This is a report from one of our workers in the field, Karen Springs. . .

Pasha's Troubling Dream of Hell

UKRAINE – We met 18-year-old Pasha on the first night of the Orphan’s Promise sponsored camp in a rural southern Ukrainian village. He caught the attention of our volunteer staff immediately when the first question out of his mouth was, “Are you going to be teaching us about the Bible this week?" Upon hearing, “Yes,” his response was, “Well then, this week is for me!”

Pasha grew up in a volatile, alcoholic home and was drinking, smoking and on the streets by the time he was 11-years-old. Not attending school and unable to read, Pasha was given a Bible and wanted to learn more about God; but was unable to find any direction.

“I couldn’t read. I knew that God existed, but I didn’t know where He was,” Pasha said. “I was looking for Him and even asked people where he was. They said that he’s in the sky. I looked up to the sky and cried, ‘God, I’m looking for you, find me please!’”

The answer to Pasha’s cry came in an unexpected way. Pasha was sent to an orphanage in Kolinenska, a small rural village. It was at this orphanage that Pasha met Christians from Agape, a partner ministry of Orphan’s Promise. These people came and told Pasha about Jesus and about salvation and spoke of a love he had never heard about. At 16, Pasha gave his life to God; but the narrow road did not prove to be an easy one.

“I went to a government run summer camp and I forgot about God. I started to swear and I would get into fights again; everything was really bad,” he said. “Then one night while I slept, I had a very powerful dream. In my dream I saw a big hand open a set of doors, and I heard a voice say, ‘Look at those people around you, I don’t want you to become like them.’ And I saw people fighting and being engaged in sexual activities, and I heard people crying and suffering in hell.”

“Then I heard the voice say, ‘Pasha, if you will not change your ways, then you will die on a road somewhere and nobody will know why you died.’ And then I heard, ‘If you do my will, I will bless you.’ I awoke from that dream and I confessed my sins and decided to sincerely follow God,” Pasha said. “When I accepted Jesus into my heart, He changed my life. I know He loves me and He forgives me.”

Through the Orphan’s Promise sponsored camp this summer, Pasha and other youth at his orphanage were able to learn more about the love and forgiveness of Jesus. Pasha was very eager to learn more about the Bible and grow in his new faith.

“I want to be a wise man - to be a strong man for God,” he said. “And thanks to Christians like you that teach us about Jesus, I can gain more wisdom. I don’t have many Christian friends and I just want to learn more and more about the Bible.”

Thanks to the work of Orphan’s Promise, youth like Pasha are being given the opportunity to learn about God and are given a fresh start at life. After graduating from the orphanage this year, Pasha will be living in a transition home for teenage boys that Orphan’s Promise helped build in the city where Pasha will attend trade school.

Terry - Thanks for joining with us to reach children like Pasha. There are so many more waiting for their family to arrive - that's us!