orphan hosting program

We don't want him to spend Christmas in an orphanage.

Doug and I wanted to share with you a personal journey our family has been on over the last 2 years. God has put it upon our hearts to love and help orphans from Ukraine. In Ukraine, orphans “age out” of the system at the tender age of 16 and are basically put out into the streets to fend for themselves. If you know any 16 year old, you know that 16 is much too young of an age for them to be equipped to know how to take care of themselves, or know how to be sole provides for themselves. The statistics for what happens to these orphans and what they do to survive after aging out is beyond heart breaking.

We met Andrei the summer of 2016 when he came to America and stayed with another family. He was a shy, scared 15 year old orphan from Ukraine. He had been in an orphanage since he was about 4 years old, and showed all the signs of what a child without a loving family may deal with. However, we saw so much potential in Andrei and maintained contact with him via the internet when he returned to Ukraine in August 2016.

With just a little consistent love, we began to earn his trust. He began to open up to me and tell me more and more about his hopes and dreams. In January of 2016 Andrei got very sick and was hospitalized a couple of times. This must have been so scary for a 15 year old boy to be all alone, making major medical decisions on his own, going through a surgical procedure without anyone there to help him with second opinons or be there when he checked into the hospital, went through surgery, and woke up in recovery. He spent two separate hospital stays all without the help of parents to love and guide him, or be by his side during his recovery to health. Despite all that he faced, he remained strong and optimistic. It’s heartbreaking to think that he doesn’t know what it’s like to be surrounded and supported by a loving family in times of hardship and illness, nor in times of happiness and prosperity.

By March of 2017 Doug and I decided we wanted to host Andrei and his sister. We felt we needed to bring him to America to check on his medical condition and she had never had a chance to come to America before. She will turn 18 this January and will no longer be allowed into the United States by Immigration due to her orphan status so we wanted to give her that one chance last summer. Having Andrei come to America was one of the best things we ever did. During the summer of 2017 he became a HUGE part of our hearts.
From the time we first met Andrei, we have witnessed this boy go from not having any concept of what it’s like to be a part of a loving family to literally blooming under our love and care. He has gone from an orphan that use to rarely smile to now displaying complete joy on his face, and smiling the biggest, most beautiful smile. Now he will give us hugs freely. We have taught him so many life skills that he didn’t know before and manners that most take for granted, like opening doors for people, smiling, thanking people, shaking hands with people that he meets for the first time, and learning that it is ok to trust people. He has learned to look people in the eyes when they talk to him, and respond appropriately in so many social situations. He has learned that there are GOOD people in the world that love him and that he can count on and trust. He is learning what it means to hear “I love you.” He has not heard those words for many years in the orphanage. He is learning that not all people leave you. He is learning what love is, and that love is a wonderful thing. He now has people he can turn to when he has a very hard day, when he gets hurt, or to share his happiness with. He recently was SO happy to share with us about his soccer tournament that he did well in! He is such an amazing soccer player and we are so proud of him! We may be thousands of miles across the ocean but he knows that he can log on to the internet and he has me and Doug-- and we will be there for him. Our presence in his life, and our love, has made the world of difference in Andrei’s life!

I am just amazed to remember the boy from summer 2016 compared to the one I know now. Andrei is learning about Jesus. He is not saved yet, and we are working with him on that. He does not get many opportunities to learn about the love of Jesus in his orphanage, nor are there many opportunities where people pour into him on a spiritual and Godly level. He shares his beautiful Russian music with us and he loves to listen to music about love and peace. We have shared some of our Christian music with him and he likes it. We want to continue to pour into this amazing boy! We want to continue to teach him about the love of Jesus by taking him to church, telling him about the greatest love story ever told--- and all that Jesus did for him.

We feel so grateful the Lord trusted our family to love Andrei. This summer we were able to take an orphan and in 10 weeks show him what it was like to be a son. I cannot put into words the difference our time made to that once abandoned boy! He loves us so much. He loves our family. This summer he gave us so many hugs. He loved his room. He told me “I love my warm bed in America.” Here in Colorado his bedroom has windows that overlook the mountains. At the orphanage he has to share a very small room with about 6 other boys. He sleeps on a metal bunk bed on a very thin mattress. He loves how I make his sheets and his laundry smell so good. He’s never had a mom that has shown small gestures of love by simply washing and folding his clothes for him. He’s never been able to sit and enjoy a meal with a family. He eats in huge cafeteria style lunch room with massive amounts of noise and bombarded by food smells. He LOVED the peaceful quiet meal times at our home this summer. He was the first to remind us to hold hand and pray over our meal. He enjoyed learning how to cook and would cook us breakfast in the morning. He loved, loved, loved hanging out with Doug. Their bond was beautiful. While here in America for the summer he got to go fishing, white water rafting, and riding on the motorcycle in the mountains of Colorado. In the swimming pool he would literally leap on Doug’s back and just linger there for the closeness he missed so much with a father. It was if he was making up for so many years he missed with a father. It’s beautiful to see a child feel loved. He was always so helpful around the house and helpful to me when we ran errands. He loved being a part of a family. He enjoyed going into the kitchen and eating whatever he wanted. At the orphanage his meals are always put in front of him and he can’t decide what he wants to eat, or eat at will. His favorite thing was olives and he ate JARS and JARS of them when we was here. He loved teaching us things about Ukrainian culture. One day he and I cooked Ukrainian Borscht together (a delicious Ukrainian soup.) We loved teaching each other about our different cultures.

In Ukraine, in the orphanage, he is not afforded good dental care. They usually just pull bad teeth. While he was here we were so blessed to be able to fix 10 cavities in his teeth and he got 2 root canals to save 2 important molars for chewing. Otherwise they would have been pulled in Ukraine. He went back with a fully restored mouth and a beautiful smile! His dental restoration alone was worth his summer hosting! 
We bought him all brand new clothes, new shoes, a coat, and sent him back with everything he needed to start the school year in Ukraine. Andrei is living proof that “Love wins!”

Andrei was 4 years old when he mother left him at daycare and just never came back. He holds no ill-will towards her. His heart is full of love. He says she probably did the best she could. I have told him many times that he is no longer an orphan but adopted by the Lord as a child of the Most High. He always smiles the most beautiful smile when I tell him that.
We are asking for your prayers for Andrei, and the continued work in his life. He turned 16 years old on October 4th. This, as I explained earlier is a pivotal age in many respects. Pray as you feel led for his life and future. Right now he remains at the orphanage because there is room, his behavior is good, and he has a younger sister there at the orphanage, so they allow him to stay. His younger sister was hosted by a family in the Dallas Fort Worth area this summer but came to Colorado to visit us several times.

We would like more time to pour God’s love into Andrei at this critical juncture by bringing him here at Christmas. We just can’t imagine leaving him in the orphanage during a time he should be surrounded by love and a family. He considers us his family, and it would be hard for any of us to imagine Christmas now without him with us. 

But it is very costly. We need everyone’s help. With flight, travel expenses, visa, travel insurance and various other fees we cannot get Andrei here alone. This past summer we covered all of the hosting fees ourselves except for about $500 in donations we received in the beginning of our fundraiser. For both Anastasia and Andrei it cost us $5000 just to get them here--- plus clothing, food and entertainment. We covered it all ourselves because of our passion to help these precious children. This time because of our move to Colorado and various other expenses we’ve encountered we just can’t cover it ourselves. We must pray and have faith that the Lord will provide for Andrei through His people. We need approximately $3000 just to get him to America.  He will step off the plane with nothing but the clothing on his back since he comes from an orphanage. He will noot even have a change of clothing or a toothbrush when he arrives.  We will have to supply him with everything--top to bottom.


We don't want him to spend Chrismas alone in the orphanage. We want him to be here with us. Surrounded by love and a family. The love poured into an orphan….a child with no parents, is NEVER wasted. When he turns 18 visiting us will no longer be an option due to immigration laws so we want to pour all the love into him while we can and see all God can do in this young man’s life, for his good and for God’s glory! Please pray, and if the Lord lays it on your heart to help bring Andrei here for another season with us, we would be so grateful. We pray God blesses you and your family this coming holiday season with all the joy and blessings you and your family can handle as you love on “the least of these” in the greatest of ways…..through your prayers, love, and giving.

~~~Doug and Holly

If you feel led to give you can do so in the following ways.

1) Go here to make a donation using gofundme.

2)Go here to make a tax deductible donation that goes directly to the Ukrainian Resource Center for Andrei’s hosting fees at the link provided. The organization will provide you with a form for your taxes. 

2) Making a donation to me through paypal