Christmas Giving Opportunity

For most Americans, Christmas is a season of extravagant giving.  It is also a season when many of us look for worthy causes to support.  This season, there is one such cause that I have felt compelled to share - So here goes.

I should probably begin with the statistics that floored Eugene and me when we learned them back in August.  Ukrainian orphans have to leave the orphanage at age 16.  According to stats compiled by UNICEF, 70% of boys end up in prison, 60% of girls in prostitution, and 10% are suicide victims before reaching the age of 18.

So let me tell you about one Ukrainian orphan named Yasha, and the family that God has called to adopt him, the Hoopers.
 - Mr. Hooper is a 5th grade teacher at Carpenter Elementary, the school that Spencer and Heath attend. 

- The Hooper's son Collin is a freshman at Panther Creek high school. 

- Yasha came to Raleigh this summer and spent three weeks with the Hoopers as part of the same orphan hosting program that helped to introduce my family to Vitalik and Lera.

- On a special day at the park last August, Yasha has no idea that his gentle friendly smiles and waves to our little Mason helped to break the ice on the day that we first noticed his friend Lera.  He was part of the chain of events that changed our lives forever.

Yasha is a real live underprivileged orphan who lives on the other side of the world.  He has lived a very hard life and quite literally has plenty of scars to prove it.  Until meeting the Hoopers, he had never known what it felt like to be loved by a family.  He didn't even know when his birthday was, because of course, he had never celebrated a birthday before.  Remarkably, in spite of his difficult life, Yasha is a warm, gentle, loving, delightful boy. 

Last month, he turned 14 in an orphanage in Ukraine.  It is the Hoopers goal that next November, when he turns 15, they can bake him a cake, sing happy birthday, and let him blow out the candles.  It seems like such a small thing, but what an incredible blessing that will be!

The Hoopers have been doing their part.  They live in a modest home and follow a strict budget.  Mandy runs an in-home daycare and as I've mentioned, Eric teaches at Carpenter.  In his off-hours, Eric has been working a second job to raise extra money.  The Hooper family decided to forgo all Christmas gifts this year and contribute that money to their adoption fund in hopes that this will be Yasha's last Christmas in the orphanage. 

The price tag for this adoption is an intimidating $35,000.  To many, it may seem crazy to spend such a large sum of money to save one orphan who lives on the other side of the world.  But we know that God has a very different way of measuring worth.  God knows Yasha - Yasha is God's beloved child. 

In Matthew 25:40, Jesus says, "Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me." 

The Hoopers are still in need of approximately $25,000 to complete the adoption process.  For one household, this is a very intimidating sum.  But divided among many, it can certainly be done!  It is my hope that through our generous support, we can help the Hoopers make a significant dent in their goal this Christmas season.  What a privilege for us to help the Hooper family show Yasha that he is worth so much more than the amount of money that it will take to bring him home. 

This holiday season, our family will be collecting donations to help the Hoopers bring Yasha home for good.  If you feel compelled to make a tax-deductible contribution, simply contact Eugene or Shelly, or if you prefer, mail a check directly to: 

Redline United
P O Box 31045
Raleigh, NC 27622-1045

(Checks made payable to Redline United with “YASHA Adoption” in the memo line.)

Also, if you prefer to make a Credit Card donation, that can be done at: 
http://www.redlineunited.org/projects/orphan-hosting/donate/family-assistance/
After entering payment info, as you review the payment, click on "add special instructions" and specify "Yasha adoption".

Very Sincere Thanks to your consideration of this worthy cause!