House of Joy in Kahova opened September 2005. Photos on the home page are from House of Joy.
In the fall of 2004 officials from the city of Kahovka, Ukraine contacted us requesting help establishing an orphanage in their city. None existed. After prayer we felt we were to take this project on. What a wonderful experience it is proving to be! The photos reveal the building we renovated.
The government has asked that this orphanage be a regional orphanage serving an entire oblast (state), not just one city. The head of the Kahovka Department of Education, Lubov Termentievna, has resigned her position and is our director. This project has opened doors of opportunity in Kahovka and the surrounding area. If you would like to donate toward this project you may do so at the online donation page.
Staff
Yulia Nikishenko
Yulia Nikishenko has been working with Jim King ministries since 1995. As a student at the linguistics University of Kiev, she was invited to work as an interpreter with one of our ministry teams. During that first trip, she gave her life to Jesus. When she graduated from University she began working as an interpreter in the Children's Ministry department of CBN.
After the birth of her son, Matthew, in October 1998, she came back to work with us as we were launching our Bible school program in Ukraine. She is now our Kiev office manager and oversees the Bible school program for Ukraine and Russia.
On Easter day, 2000, her husband Sasha was saved. Since then, Sasha's mother and step-father have both received Jesus. Yulia said, "I really enjoy what I am doing. Jim and Pam's ministry helps local churches to fulfill their vision of spreading the Word of God and disciplining nations."
Yulia has been given primary oversight of establishing the new orphanage in Kahovka.
For several years we have been involved with House of Hope orphanage in Kiev House of Hope is operated on a daily basis by Christian Hope Church, pastored by our friend, Valeriy Reshetinskiy.
House of Hope was started by taking 40 children from the most desperate situations, most living alone in the streets of Kiev. It is estimated there are 150,000 children living in Ukraine's streets and underground basements. At first the Ukrainian government discouraged taking these children, writing them off as hopeless. After having them for one year the children were taken for required government evaluation. The orphanage staff was accused of bringing the wrong children as there had been such a dramatic improvement. The children’s documents had to be presented to prove they were the correct ones. The dramatic change was the result of providing shelter, clothing, food, and education in an atmosphere filled with God’s love.
House of Hope staff found Masha at age eleven and her five younger siblings living alone in the streets. They have no father and their prostitute mother had abandoned them over one year earlier. Two years later the children are filled hope for a bright future and are so happy.
Yulia Nikishenko