.006-05:00

Tomorrow Team 2 Hearts 2 Taraz leaves for Kazakhstan!

22 bags are packed with over 2000 items along 4-50lb boxes of medical supplies!

Included in those bags are:

Diaper rash cream

Blankets

Hoodies

Crayons

Art supplies

Shoes

Sleepers

Coats

Toothpaste

Toothbrushes

Pillowcases

Snowsuits

Dolls

Beanie Babies

Hot Wheels

Thank you to MediWish International for the 4 boxes of medical supplies. Some of the items included are:

Stethoscopes

Scissors

Catheters

Tongue depressors

Blood pressure monitors

Surgical instrument sets

Gauze

Bandages

Syringes

Pediatric Crutches

Pediatric leg braces

Dental supply kits

Walkers

IV's

Thermometers

Many, many thanks to our wonderful supporters who generously contributed to this trip. We could not have done it without each and every one of you:

Everyone that participate in and supported An Orphan's Hope 5K in 2010. It is because of you that we were able to purchase 100 new beds and mattresses!

Melissa Scott at Dream Prosperity

Mitch Arnold at Peace is the Goal

FillerFinds

Orphan Impact

Mismatched Molly's Boutique

The Warwick Family

The Nielsen Family

The Rossier Family

Miranda Nichols

The Meta Family

The Owens Family

Jim and Jinny O'Leary in honor of Adam Meta

The Clifford Family

Virginia Kreeft

The Ampleman Family

The Lyle Family

The Letterneau Family

The Roach Family in honor of Adam Meta

Jennifer Jeffries

The Sarandis Family

The Hansen Family

The Tague Family

The Dewitt Family

The Kudwa Family

The Floyd-Leggit Family

The Kitzman Family

The Siefer Family

The Rustan Family

The Bell Family

The Hollis Family

The Jenkins Family

Deborah Lawson

The Brown Family

Jody Yeh

Julia McKenzie

The Elrod Family

Maureen Powers

The Combs Family

The Milani Family

The Morrison Family

* If we spelled your name incorrectly or left some off the list by mistake, please email us at info@twoheartsforhope.org

Please remember to keep the team in your prayers! Updates will be posted regularly, don't forget to check back!

Check out these new windows!

2011-09-20T08:55:00.009-05:00

Yesterday we received this update from Ust-Kamenorgorsk:

"Dear Two Hearts for Hope!

Thank you very much for your contribution to the accomplishment of our children's home. Thanks to you, we replaced the windows in 7 groups!

With thanks,

The Administration and staff KGKP "Specialized orphanage in Ust-Kamenorgorsk"

Before:

After:

Amazing how fast this was accomplished, and in time for the cold winter! Praise the Lord!

We found out that a local donor pledged $15,000 towards the project. We currently have $38,683.35 left to go before the entire baby house can have new windows! If you would like to help support this project, please visit our website.

2012 Cherished Children Calendar

2011-09-12T05:43:00.002-05:00

We are now accepting photos for our 2012 calendar!

To have your child(ren) featured, please:

1) Send ONE photo of your child(ren) to photos@twoheartsforhope.org. To be fair to all only one photo per family is accepted.

2) Please include the name of your child(ren) and the region adopted from.

3) Photos need to be 90kb or higher.

NOTE - In order to create the best possible calendar we are limited to 72 pictures. When we reach this limit we will no longer be accepting photos so ACT FAST!

The deadline for photos is Friday, September 23rd!

Project Bright Smile

2011-09-07T06:43:00.004-05:00

While we were in Russia this past May we were able to donate many items, among them were toothbrushes and toothpaste. The orphanage director was mostly excited about the toothbrushes. We were told that toothbrushes are hard to come by and are very much needed.

Imagine not having something as basic and simple as a toothbrush? This often leads to poor dental health and nutrition problems later in life. Something we take for granted is a rare treat for the orphans.

Proper dental hygiene is not a priority in orphanages. The effects of not brushing will start out minor but will become serious over time. Plaque build-up will cause a substantial discoloration of teeth, and gingivitis and cavities can occur.

For $10 you can provide one child with a toothbrush, toothpaste and soap. Our goal is to help improve the oral health and basic hygiene of these children. There are approximately 200 children in Russia that desperately need these basic necessities.

To donate please click visit our website, www.twoheartsforhope.org/smile

Please help us brighten smiles by donating today!

Sponsorship

2011-09-06T07:34:00.003-05:00

An Orphan's Hope 5K is a month and a half away.

If you are unable to join the fun, please pray about becoming a sponsor.

Individuals, families and businesses can sponsor. The following is where we need you:

- Entertainment (Bounce house or face painter)

- Lunches

- T-shirts

- Advertising (posters or banner)

Our goal is to ensure 100% of the money raised goes directly to the orphans in Kazakhstan. To reach this goal sponsors are needed to offset the cost.

If you would like to help out, click here!

Thanks!

New cribs!

2011-08-26T07:00:00.000-05:00

Yesterday we received word that 35 cribs and mattresses along with 10 walkers were delivered to the Chilik orphanage in Kazakhstan!

We will travel to Chilik in a few weeks as part of our mission trip to deliver 200 pounds of medical supplies donated by the MedWish International in Cleveland, Ohio.

Thank you Lord for continuing to bless our ministry and allowing us to support these sweet children!

"Compassion Equals Involvement"

2011-08-25T10:58:00.007-05:00

Last night at 7:30 I started to read "Fields of the Fatherless" by Tom Davis (get it if you don't have it). At 9:30 pm I had completed the book and had a renewed sense of commitment to keep on fighting for the fatherless. The fatherless are orphans yes, but also widows, single moms, the poor, starving, lonely, the sick, anyone waiting to know YOU care.

In his book, Davies quotes Henri Nouwen who said:

"The word compassion is derived from the Latin words pati and cum, which together mean "to suffer with." Compassion asks us to go where it hurts, to enter into places of pain, to share in brokenness, fear, confusion, and anguish. Compassion challenges us to cry out with those in misery, to mourn with those who are lonely, to weep with those in tears. Compassion requires us to be weak and with the weak, vulnerable with the vulnerable, and powerless with the powerless. Compassion means full immersion in the condition of being human."

Simply put, you need to be involved to be compassionate. Watching the news at night and feeling a sense of sadness when you see babies in Africa starving does not equal compassion. We need to act. Action does not require only giving of your money. Step away from the fear associated with putting yourself "out there" and move to change lives!

Try as we may, we can't do it all but each one of us can make a small difference, one act at a time. God will richly bless your life when you start caring for the people He aches for and you will be filled with an infinite amount of joy!

Davis says "I believe when you strip Christianity down to its basics, this is what it means: to feed, to clothe, and treat the fatherless as members of one's own family." I completely agree.

Here is a reminder why we and everyone involved with our organization chooses to ACT:

"I hated my life since the 3rd grade when I was unmercifully beaten. I felt then that life is lost and death is looking for me. And my tears were telling me that life was nothing in comparison with death. I felt like a little cockroach, which (responds in) fear when seen. A bunch of American people came to our school. I thought these people wanted to laugh at us. But I was mistaken. They are people willing to give up the most precious gift a person can process, love. (Their) intentions to share seemed strange as they had their own kids. But these people have such big hearts to give that there is still enough room even for us little cockroaches. Then I began to feel myself not a cockroach anymore that deserved to be killed, but a littlehuman being. It is a wonderful feeling. Believe me." - Russian orphan, from "Fields of the Fatherless"

A chance to help us in Taraz

2011-08-15T08:00:00.005-05:00

In just over a month our team will be heading to Taraz, Kazakhstan to replace the beds and mattresses at the Ulan orphanage. We will also be visiting two other orphanages where we will love on the children. Below is a list of items we want to include with the other donations we have received:

- Face paint and brushes

- Stickers

- Construction paper

- Crayons

- Jewelry making kits

- Soccer balls and basketballs (deflated)

- Hand pump to inflate balls

Would you please consider donating one (or more) of these items? Items should be new. If you can't shop for the items a monetary donation can be made via our website and we will shop for you!

Donations need to reach us by September 1st.

Two Hearts for Hope

P.O. Box 1928

Lebanon, MO 65536

Thank you for your support!

Raffle winners

2011-08-12T16:25:00.005-05:00

We are so thankful to everyone who purchased tickets and donated the items for the raffle.

The grand total raised is $6409.22! All the glory to God!

We are only $1166.22 away from our goal of $27,000. The orphanage director in Ust-Kamenogorsk has requested that we send the money we have raised thus far so construction can begin before the temperatures drop to freezing. We are excited to see the progress being made over the next few weeks/months.

Thank you again for making a difference in the lives of these babies! We are continuously humbled by your generosity and support!

Congratulations to:

1 - Jim Hansen

2 - Karen Kitzman

3 - Karen Floyd

4 - Pam Raspante

5 - Branden Hochstetler

6 - Jacquie Izzo

7 - Karen Floyd

8 - Diane Lanigan

9 - Christine Milani

10 - Kelly Sarandis

11 - Kelly Bhagat

12 - Angie Dickey

13 - Christine Milani

14 - Kim Prud'homme

15 - Alaina Falk

16 - Julie Woods

17 - Jennifer Heckert

18 - Erin Herman

19 - Beth Cohen

20 - Dave Truman

21 - Richard Ybarra

22 - Kelly Bhagat

23 - Gena Lloyd

24 - Ann Hochstetler

25 - Kristan Stuck

26 - Margaret Zumbrun

27 - Lisa Chaney

28 - April Powers

29 - Melissa Clearview

30 - Sarah Way

31 - Rebecca Rossier

32 - Ann Hochstetler

33 - Kelly Bhagat

34 - Kate Carbone

35 - Julia Palazini

36 - Courtney Stone

37 - Kristi Metz

38 - Liz Nelson

All the winners were chosen using a third-party online drawing system and are completely random.

Almost to our goal

2011-08-11T16:30:00.000-05:00

Today is the LAST day to purchase raffle tickets! The fundraiser ends at midnight tonight and the winners will be announced tomorrow afternoon.

Currently we are only $1850 away from reaching our goal of replacing the windows on an entire floor at the Ust-Kamenogorsk orphanage!

To view the items, click here - http://twoheartsforhope.blogspot.com/2011/07/window-project-fundraiser.html

Please consider purchasing tickets and helping us reach our goal!

Great is Thy faithfulness!

2011-07-30T11:20:00.003-05:00

When we were contacted about possibly replacing all the windows at the baby orphanage in Ust-Kamenogorsk we knew the fundraising process would be long and difficult. Raising $81,000 is no small feat so we decided to raise the money a floor at a time, praying it would only take a year to reach our goal.

We have had many wonderful people donate in many different ways to help us in reaching our goal. Some have held parties, some have donated directly, and kids have even given their offering to us. The generosity that continues to flow our way is overwhelming to say the least.

This week only we have received $7490 towards the project making our current total $21,340.53. We have $5659.47 to go and it's only August (almost)! Surely we can reach our goal in under a year.

Think about the babies going to bed each night without the buzz of mosquitoes hovering over their beautiful little faces. Think about how nice it will be for them to sleep in a room that is warm, no drafts to chill their bones.

Currently you can help by making a direct donation on our website or by purchasing tickets for our fundraiser. All the information is in the post below.

We believe with God's love and faithfulness, nothing is impossible! Please continue to pray with us.

Window Project Fundraiser

2011-07-11T09:13:00.009-05:00

Window Restoration Fundraiser!

It's time for another MEGA fundraiser! All proceeds go towards the Ust-Kamenogorsk window project. Thank you to the wonderful supporters who donated this years items!

Here's how it works:

View all the items below.

Click the paypal link on the right hand side of the blog under the fundraiser heading.

Tickets are $5 each, 12 for $50 or 25 for $100.

Each item is numbered 1-38.

Email us at info@twoheartsforhope.org with the item number and amount of tickets you would like on each one.

We will send you a confirmation email with your entry numbers.

Winners will be chosen using random.org, an unbiased third party.

Tickets can be purchased until midnight on August 11th.

Winners will be announced August 12th.

Electronics:

#1 - Apple iPod touch 8GB (4th Generation) Newest Model

8 GB capacity for about 2,000 songs, 10,000 photos, or 10 hours of video
Up to 40 hours of audio playback or 7 hours of video playback on a single charge
3.5-inch (diagonal) widescreen Multi-Touch display with 960-by-640-pixel resolution (326 pixels per inch)
Retail Value $210.00, donated by Two Hearts for Hope.

#2 - Nikon Coolpix S3000 12.0MP Digital Camera

12.0 megapixels for stunning prints as large as 16 x 20 inches
4x wide-angle Zoom-NIKKOR glass lens; bright 2.7-inch LCD
4-way VR Image Stabilization System
Capture 640 x 480 movies with sound at 30fps
Retail value $125.00, donated by the Prud'homme Family.

#3 - GE DV1-LG Waterproof/Shockproof 1080P Pocket Video Camera

1080P Digital Video Camera
2.5 Inch auto brightness LCD screen
SD slot for SD/SDHC cards up to 32GB
Waterproof up to five meters
Built-in USB for easy transfer
Retail value $100.00, Donated by Courtney, Dustin and Ryland Stone.

#4 - Amazon Kindle Wireless Reading Device

Kindle is Amazon's #1 bestselling item for two years running. Over 950,000 books including 107 of 111 New York Time's bestsellers, plus audiobooks, blogs and periodicals. All new, high contrast E Ink screen, built in Wi-Fi, battery life of up to 2 months. Holds 3,500 books! With text-to-speak, Kindle can read English language books out loud to you. Get your books in 60 seconds!

Retail value $139.00. Donated by the Segebarth Family.

#5 - Autographed electric guitar

Guitar is autographed by the Newsboys. Newsboys are a Christian pop rock band founded in 1985 in Mooloolaba, Australia. They have released 14 studio albums, six of which have been certified gold. Currently, the band consists of lead vocalist Michael Tait, keyboardist Jeff Frankenstein, guitarist Jody Davis, and drummer Duncan Phillips.

Donated by the Truman Family.

Kazakhstan inspired items:

#6 - One of a kind painting

Hand-painted scene inspired by our beloved Kazakhstan.

Painted and donated by Branden Hochstetler.

#7 - Kazakh Alphabet quilt

This quilt was handmade in Kazakhstan and features the Kazakh alphabet. The Kazakh alphabet has 42 letters; 33 Russian letters and 9 distinctly Kazakh letters.

#8 - Set of hand-crafted felt pins in Kazakhstan colors and felt slippers from Kazakhstan.

A cute way to show your Kazakhstan pride! Set of hand-crafted felt pins in the colors of the Kazakhstan flag, centered with a sparkling rhinestone. The smaller pin is sized for your daughter, or when you want a touch of color for your outfit. Donated by Jodi Mechem.

The slippers were handmade in Kazakhstan and are a women's size 8/9. Donated by Jen Kiran

#9 - 2 handmade dresses in Kazakhstan colors

Both dresses feature the blue and yellow from the Kazakhstan flag. First dress is a three color peasant dress. Second dress is a two-color pillowcase dress with bow ties. Each dress is about a size 4/5. Dresses are being made now. Donated by Karen Kitzman

#10 - Hand-crocheted baby blanket

Adorable baby blanket inspired by the colors of the Kazakhstan flag. This hand-crocheted blanket is a beautiful addition to any nursery or makes a fantastic gift! Donated by Pam Canatia.

#11 - Set of 5 Matryoshka dolls with Kaz skippers

Each matryoshka doll has 5 pieces inside and were hand-painted in Kazakhstan. The slippers were also hand-made in Kazakhstan are a toddler size 10/11.

Boutique items:

#12 - A year of bows!

Each bow in this basket was inspired by the months of the year. Bow edges are heat sealed and attached to a lined alligator clip. Basket is brand-new retired Morning Glory by Longaberger. Donated by AnnaBelle's Boutique. Retail value of bows, $94. Retail value of basket, $65.

#13 - 3Seams Dress

3Seams dress, size M(4)with a matching bracelet. Both handmade by women in Haiti. At 3seams all of the clothing is made in sets of two! One piece goes home with you and the other is donated to a child in the developing world of Haiti. This garment has a number which can be tracked to see where the matching dress has been sent. Value $55.95. Donated by Julie Rolfes.

#14 - 3 perfume set from Avon

Perfumes are from Avon's new Scentini line. Shake it up, spritz in on, and let the fun begin with these three amazing scents. Plum Twist - a flirtatious fusion of dark plum and red berry topped with a playful praline swirl. Rose Fizz - a sparkling fragrance cocktail of fresh rose petals, sun-kissed peach and sexy woods. Citrus Chill - an invigorating splash of juicy mandarin mixed with exotic passionflower and warm amber. 1.7 fl oz. Retail value $16.50 each. Donated by Kim Jury, Avon representative.

#15 - Coach bag

Brand-new Coach bag is tan/brown with black leather trim. It is approximately 9 inches tall and 13 inches wide-at the top, the widest. Retail value, $348.00. Donated by Jacqueline Izzo.

#16 - "Fun in the Sun" Ava Anderson set

Ava Anderson develops and produces cutting-edge, SAFE personal care products. Set includes: 2.9 oz 30+ SPF sunscreen, 8 oz body lotion, 3.4 oz toner, 2 lip balms, and a travel size shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, hand soap, and body lotion.
Retail value $100.00. Donated by Susan Serra, Ava Anderson consultant.

#17 - Happy Hibiscus hair-clips

These gorgeous hair-clips are made from the finest satin and each individually made. They measure approximately 2.5 inches in diameter. Colors are green, pink, fuchsia, lavender, cream and yellow. All have alligator clips. Retail value $16.00 each. Donated by The Happy Hibiscus.

Baked goods:

#18 - Simply Sweets cookies

The certificate for Simply Sweets cookies is for 4 dozen (up to 2 flavors) custom cookies. These cookies will be individually wrapped, beautifully boxed, and priority mailed to your door. The certificate may be redeemed October - March. Flavor options include Chocolate Chip Toffee, Iced (or plain) Sugar, Lemon White Chocolate, Cranberry White Chocolate Oatmeal, Triple Chocolate, Oatmeal Raisin, Peanut Butter, and Double Chocolate Mint. Donated by Alaina Falk of The Cooks Next Door.

#19 - Cake truffles from Stella's Sweets

Truffles are made from moist cake and creamy frosting then rolled and dipper in real Belgium chocolate. Truffles will be shipped priority overnight to winner. Donated by Stella's Sweets.

Gift Certificates:

#20 - Gift card to Target

$100.00 value. Gift cards can be redeemed for merchandise or services at Target stores or on Target.com. Donated by the Sarandis Family.

#21 - Gift card to Amazon.com

$250.00 value. Amazon offers everything from books and electronics to tennis rackets and diamond jewelry. Donated by the Cohen Family.

#22 - Stella and Dot gift certificate

$25.00 gift certificate to Stella and Dot. Stella and Dot offers boutique style jewelry and accessories. http://home.stelladot.com/. Donated by Pamela Baldwin.

#23 - Visa gift card

$25.00 value. The Visa Gift card is a prepaid card welcome everywhere Visa Debit cards are accepted. Visa Gift cards are loaded with a set amount of funds on the card and can be used for multiple purchases for as long as value remains on the card. Additional funds cannot be added later if the card is a non-reloadable gift card. Donated by the Chaney Family.

Handmade Creations:

#24 - Welcome Little One basket, boy

This basket is great for any little one in your life. Perfect for baby showers, home from the hospital gift, or a homecoming gift for a child coming home through an adoption! Included in the basket are three soft blocks that jingle when shaken, one cuddle cutie doll, and fabric numbers 0-5 for little one to interact with. The soft blocks are sure to keep baby entertained with the soft jingle sound. Cuddle cuties are great to display on a shelf or can be placed in babies crib. Fabric numbers are a great way to introduce your child to numbers early. The great thing about all of these items is that you don’t have to worry about baby getting hurt on anything hard or plastic. If/when they throw them, they wont break anything in your home. They are made with coordinating fabrics that are bright, engaging, and oh so cute! Value of basket $55.00. Donated by Ava's Mom Made It.

#25 - Welcome Little One basket, girl

This basket is great for any little one in your life. Perfect for baby showers, home from the hospital gift, or a homecoming gift for a child coming home through an adoption! Included in the basket are three soft blocks that jingle when shaken, one cuddle cutie doll, and fabric numbers 0-5 for little one to interact with. The soft blocks are sure to keep baby entertained with the soft jingle sound. Cuddle cuties are great to display on a shelf or can be placed in babies crib. Fabric numbers are a great way to introduce your child to numbers early. The great thing about all of these items is that you don’t have to worry about baby getting hurt on anything hard or plastic. If/when they throw them, they wont break anything in your home. They are made with coordinating fabrics that are bright, engaging, and oh so cute! Value of basket, $55.00. Donated by Ava's Mom Made It.

#26 - Storybook Crayon Buddy with 4 children's books.

This bag has characters ranging from The Three little pigs to Hansel and Gretel. So adorable for both a boy or a girl. Bag holds 44 crayons on the outside, each with it's own slot. Your child can take along their favorite book, coloring books, toys and crayons. Perfect for trips! Retail value $45. Donated by Bags2Impress

Enjoy reading aloud to your child with a selection of 4 new children's pictures books! Wonderful to add to your home library of give as a gift. Donated by the Falk Family

#27 - Monkey Crayon Buddy with 4 children's books

Bag holds 44 crayons on the outside, each crayon has its own slot. This bag is perfect for trips, your child can bring along his/her coloring books and crayons. Your child can take along their favorite book, coloring books, toys and crayons. Retail value $45. Donated by Bags2Impress

Enjoy reading aloud to your child with a selection of 4 new children's pictures books! Wonderful to add to your home library of give as a gift. Donated by the Falk Family

#28 - Rag quilt and taggie

Rag quilt is red, blue, and yellow flannel with a light blue train print approx 40" by 60" retail value $65. Quilt is made of 2 layers of flannel, one side is clipped open seams. Quilt has been washed twice to start the ragging process.

The taggie is cream satin with cream rose swirl minky with chocolate and sage ribbons approx 30" by 36" perfect for either a girl or a boy. Retail value $50. Donated by Ragstagsandbags.com

#29 - 9-patch baby quilt, #1

Beautiful handmade 9-patch baby quilt is approximately 30'' x 40.5 '' and would look great in any nursery! Donated by Sheral Letterneau.

#30 - 9-patch baby quilt, #2

Beautiful handmade 9-patch baby quilt is approximately 30'' x 40.5 '' and would look great in any nursery! Donated by Sheral Letterneau.

#31 - Baby quilt

Gorgeous handmade baby quilt. 33'' x 33''. Front is cotton and the back is minke (yellow and green) Donated by Jane Herlihy

Thirty-One Items:

#32 - Cinch-Top Bucket Bag

Bag is in denim with a bright floral pattern on the inside. Retail value $56.00 Donated by Melissa Leslie, Thirty-one consultant.

#33 - Thermal Tote, Chocolate Blossom

Bag is thermal lined to keep your lunch hot or cold. Add an ice pack to keep your items cool. Pattern is chocolate blossom. Retail value $14.00 Donated by Melissa Leslie, Thirty-one consultant.

#34 - Thermal Tote, Garden Lattice

Bag is thermal lined to keep your lunch hot or cold. Add an ice pack to keep your items cool. Pattern is chocolate blossom. Retail value $14.00 Donated by Angelina Combs, Thirty-one consultant.

#35 - Large Utility Tote

Tote can hold a variety of items. Pattern is Floral Celebration. Retail value $30.00 Donated by the Siefer Family.

#36 - Garment bag

Garment bag is in Onyx Medallion. Retail value $130. Donated by Angelina Combs, Thirty-One consultant.

#37 - Organizing Utility Tote

Organizing tote in Paparazzi Dot pattern. Retail Value $22. Donated by Angelina Combs, Thirty-one Consultant.

#38 - About Town Blanket

Blanket folds into a nice, neat carrying case for the family on the go! Donated by the Siefer Family.

Dreams

2011-07-09T09:20:00.001-05:00

One of the items we brought to Russia was sidewalk chalk. Our translator asked the kids to draw what they were dreaming of.

Take a look at what D and his best friend are dreaming of.

So simple: a dog and houses next to each other. Yet so profound.

What will happen to these sweet boys in a few short years? Will they get their dogs? Will they be able to remain friends? Or will life pull them in different directions as they are forced to exist in a country that doesn't appreciate them, barely acknowledges them and does nothing to prepare them for life on their own.

They.need.families!

Meet L

2011-06-27T08:00:00.002-05:00

This is L. She is one of the orphans we had the pleasure of meeting in May.

On the last day we were there she gave us this letter:

Dear Kim and Nanette -

I miss you so very much. I cannot survive. I want to fly to America with you. That is, if you don't mind. I really want to see what America is like and how you guys live there. I also want to fly in an airplane for the first time. Thank you very much for everything you have done for us. Please come again soon. In the meantime, I'll be missing you very much. I'll be waiting for your answer. So long, and until we meet again, I'll be waiting for your letter. On the other side of this paper there is a drawing for you. It is a rose.

I love you,

L is one of the kids that was always around us, hanging on every word we said and every move we made. She is DESPERATE for attention. She would practice her English and impress us each day with the words she remembered from the day before.

She is too old to be adopted. What does her future hold?

She needs your prayers. Please join us in praying for her!

4 ways to help!

2011-06-24T13:23:00.002-05:00

Looking for a way to support Two Hearts for Hope and the babies in Kazakhstan? We have four ways for you to get involved!

Matching Donation: Last week we were contacted by a donor who wants to do a matching donation for the Window Restoration Project. All the money we raise now up until we reach$5000 will be matched! This means that any donation you give will be worth double. Please consider making a donation and helping us reach our goal!

Raffle: We are in the process of organizing a fundraising raffle. All the proceeds will benefit the Window Restoration Project. We are looking for volunteers to donate any item, small or large, to the raffle. The raffle will be held online. Donations can either be mailed directly to the winner at the conclusion of the raffle or mailed to us now and we will take care of connecting with the winner. Ideas - Do you sell Pampered Chef, Tupperware or any other item? Gift cards are always a hit! Anything handmade is perfect. Please contact us. if you are willing to donate.

Vote: Take 30 seconds and visit this website - Giving of Life to vote for us to receive a grant! You can vote once and don't need to give your email address!

Desitin needed: The Karakastek orphanage in Kazakhstan has asked for tubes of Desitin diaper rash cream. You can either shop and send the cream to us or donate online and we will shop for you!

Thank you for your continued support!

Matching donation

2011-06-20T20:14:00.003-05:00

Last week we were contacted by a donor who wants to do a matching donation for the Window Restoration Project.

All the money we raise now up until we reach $5000 will be matched! This means that any donation you give will be worth DOUBLE!

Please consider making a donation and helping us reach our goal! No donation is too big or too small. We have seen how $5 can add up.

These babies desperately need new windows to protect them from the below zero temperatures and all the health problems they will have.

"Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me." - Matthew 40

To make a donation visit our website - http://www.twoheartsforhope.org/windows.html

Raffle update

2011-06-20T08:54:00.003-05:00

We are so grateful for the wonderful response we have received to our call for donations! So far we have received:

- Bows

- Happy Hibiscus hair accessories

- Handmade tote bags

- One of a kind Kazakhstan painting

- Guitar autographed by the Newsboys

- 3seams dress and bracelet

- Handmade quilts

- Avon products

- Jewelry

- Two gift baskets from Ava's Mom Made It

- Books

- Baked goods

- Ava Anderson products

The raffle will be held online. Donations can either be mailed directly to the winner at the conclusion of the raffle or mailed to us now and we will take care of connecting with the winner.

Ideas for donations: Do you sell Pampered Chef, Tupperware or any another item? Gift cards are always a hit! Anything handmade is perfect!

We will continue accepting donations until Friday, July 24th.

Email us with any questions - info@twoheartsforhope.org

An opportunity to help!

2011-06-16T09:47:00.002-05:00

We are in the process of organizing a fundraising raffle for the Window Restoration Project.

We have currently raised $8827.50 towards are goal of $27,000. We have a long way to go but are confident a raffle will give us a good boost.

Last year the raffle we organized included handmade clothing items, bows, baked goods, a Kindle, art, etc and we collected over $3,000.

How you can help: We are looking for volunteers to donate any item, small or large, to our fundraising raffle!

If you are called to do so, please contact us at info@twoheartsforhope.org by June 17th.

The hardest part

2011-05-30T07:40:00.002-05:00

The most difficult thing for me is being back here knowing that half of the kids we met will soon "graduate" from the orphanage and move into a high risk category.

40% become drug users

40% commit crimes

It is estimated that half the girls become prostitutes

10% commit suicide

Please join us in praying for these children and for how Two Hearts can support the older children who are all but forgotten by their country.

Day 7 and 8

2011-05-26T04:32:00.001-05:00

It has been a very emotional few days as we finished up our visits with the kids and said goodbye. There is so much to reflect on but finding the words right now is difficult.

The Lord certainly made way for some great opportunities here. We have been blessed with a church that is ready to support us, friends to "work" for us and an orphanage director who is very welcoming. We definitely look forward to what He has in store for Two Hearts and these children.

Today we leave the region and head back to St. Petersburg. Please keep us in your prayers as we head back home.

Since words escape me I will leave you with some pictures:

Location:Russia

Day 5 and 6

2011-05-23T14:01:00.001-05:00

Sunday:

Nanette and I went to church this morning. What a wonderful group of believers. They welcomed us with open arms and were very interested in our "stories." We were asked to speak for a few minutes so we (well really Nanette) explained our purpose and very gracefully thanked the church for all the support they have been providing us since our arrival.

After the service we spoke with the Pastor who has such a heart for orphans. He expressed his desire to have a longterm partnership with us so we can serve from America and Russia. We look forward to all God has in store for us as we work together to minister to the orphans.

After church we had a nice dinner with friends and then I went to the orphanage at night. The orphanage building has a public park next to it and it takes all of 30 seconds for the children to see a visitor. Julia and I were bombarded by kids again. It is such a great feeling to know that we are bringing happiness to their lives, even if only for a week.

We played games and drew pictures with sidewalk chalk until it was time for the kids to go inside for the night. It really was a fantastic day!

Monday:

When we had our first meeting with the orphanage director we asked her what we might be able to purchase for the kids while we were here with the extra donation money we received. She asked for summer toys, specifically 2 bikes. She explained that since the public park is shared with the city children, her kids will come up to her and ask why they can't have bikes too. They see the city children riding and wonder why they won't share.

Today we went shopping and were able to purchase:

2 bikes
2 scooters
2 soccer balls
4 big bouncy balls
3 jump ropes

This is in addition to the toothbrushes, toothpaste, sidewalk chalk, flip flops, hair ties, misc hygiene products and frisbees we took with us. All the donations were brought from home were well received. She explained that toothbrushes and toothpaste are always needed because they always run out.

The director was overwhelmed with happiness. It was easy to tell that she was very excited and touched by the donations we, through the support of our great donators, gave. We ALL thank you!

The kids we visited today were full of questions for us. Some of my favorites were "Do you believe in God?" "What kind of money do you have?" and "Is Santa Claus real?" It's so much fun to be able to answer there questions and watch the intrigue in their eyes.

2 more days left and I don't want it to end!

Location:Russia

Day 4

2011-05-21T11:52:00.001-05:00

Today was very exhausting day. We arrived at the orphanage around 3 pm and visited with 5 groups of children. The children all knew we were coming and that we had gifts. Most of the kids were quietly sitting when we walked in their "apartment" with expectant looks on their faces.

We spent about a half hour in each room. Some of the kids were very interested in us, some were not. One of the hardest things for me to watch is the "pecking order" in the groups. A few times today I witnessed the older kids picking on the little ones and it drives the mom in me crazy. My instincts tell me to step in for the little ones and it is very hard to stay quiet, but I do.

This boy standing up was caring and kind to the other kids in his group. He waited until every child had a bear and then he chose. He is 16 and is part of the "Children's Committee" that watches out for the other kids. He is a very talented woodworker. Pray for him.

These kids were the most interested in us. They were very animated and asked many questions about us and America. They were very polite and asked us to come back soon. Pray for them.

This little boy was FASCINATED with my camera. He was amazed that he could look into and then see his picture. Pray for him.

These boys wanted us to watch them dig a river in the sand. Pray for them.

After we finished our visit in the first building we walked over to the second housing building to await our driver. As soon as we walked onto the playground the children came racing over to see us. We played a quick game of "duck duck goose" with about 15 kids, ages 10-18. Unfortunately we do not have any pictures of that. It was hysterical to watch the kids figure out that their best chance of winning was to tap either Nanette, Julia or I and race us.

When the game was over my camera became a big hit. The kids asked us to take their pictures over and over again. Quickly our following grew to 20 children. Some wanted to practice their English and some wanted to ask us about America. We received many hugs and I was kissed a few times by a very cute admirer.

Some of the kids saying goodbye. Pray for them.

We will be back to visit on Monday.

Location:Russia

Day 3

2011-05-20T14:56:00.001-05:00

Today Nanette and I had a great visit at the Children's Home. We met with the Director first and then spent time visiting with 3 groups of children. The Director is very kind and genuinely seems to care for the children. In fact, most of the people we met were very loving towards the kids. Having been around a few orphanages, I can tell the caretakers were proud of their kids. Each one took time to come over and tell us all about each child we met; their likes and dislikes and what they excelled in.

The children at this particular children's home do not get many visitors. We were told there have only been 2 international adoptions done in 2-3 years. When we asked why, the director said "well, no one wants the older kids, do they."

During our time with the groups we played and answered many questions. They all wanted to see pictures of our kids and life back home. We took out our iPhone and iPad, thank goodness for Apple!

Tomorrow we go back to visit with a few more groups and Monday we will meet with the director again to discuss our long term goals.

Kim getting a lesson in hockey.

ALL the kids loved their beanie babies. Even the older boys were happy to have one.

Nanette showing off her kids on the iPad.

This little girl LOVED having women around. She commented on our clothes a lot and wanted her picture taken over and over again.

Pictures of the "apartments":

"Learn to do good, seek justice, rebuke the oppressor,defend the fatherless, plead for the widow." Isaiah 17

Location:Russia

Day 1 and 2~Russia

2011-05-19T20:34:00.003-05:00

Nanette and I arrived in St. Petersburg yesterday afternoon around 4 pm.
From the airport we were taken to The Harbor where we spent the night and part of the day Thursday.

The Harbor (http://www.theharborspb.org/)is a transitional home for orphans that have aged out of Russian institutions and are facing life on the streets. The young men and women at these residential facilities are given practical experience in managing their lives.

Orphans are never taught how to live on their own and have always had everything done for them. They are not taught life skills like paying a bill, personal hygiene, house work, even how to make a meal.

At The Harbor, counselors work with the young adults to "develop them in such a way that they are anchored in life and launched into a sustainable future." Each resident is given counseling in practical, spiritual, vocational, emotional, and educational areas.

There are 4 girls currently living at the home we visited. They were very excited to meet us and prepared a great meal for us. It was wonderful to watch the girls take pride in every aspect of the meal; preparation, setup and cleanup.

Sitting-three of the girls and Kim. Standing Julia (our translator) and Nanette

The Harbor was started by Alex Krutov, a "former" Russian orphan and Melinda Cathey, an American woman. We were excited to learn that both Alex and Melinda were in St Pete's and would be stopping over to chat with us. We spent a long time getting to know more about The Harbor, adoption and ministry in Russia.

Alex's story is simply amazing and a true testament to God's heart for us all. You can read all about it in his book "Infinitely More" - I suggest you do.

Nanette, Alex and Kim

Speaking with Alex was certainly a blessing from God and gave us much to think about as we head to the region in a few hours and meet with the orphanage staff we hope to partner with.

Please continue to pray for our trip and that our hearts and minds are opened to Gods plan.

Off we go

2011-05-17T12:20:00.001-05:00

It really amazes me to look back on all the ways God worked on behalf of Two Hearts to get us on the plane to Russia.

He has been so incredibly faithful to us over the years. We are blessed to be able to spend our lives living out James 1:27.

We LOVE because we are loved.
We ADOPT because we are adopted.
We give HOPE because that is what we have in Christ.

Please join us in prayer over the next 10 days. Pray for our safe travels, our time in Russia, and the orphans we will be loving on.

Pray that we have clear eyes to see Gods plan for us. Pray that we are welcomed into the orphanages we hope to help in the future.

Father God we thank you for this amazing opportunity to be in Russia!!!

An Orphan's Hope 5K

2011-05-16T08:13:00.002-05:00

Registration for our 2nd annual 5k is now open! Please join us on October 22, 2011 in Nashville TN to run or walk for HOPE!

Details can be found here - An Orphan's Hope 5k!

Early registration ends August 1st, don't delay!

T-1 week

2011-05-10T07:45:00.000-05:00

Our Visa's are here, we are going! One week until departure!

200 beanies ready to go!

2011-05-08T13:25:00.003-05:00

It was simply amazing to watch the donations pour in for our trip to Russia! We are so very thankful to everyone who has supported us! We were able to raise the money needed to purchase each orphan a small beanie baby and whatever else may be needed once we arrive in Russia.

Thank you to the following families for supporting Mission Russia: (for a complete list, please see the previous post)

Madison and Maverick Stone

Lanetta Gobble

Dana Parisi

Kelly Bhagat

Lindsay Conway

Kimberly Strieby

Kristen Deyo

Lori Anderson-Printy

Karen Kady-McCarthy

Monte Lockwood

Jessica Hodge

Kristina Prutch

Karen Floyd

Kelly Sandaris

John and Debbie Edwards

And a special thank you to Mary and Hannah McNab, Julie Rolfes and Dianna Combs for sending Beanie Babies!

Generosity in action

2011-04-27T09:03:00.002-05:00

Yesterday we sat back and watched God work in the lives of the Russian children. We started the day with only 25 orphans supported and went to bed with 22 LEFT to support! This morning we woke up and only have 14 to go!

Thank you so much to the following people who have donated/pledged to support Mission: Russia!

Ann Hochstetler

Beth Rosenberg Sanders

Muriel Collison

Antares Foundation

Laura Rosier

Kami Dykes

Kim Jury

Stacey Pynn

Kimberly Hinderegger

The Snyder Family

The Ruopoli Family

Paula Chaffin

Dustin Stone

Carolyn Tarpey

Maureen Powers

Sandi Arbolino

James Brad York

Holly Trawick

Melissa Heaton

Philip Brotherton

Jodi Mechem

Barbara Hines

William Combs

Julie Rolfes

Marla Davison

Jennifer Collins

Khadine Kubal

Mary Swarts

Mitzi Hicks

The Sykora Family

Kimberley Morrison

Kim Glass

Elizabeth Cohen

Trudi Behr

Jennifer Heckert

Theresa Craft

Patricia Hoffa

Kristan Struck

Mary Griffin

Melaney Sems

Marianna Herron

Kathleen Walker

Stacey Pynn

San Aye Tin

Susan Serra

Amanda Vigale

The Falk Family

John Archambault

Jim Hansen

The Friesen Family

The Siefer Family

Julie Clifford

Darleen Doan

Robin Windsor

Angie Jackson

Doretta Roderick

The Ballard Family

14 kids in 13 days, we can do it!

Mission: RUSSIA!

2011-04-25T20:41:00.000-05:00

Two Hearts has been invited to travel to Russia! Kim and Nanette will take a short term service trip to the Novgorod region where they will start to build relationships with the orphanage directors and meet the kids we will be supporting. The goal of this trip is to assess the needs of three specific orphanages; 1 baby home and two children's homes, where about 200 children reside.

Help us greet each child with a small gift! Your $10 donation will support 1 of the 200 orphans living in the three orphanages we will visit. We will purchase a beanie baby for each child before leaving the USA to present upon our arrival at the orphanages. Since there are only two people traveling we do not have the capability to travel with a lot of donations. To be good stewards of your donation, the rest will be put towards items specifically asked for and purchased in Russia by us.

Take a moment to think about these 200 children going to bed each night alone, each day is the same as the day before. Nothing is ever new and they hardly have anything to call their own. Help us show love to the children and bring a little excitement to their lives.

To donate visit our website or send a check to:

Two Hearts for Hope
P.O. Box 1928
Lebanon, MO 65536

The deadline to support this project is May 10th. 200 kids in 15 days, we can do it!!!

Exciting news!

2011-04-21T06:30:00.000-05:00

We are very excited to announce that Two Hearts for Hope will be branching out to Russia! We welcome Nanette Korepanov to our team as our new Russia Coordinator!

The number of orphans in Russia is staggering. Recent estimates put the total number of orphaned children, children that have either no parents or have been abandoned by their parents, at 800,000. Some have lost parents to death, many have been orphaned because of economic factors, alcohol abuse and other social problems.

Many children leave the orphanages as young as 16 years old with a passport and the equivalent to $30. Statistics show that only one out of 10 orphans becomes a functional member of society. During their FIRST year out of the orphanage 60% are prostituted, pregnant or convicted of a crime, 50% become addicted to alcohol and drugs, 60% are homeless and unemployed, and 15% commit suicide. Millions of Russian children live on the streets and in underground sewers with little to no food, clothing or medicine.

Two Hearts for Hope is working with the orphans in Russia, specifically western Russia, to help provide hope and the basic necessities these children lack through the programs we organize and the donations we collect.

Over the next few months we will take the beginning steps to what we pray is a long relationship with the children in Russia. Please check back for updates or follow us on facebook to see how God leads us to help these children!

Nauryz Celebration - Esik

2011-04-15T14:48:00.005-05:00

Here are the pictures from our last Nauryz celebration at the orphanage in Esik. In addition to the gifts provided by your support, the orphanage also received 36 new plates, bowls and glasses, each bed will have new sheets and blankets, and a new swimming pool!

Thank you once again to each person/family that supported these children for Nauryz!

Nauryz Celebration Esik - slideshow with music

Trunk shows

2011-04-08T07:36:00.000-05:00

Trunk shows are a great way to support Two Hearts! Recently Muriel Elrod held an online trunk show for the clothing company SOFT! It was a huge success!

Thank you to the following people who shopped to support Two Hearts and to Muriel for this great idea and continued support!

Susie Pearson
Frank Ruopoli
Julie Collison
Deborah Collison
Susan Serra
Lisa Chaney
Maureen Stateman
Carrie Brody
Tori Frighetto
Karen Floyd
Gretchen Bilbro
Kami Dykes
Dawn Holmberg

We have a Stella and Dot fundraiser going on now....

Ready to update your wardrobe for Spring?

Come browse the new Spring line of Stella and Dot Jewelry and help the children of Kazakhstan at the same time!

A portion of all sales will benefit Two Hearts for Hope!

Drop by our on-line jewelry trunk show:

When: April 8-22, 2011

Where: www.stelladot.com/pambaldwin

To order:

Visit, www.stelladot.com/pambaldwin
Click on "find your hostess"

Under "hostess first name" type in "Two Hearts"

Two Hearts for Hope Trunk Show will come up.

Click to confirm Two Hearts for Hope trunk show.

Enjoy shopping for beautiful jewelry while you are helping Two Hearts for Hope!

Chilik Nauryz Celebration

2011-04-04T13:31:00.002-05:00

Here are some pictures from our Nauryz celebration held at the orphanages in Chilik and Pavlodar.

A very special thank you to Jennifer and the Almaty International School Honors Society for volunteering to facilitate our Nauryz celebration in Esik, Chilik and Karakastek. We could not have arranged all of these parties without them and we are forever grateful for the love they show all these beautiful children!

Karakastek Nauryz Celebration

2011-03-15T17:13:00.004-05:00

Here are pictures from the first Nauryz party, held today at the Karakastek orphanage. Tomorrow will be the celebration at Shelek and the party for Esik will be in April because the orphanage is under quarantine due to an influenza outbreak.

LOOK at those smiles! You are making a difference, thank you!