Nappanee Advance-News, Volume 130, Number 50, Nappanee, Elkhart County, 13 December 2007 — Page 3

Goshen residents launch mission for children in Belarus

By Mandy McFarland Editor GOSHEN Sometimes one's life calling can come at the most unexpected times. Jerry and Lisa Yoder were already established in life, already had jobs, already had a family, when they felt compelled to move to Belarus to work with orphans and foster children. The couple started Global Children's Assistance, Inc. about four years ago after spending time in Belarus, where they saw numerous children living in poor conditions and with limited opportunities. Soon a short-term missions trip turned into a lifelong endeavor. "We understood that we needed to come up with a different idea of reaching the kids and helping the children and their families other than Bible studies," Jerry said. "Belarus was becoming more and more closed to foreigners, especially those doing religious activities.” The couple's initial trip to Belarus was to help build a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center. They stayed for six weeks, then returned home. Though their first mission was complete, however, they had a sense that they needed to return to Belarus and address a different problem. "We just felt God was asking us to go back and live there instead of going for a short term," Lisa said. So, on Sept. 4, 2002, the family once again packed up and headed for Belarus, this * time to stay. "We moved our family there and just enjoyed every minute we had there," Lisa said. They began working in earnest at Belarusian orphanages and working with children whose family situations were less than ideal and who risked being taken from their parents. In 2003, the Belarusian government decided to close a number of orphanages, which automatically put hundreds of kids on the street. This moved the Yoders to action. "Yeah, you can help the orphans when they're in the orphanages, but if the government can't take care of them when they're in the orphanage, what can we do to prevent them from being taken away from their parents," Lisa said. Global Children's Assistance addresses various

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issues pertaining to orphaned children in Belarus. They offer six different programs and workshops for kids, including Bible studies, workshops to learn life skills like cooking and so forth. They also have the boys help with things like maintenance. They also hold family and parenting classes. For five years> Global Children's Assistance was ’rim out of what used to be a Belarusian organization. The Yoders had to found their organization using the former one because, while an organization can change its name and staff, it cannot change its mission, nor can a new one form. "It's extremely difficult to start a charity organization there because of their rules that they have set," Lisa said. The original organization was called "Global Fund for Belarus Kids." At first, things seemed to be working out well. However, the Belarusian government again stepped in, this time removing all foreigners from the country. "We're still not over the initial shock," Jerry said. "It's really, really hard. It's been like our life has been upside down and we don't know which way to go." Lisa also felt the shock and disappointment that resulted from the government's decision. "It was a great sense of loss," she said. "In one sense, because you put your whole heart into it and you really learn to love the kids. But then in the other sense, it's a good feeling because we still have four employees there and we know that they are capable of taking care of their own people." It is these four.Belarusian employees, as well as more than 80 volunteers in seven cities, who have made it possible to keep Global Children's Assistance going on both sides of the ocean. The couple has experienced some of the biggest challenges both of working on site and working remotely. Lisa cites one of the most difficult aspects of working in another country: "Learning to work with a charity organization in another country and following the spoken and unspoken laws of a culture you're not accustomed to." In other words, the couple had to learn various unspoken customs and rules of conduct that most Americans would

Community

never think of. They also had to learn what was expected of them in their relationships with other people and what is acceptable in running an organization. Perhaps the biggest challenge about living at home is not being on site to see the results of their labor. "The biggest challenge is now keeping it going now that we're home," Jerry said. "I guess it's kind of like seeing your child grow up," Lisa said. "You have to let it go, but it's still so much a part of you. It's painful because you love the people and the kids, but in another sense you know they're going to be taken care of." Not All is lost, however. After negotiating with the Belarusian government, the couple is allowed to return 90 days out of the year to visit. They are also able to maintain contact with the Belarusian side of the organization. "We do a lot of communication with staff through the Internet," Lisa said. The couple remains as active as possible from a missions standpoint. Jerry recently returned from a visit to Belarus, and Lisa plans to lead a missions trip to the country in just a few months. "In February, I'll be taking a group of women and we'll be doing a lot of child development classes for each of the different regions," she said. Today, Global Children's Assistance supports numerous home orphanages, where they hold child develop-

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PHOTOS PROVIDED Above: The Yoder family consists of (left to right) Shannon, 11; Mitchell, 8; Jerry; Lisa; and Taylor, 13. Right: Lisa hangs out with Sasha and Yuri, two Belarusian orphans. ment training. Teams from Rochester and Nappanee remodel homes for Belarusian families, particularly those who foster children. On the United States side, an individual by the name of Tim Doud, coordinates most of the home makeover projects for Belarus. They often work with charitable organizations like Samaritan's Purse and GAIN International, an affiliate of Josh McDowell Ministries. They provide Christmas boxes, clothing, shoes and humanitarian work. "It's been very rewarding working with some of the home orphanages," Lisa said. "One of them being a single mom who has taken in seven children, and another family that has taken in seven children and have just worked with these kids in an awesome way to show them a home and a family." This Belarusian foster mom has captured the Yoders' hearts. "Probably the most outstanding would be a single mom," Jerry said. "She has seven kids and one of her own." Initially, her home had no indoor plumbing and no run-

Advance News • Thursday, December 13, 2007

ning water. She began working about four years ago and, according to Lisa, put every penny she earned, about S3OO a month, into her home and family. "I think the most rewarding has been to see she has initiative to do things on her own," Lisa said. "She searches for child development classes on her own. She uses the Internet to get a lot of information and uses everything she has to make her home better." She has also installed a new kitchen and placed siding on the house. "Her courage and determination to make a better life for these kids has just been inspiring for us," Lisa said. Monetary donations go to the Goshen office, where it is deposited into an account

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that can be drawn from on the Belarusian side. Volunteers from local churches in Belarus take bags of food to the families, make personal visits and befriend them. This, the Yoders said, is all done legally on both sides of the ocean. Other aspects of the organization, like summer Bible camps, Bible studies and so forth must be done undercover. The organization currently has a list of about 30 kids up for sponsorship. Those who would like to learn more about the organization can contact Jerry, or Lisa Yoder at 574-312-0511 or e-mail them at jerry@gcausa. org or lisat^gcausa.org. The Yoders have three children, Taylor, 13; Shannon, 11 and Mitchell, 8.