Kazakhstan Missions

We are currently supporting missionary Dereje Wondmu with Horizon Missions as he continue his work with orphaned children in Central Asia. Check here for the latest Mission Moment from Dereje. If you would like to help Holy Cross support Dereje please put your donation in the offering plate with "KZ Missionary support" in the memo line.

If you are led to support a specific need please send a check directly to: 

Horizon Missions
7702 Indian Lake Rd,
Indianapolis, IN 46236

Please make checks payable to "Horizon Missions" with the memo "Contribution" as well as a paper stating that your contribution is for Dereje Wondmu in Kazakhstan and the specific need you want to sponsor. For example "Sunday Meals", or "Hearing Aids", etc...

(Horizon will provide a tax receipt at the end of the year.)

Current Need:

• Prayers for older orphans as they transition to life outside the orphanage
• Missionary support of 3600/mo.
• Eye Operation for Anton (Cost $1200)

​Mission Moment:

December 2018
-Message from Dereje
​
Greetings to All, 
I would like to start this message by reflecting on the time I had yesterday with seven older orphans (19-25 years old).  Two are still in vocational school, three are holding regular jobs, and two are 
working randomly in part-time jobs. Karina finished the two-year dental assistant course and is working on weekends and some evenings while still pursuing more study at the university.  Masha is working in a daycare and has also finished a two-year course on teaching. Kuat, 
who was helped through your support had an operation on his nose. He is now working in a big warehouse and says he has been promoted and enjoys his work. Vanya is working part-time and likes the area of construction. Tima is also working part-time jobs; one week he will be busy and maybe the following week not. Misha and Anton are still studying in college.  Anton will have an eye operation at last, as God wills, later in January. More detail on that later in the newsletter.
 
As we were visiting and reflecting on this passing year, I asked each of them, if they are able, to mention the highest and the lowest moments in their lives this past year.  The majority mentioned their lowest moment was August 28th; that was the date they were told by authorities that the long-awaited distribution of a flat (apartment) to 120 orphans will not be held this year; some have waited six years. Getting a job promotion for one was the highest moment.  For another the lowest moment occurred on his visit to the orphanage when
he blew up in a quarrel with the group mom and said a word he should not have uttered.  He said he wanted to ask forgiveness for that action
but was afraid the group mom would not accept his effort.  We then talked about how one needs to prepare oneself in prayer before making this right but tough choice.  Sharing with them the highest moments was uplifting for all of us and I think God seems to be confirming to me that He is there for us in all we do. 

I often have difficulty coming home after visiting the Handicapped Children's Home, but the highest moment for me happened there not long ago. While visiting the group after giving out mattresses, out of the blue, one quiet little boy said "Papa, Papa" as I gave out fruit... it seems a great confirmation to me!!!  May Father God make his love known to these handicapped children through me!!!

The lowest moment for me, as God reveals to me, is how fragile we are: it happened this past spring when a family that I have known for several years experienced a setback.  We were praying for each other and our families.  Their love for the Kingdom's work has been fantastic, making trips to encourage missionaries as they find a resource and time. The husband had a stroke at the age of 53 and in a moment their life changed. It indeed saddened me. How life is fragile!!
 
I told the group I was glad to hear their sharing.  No matter what has happened to them, bring the situation to God in prayer and examine ourselves and our walk with the Lord according to His word.  As God allows these situations to happen, we have to trust Him through it.  In Corinthians we read that all things work for good for those that love the Lord and are called according to his will.  I told them it is not what happens to us that matters as much as what we decide to do about it.  Whether we allow God to transform our pain and disappointment to power us is what makes a difference in going forward! We paused and reflected about time: time is the common commodity we all have in common. We, as Christians, need to be aware of how we spend our time and realize we need to be accountable to God. We can make changes for through all these situations God is ready to help in our walk of Faith.
 
As one year ends, another new year is beginning! Would you consider today in prayer to partner with this ministry financially as I am very close to my support goal.  So far 86% pledged and donated since my request in early fall.  The main thing is to give as the Lord leads, whatever is the amount.  I always believe that where God leads, He provides!  As a report, the random donations to the ministry the past two months are very encouraging.  Thank you!  As usual, as the needs for special projects arise, I will let you know how you can take part.
 
For today, I want to start with a praise report for Vova's second operation on his left eye: the surgery went very well.  Thanks again for your prayers and sponsoring his operation.
 
We have been planning for Anton's eye operation. Over a year and a half ago we raised $1100USD but were unable to get the surgery done.  Now we need to raise an additional $1200USD to schedule his operation the third week of January.  Your prayers and support will be appreciated.  Thank you.
 
Another project coming up soon is the Annual Vitamin Drive.  I have to say a big "Thank You" to the kids from a church in College Station, Texas! During the summer Vacation Bible School, Holy Cross raised $1100USD toward the upcoming Annual Vitamin Drive.  Appreciate your consideration to cover the remaining $1900USD, as the Lord leads.  As usual, we give out the vitamins some time in February.

I want to say "Thank You" for the women's group making warm scarves and mailing them during the past four months.  This group of women from a church in Texas has been part of the Annual Winter Clothing Project now for several years, making hundreds and hundreds of scarves and hats.  I have been told that more boxes are on the way and what a blessing!  Thank you!!!!!!
 
The fund for my "fruit" visits to the Handicapped Children's Home is secured for 20 more visits!!
 
Thank you all for your prayers and support and because of you,the Good News of Christ is being proclaimed! 


October 2018
-Message From Dereje

Greetings to all,
During the past two weeks I have been making regular visits to the Handicapped Children's Home.  In each of the past three visits I have spent two hours with Downs
Syndrome children, 8-11 years old, sharing sliced apples and pears and trying to have fun drawing.  I provided each of them with a piece of paper and crayons.  The first day was difficult, as they were a new groups and had never seen me before.  The following visits were very easy, and they were happy to see me, giving me hugs when I entered the room.  We kept the drawings from the previous days and the group mom gave to each of them his or her drawings.  I had written their names in a notebook and called their names as we handed out the drawings.  Each remembered their name and responded as I read their name.  Indeed, hearing their name means a lot to each of them!

During the past week I have made several visits with Vova to the medical center laboratory as he got blood work
and other tests before his upcoming operation on 
Thursday the 25th of October. He has been living with the local family for over a month now and was eager to share
his experience at home and school; Vova is studying in a culinary academy with a two-and-a-half-year program.
 After his laboratory visit we shared a meal.  I prayed with 
him and encouraged him to continue to develop the habit of his daily morning study of the Word of God and writing out the verse.  In one of the morning visits 
another older orphan joined us after his night shift at work; Vanya, now 25, seven years older than Vova, grew up in the same orphanage.

I took two older orphans to the farmers market on the weekend and this has been a great time as I try to teach them how they could save on groceries by buying in bulk and also directly from farmers.
I appreciate your prayers as three older orphans showed interest in visiting the Handicapped Children's Home and I will be asking permission from the leadership to see if they could join me on the regular visits.
Thank you all for your prayers and support! There is now the option of giving your ministry gift on-line:
Instruction for online giving through Horizon Christian Fellowship: 

1) go to this website:  www.horizonindy.org
2) Click Giving ( located on the top right side ) this will take u to giving page that says ( Tithes & offerings)
3) Below Tithes and offerings, click the "click here to give online" option
4) Click Missionary support
5) This page opens up all the missionaries this church supports, please scroll down until you find Dereje Wondmu and then click on his name.
6) On the right side of the page you will see Dereje's name and an icon that says continue.
Click on continue.
7) Then fill in your info, give and submit.

God's Blessings,
Dereje
Central Asia ,Kazakhstan

June 2018
Greetings to All,
As of this morning, I have 10 days before the start of the Summer Meal Program which will include 21 visits to the orphanage summer camps.  Already 14 visits are sponsored!
Saturday during a meeting with seven of the older orphans, we reflected on their lives during the past year.  Most of the these children live in the apartments given out last year to orphans; two joined me who still await an apartment and have been living in the Youth House for five years.  We discussed four major challenges they face:
1.  The fear of failure(not succeeding)
2. How to budget and make their funds last to the end
​    of the month
3. Breaking the stereotype in the society of what
    “orphan” means
4. Tackling loneliness and depression (Especially when thoughts of "if only we had parents", comes to them)

All say reading the Word really helped them when that sense of loneliness challenges them. After this exchange of words, what a great opportunity to stress the importance of the Word of God! I offered some verses on pretension, friendship, the Name of the Lord, the hope in Christ:

A friend loves at all times. – Prov 17:17

Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart, and the pleasantness of one's friend springs from his earnest counsel. - Prov 27:9

He who loves a pure heart and whose speech is gracious will have the King for his friend. – Prov 22:11

The name of the Lord is a strong tower the righteous run to it and are safe. - Prov 18:10

We wait in hope for the Lord, He is our help and shield.
- Psalm 33:20

I am the Lord, those who hope in me will not be disappointed. - Isaiah 49:23

Encouraging them to work on their salvation, 
appropriating the power of God that becomes part of them the moment when they started walking with Him. Reminding them to take time to join the weekly bible study. 

Please pray for the many orphans still living in the Youth House who are waiting to get a flat someday, and as I encourage them to seek the Lord in studying His Word. 

Today I visited the Handicapped Children's Home after over three weeks of absence.  What a special reunion! We had plenty of time outside with the warm weather. Later I stopped in to visit the group with more severe problems.  Today was just a time of “hanging out” with the kids; on Thursday I will visit again and bring fruit.

Thanks again for your sponsorship of "Summer Meals".
I am working on getting permission to provide some coloring books for the summer camp for the 4-6-year-old group, possibly using some pictures from the creation story like the ark of Noah. Every year some visitors from outside come to do drawings with them in the afternoons. 

​Thanks again for your prayers and support as each day we become the hand of God to many. As I share each day the Hope I have in Christ and sharing the Gospel.
Blessings, 
Dereje
Central Asia

May 2018
Greetings,
How do I prepare to make another visit to the Handicapped Children's House?  It may not seem like a lot of preparation, but it is!  I make a list of the names of the groups I plan to visit; no matter how disabled they are, they are very much responsive to the calling of their names.  This week I visited one particular group of 11 of them; I took slices of apples and bananas and helped feed them at their own pace; they take longer to eat the apples, but the bananas are easier. To help I need to be on my knees and be at their level.   One would not return unchanged after such a typical visit!  During my visit one of the mothers was visiting her five-year-old child; he is paralyzed below the waist and has been there three years.  I saw them outside sitting on a bench and I called her son’s name and he immediately responded.  I got to witness to her in our conversation. They are also included in the random photos below. 
I thank the Lord for allowing me to have a chance to do this service in such a closed governmental facility.  To be there loving on them in Christ’s name.  What a challenging task for the group mom doing it day in and day out.  How they welcome my visits with their smiles are just beyond description. Appreciate your prayers for the whole program, and especially for the group moms.
This week at another orphanage. An older orphan, vasili, turned 18 and left today to live in the Government Youth House.  Two days before we had an outing together.  I took him and another two orphans for a bus ride to the mountain outside of Almaty and we hiked for over an hour and addressed issues he might face as he leaves for a less supervised environment. He is in a carpentry school now over a year and eight months. Appreciate your prayers for him as he makes this transition.
 Also, a small note on the visit with Masha to that specialist nose doctor.  She had a sudden, acute shortness of breath and difficulty in breathing; the nose seemed closed.  I am very grateful to that doctor, who with a short notice, allowed me to take this 15-year old orphan for a visit.  After seeing her, he ordered a nasal spray, and this will do until an X-Ray and more detailed examination will be done in a month.  He did not charge us anything for the visit.  Appreciate your prayers for Masha.


Thank you for your partnership in the Lord's work.

In His Service
Dereje
Central Asia
Psalm 86:12 ( with all  my heart I will praise you,o Lord my God,I will give glory to your name forever)

March 2018

Psalm 94:18-19 When I said, “My foot is slipping,” your unfailing love, Lord, supported me. When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy. The word “slipping” is made very clear to my feet in this severely cold region. This verse struck home early one morning. I was walking alongside a river as snow filled the streets. Walked too quickly I slipped -- luckily into a pile of snow. A man behind me noticed and laughingly asked if I was all right. We kept walking and the conversation turned to the topic of fear and walking alone so early in the morning. That topic eventually led to sharing the psalm and  my request for him to have peace. He responded and prayed after me a sinner’s prayer-- a man 63 years old experiencing Christ! I will be sharing a Bible with him in the next few days. May the Lord get the glory!  This month I was also able to distribute more of the much-needed warm scarves and hats along with many Bibles. Thank you all for your support. Please continue to pray for the believers, and for boldness to share the good news of Christ.

Blessings,
Dereje
Central Asia

February 2018
Greetings to all, 
Thank you for your great response to the needs of the orphans in Kazakhstan. The vitamin drive is underway and we are very close to the goal. Of the 390 needed, already provisions have been made for 351. A request was sent out to sponsor Bibles in January and was quickly covered.

Recently we were visited by the father of an adopted orphan. In 2003 a family adopted a child born with a cleft palate. The child is now 19 and in her first year of college. During the visit,  God opened a door for the father to share his adoption experience. He got a chance to express gratitude to the care givers and the directors, and also meet with people who had been working in the orphanage during the adoption. We were able to share a meal with several orphans and share the Goodness of God and how God leads in the adoption process. One subject discussed with the orphans was that we all are adopted into the kingdom of God (those considering Christ as our Savior.)

During the week long visit we visited the handicapped children’s home and were able to provide two wheelchairs. What a blessing to be part of this gift. We also saw the apartment complex where the young adults live, and joined in a Bible study that evening.  It was stressed to put God first and the need for a community of believers to encourage each other and to pray for each other, and how reaching out to the lost should be a daily routine.

What an encouragement to many orphans the visit was!
I thank the family for sending the Dad here. What a blessed time! This was his second visit after he and his wife adopted the child.  At that earlier visit 12 years ago, he brought his two biological children who were teenagers at that time. 
Thanks again for being involved in the lives
​of the fatherless.
Blessings,
Dereje
Central Asia