Note From Franklin News Break:
The McDermitt family runs the Old McDermitt Farm in Carrollton (http://www.olemcdermittsfarm.com) and have decided to share the love of Christ with some precious orphans this Christmas by bringing them to the United States for 4 weeks. If you can help them make this Christmas special for these young children, please continue to read the email below (copied word for word).
Thanks,
Brad Yates
Director, Franklin News Break
www.franklingeorgia.com
From: kayla mcdermitt [mailto:
Sent: Saturday, November 26, 2011 6:24 PM
To:
Subject: Christmas Mission Project
Dear Friends,
Our family is excited to open our home and hearts to Alyona (age 7), Igor (age 6), and Vadym (age 9) this Christmas. The children are orphans living in a children's home in the Ukraine. They also have a younger brother, Volodymyr, but he is to young to travel on the program, (see photo). We are thrilled togive them this opportunity to experience family life. We have never met them. We will met them for the first time at Hartsfield International Airport on Dec, 13th. They will be family members in our home for four weeks. They will return to the Ukraine on Jan. 10th.
You maybe wondering why we would invite them into our lives for four short weeks and then send them back to the orphanage. Our number one goal is to share the love of Jesus with them. We have visited several orphanages over the years, I will never forget walking into the orphanage and seeing Jonathan for the first time. All the children were excited to see "parents" arrive at the orphanage. They were chattering away between themselves wondering whose "parents' we were. I recognized Jonathan from his picture. I pointed him out to our social worker, She looked at him and told us that he was our new son. I broke the rules and rushed over and gave him a big hug. He spoke excitedly to our social worker inRussianand then broke into a big grin, His care giver came over and took him away and we were ushered into the Orphanage director's office. It was explained to us that they were headed to the bath house for their weekly bath. The schedule could not be disrupted and he would be able to visit with us after his bath time. We sadly went to wait patiently in the office. As we sat down in the office to wait, the door was thrown open and there stood a grinning Jonathan. He had broken rank to run back and see "his family" waiting in the office to visit with him. I will never forget the pure joy and happiness radiating from his face, The image of him is forever burned in my mind. His care giver quickly came and ushered him away to the bath house. We were then given the news that our other son was ill and was currently in the hospital. We would not get to met him that day.
Orphans areoutcasts in their communities. They are not treated very well. The people around them know that they are orphans. The communities they live in are not comprised of Christian people who want the best for them. In the Ukraine, on September 1st, everyone that has had their 16th birthday that year, is released to the streets. A very good friend of mine happened to be at one of those orphanages on Sept. 1st, 2010. It was one of the worst experiences of her life. Shesaw the sixteen year -olds, with a suitcase in their hand leave the orphanage and walk out into the street. She knew that in the next year 30% of those children would commit suicide, 66% of the girls would be involved in sex trade, and most of the boys were be in a gang. She had heard the stories and knew the numbers but to see the faces to go along with those numbers was almost more than she could handle. She has since started a foundation to help orphans.
Our family believes that at this season of our lives, we have been called to help the orphans by hosting. We have hosted several during the years and everyone of them had the offer of adoption. A chance and a hope of something better. We also have several "other children" that do not live with us. They are teens that we met whilehosting/adopting and they were not in a position to be adopted. I love and parent this young people via skype, FB, and email.
When you think of the holiday season that is upon us, what are your memories? The Christmas Eve service at your church, reading the Christmas story from the Bible as a family, baking cookies, eating pizza on Christmas Eve, being made to kiss Aunt Hilda on Christmas Day, driving around looking at Christmas lights, sitting at the children's table again this year, taking that family picture in matching PJ's on Christmas morning, visiting with friends and family, watching Frosty the Snowman and It's A Wonderful Life, opening your annual gift of socks and a "nice" sweater,....
Whatever your memories are.....it is our prayer that they make you smile and laugh. Thosememories that make you smile, are the memories that we want to share with Alyona (age 7), Igor (age 6), and Vadym (age 9) this holiday season. I get overwhelmed thinking about seeing their faces for the first time on December 13th. They will get to experience the joy of having a family waiting to see them. They will get to befamily and not outcasts for four weeks. It is our prayer that they will met both their heavenly Father and their earthly forever family during those four exciting weeks.
Our family needs your help to make all those memories possible. We still need about 2500 dollars to cover their travel expenses, we will also need other funds and items to met their physical needs while they are here visiting. You can help with the finances inseveral ways.
1) Make a tax deductibledonation using the following link.
http://www.active.com/donate/Christmas2011/pumpkins
2) Purchase tickets and attend our Spaghetti Dinner/Movie Premier and Silent Auction/Raffle on Sunday, December 4th at 4 pm at the Carrollton Ag Center (900 Newnan Road Carrollton, Ga 30117). Tickets are available to purchase at The Nest in Carrollton or volunteer to sell 10 tickets for us:>. The tickets are $5 each. We will be having a movie premiere for a new movie during the dinner. The movie is about adoption and orphans.We will have tickets at church on Sunday and youth on Wednesday.
3) Sponsor Alyona (age 7), Igor (age 6), or Vadym (age 9) for Christmas. We will need clothes, vision exams, dental exams, three 26 to 28 inch rolling suitcases,can be used(for the trip back to Ukraine). We would also like to send some things back to little brother, Volodymyr, who is too young to travel.
4) We would love to have some restaurant/entertainmentgift cards to let them experience some American Culture
5) Donate a gift basket/item/gift card for the Benefit on December 4th. Contact Kayla 678 850 8948
6) I need physical help with the Dinner on December 4th and some help to prepare for the event this week.
7) Forward this information to friends/family/co-workers/church family. We "met"Jonathan and Andrewfrom a forwarded email:>.
Please prayand continue to pray for our family and for Alyona (age 7), Igor (age 6),and Vadym (age 9). We want to thank our friends that have already helped us with the six thousand dollars that we have already raised. The remaining twenty-five hundred was due November 15th.
In His Grip,
Kenny, Kayla, Kevin, Ty, Mary Beth, Jonathan, Andrew, Lillyanna, Sara Kate McDermitt
Contact Kayla 678 850 8948 for tickets or information.