Special From Mulberry International

In October, a team from Lexington, KY visited

a Ukrainian donkey farm with one of Mulberry's families.

Mulberry International

Crimean Children's Ministries

November, 2011

In This Issue

Message from Mulberry's Director

Quick Links

Greetings!

This newsletter is not like our past newsletters. There is a lot to read here. I apologize for that, but we need to inform you of some important developments.

The past twelve months have been very difficult for Mulberry's staff and board. We have been working very hard to resolve a disagreement with our Ukrainian leader.

Please read the following two letters closely. We remain excited about our future, but need to share some of the difficulties we have experienced.

Feel free to contact me directly with any questions.

Don't grow weary.

Charles

Message from Mulberry's Director

This ministry began in 1999 as Christian Children's Home International, a branch of Christian Children's Home of Ohio. In 2005, Mulberry International was created as a separate ministry to carry on the three elements of CCHI: permanent foster homes for children living in state institutions, physical and spiritual support for children living on the streets, and care for abandoned babies in a city hospital.

A Ukrainian national was hired in 2002 to direct the ministries. Recently, we began to see changes in the focus of the ministry to street children that were not acceptable to the Board of Directors. Instructions from Mulberry's board to return to the original purpose of the ministry were refused.

Mulberry wanted to see this ministry continue and offered to create a partnership with him and his church. He could continue the ministry if he agreed to submit to the authority of the church. He also refused this offer.

He has been terminated. Now, he refuses to transfer official documents and titles to ministry property. He states he is entitled to keep Mulberry's property and operate the ministry according to his plans. To protect the ministry itself and its assets, legal action may be necessary.

We tried to resolve this in a godly way, working through his church and through mutual Christian friends in Ukraine. Our efforts failed.

As of November 1, Mulberry is no longer supporting the ministry that currently operates in the Project Sasha building. We are planning a new Project Sasha ministry focusing on orphanage graduates, today's street children.

We continue to support seven foster families with 49 children. In fact, our goal for 2012 is to add 12 children to this program. Abandoned babies in three hospital wards continue to be served by our staff.

Please join us in praying for our staff, families and children in this time of transition. And, pray that our ex-director will not seek to harm Mulberry's ministries.

Letter from Jody, Mulberry Founder

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven... He has made everything beautiful in its time...

Dear friends,

You are very familiar with the passage in Ecclesiastes 3. The basis of Mulberry International has never changed: we seek to serve the "least of these." While in Ukraine for several weeks in October, I was encouraged to see children being raised in Christian homes; to see abandoned children who needed medical care being provided for through our hospital ministry.

Being in the homes of our families, reconnecting with them was far and away the best part of my visit. But, I have to say, it was difficult for me to see that the ministry to street children had so dramatically changed.

In the past year, it has come to the board's attention that Mulberry's Ukrainian director was taking the ministry in a direction that did not meet our mission statement. Not a bad direction, but not the direction in which God commissioned Mulberry International.

After several meetings with Charles and Jim (Thomas, chairman of the board) it became apparent that the national director was actively disregarding directions, and we (Charles and I [Jody]) met with his pastor and an elder and then again with him and another pastor in the community. It was with a heavy heart that we removed him from his position. He is fighting our decision. And, although he no longer has access to any financial resources, he still has legal control. We are working with an interim director, with the founders of Dyetskii Dom and with a lawyer to regain legal control of the ministry.

The message I want to leave you with is that we are making the necessary adjustments to continue to serve the "least of these". We are seeking new and innovative ways to reach the population of teenage orphans that have aged out of the "boarding schools/orphanages." Children are hearing the Gospel, being raised in loving, nurturing Christian homes; ill, abandoned babies are cared for. God is being glorified.

I am thanking God for your faithfulness in prayer and giving and I'm asking you to stand shoulder to shoulder with us as we look for new ways of meeting the needs of the lost children of Ukraine. I'm asking for your continued prayer and financial support.

With gratitude and thanksgiving,

Jody

One of the founders of Mulberry International

Matters for Prayer

Praises-
-One of our original founders in Ukraine has agreed to serve as interim Ukrainian Director.

-God continues to affirm our vision for the next step in Project Sasha ministry.

Requests-

-We have several repair and maintenace projects that need to be done before cold weather.
-Pray for our staff, parents and chlidren as we go through a time of transition.
-Two young ladies in our ministry are facing difficult life decisions and have asked for prayer.

November Birthdays

2 Olga, foster family child 7 Sasha, foster family child

8 Bogdan, foster family child 11 Diana, foster family child

19 Nina, Dyetski Dom Staff 30 Marina, foster family child

Coming Events

We are scheduling team visits for 2012. Please contact us if you are considering a visit to Ukraine.

Exploratory trips for those interested in visiting the ministries of Mulberry can be arranged to fit your schedule.

Mulberry International is a 501(c)3 organization. Tax deductible donations can be made by clicking on "Donate" in the quick link box above, or mailed to:

Mulberry International

PO Box 43623

Louisville, KY 40253

(502)-267-1009