“But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you” (Matthew).
Dear friends,
I love the Olympics. The opening ceremony, the games themselves, even the torch relay. This year, seven thousand runners carried the Olympic torch to the stadium in Pyeongchang. This big, worldwide celebration brought back memories of an event a little closer to home: the 1987 Pan American games in Indianapolis. I was only six, but I remember footage of the torch-bearers running past restaurants and businesses.
I found the names of those last few Hoosier runners. But over 700 runners carried the torch across the state! Without them, it would still be languishing in a cornfield somewhere.
Every day at Last Bell is a celebration. We get to witness orphanage graduates finding safe homes and steady work, holding together marriages and families, and giving back. Through God’s grace, the orphanage cycle is disintegrating, and our community is in the midst of a beautiful transformation.
Our staff members – the superstars in this analogy – enter into the daily lives of orphanage graduates with joy and enthusiasm. They offer mentorship, pass out groceries, help fix up homes, and in innumerable ways show orphanage graduates they’re loved.
This is possible because of our supporters, especially monthly donors: quiet torch-bearers whose gifts appear without fail, allowing us to make and keep commitments to our staff and youth.
We’re currently reaching about half the orphanage graduates in Zhytomyr. Of course, we want to reach all of them – and they all need our help! We have almost 100% of the resources in place: a stable infrastructure; a dynamic community of Christians ready to dive in; and amazing prayer support (that’s you!).
The only barrier is funding. To expand our reach, we need to create three new positions and provide related logistical support.
And since we need more staff members, we need more torch-bearers.
Monthly giving isn’t the most exciting way to donate. It may not give you a rush like an Olympic win (or a big single donation). Giving this way is humble, almost invisible.*
But our monthly donors keep the torch alight.
Will you commit to a year of automatic gifts, so we can reach every orphanage graduate in Zhytomyr?
Thank you for your quiet generosity,
Emily
Last Bell Communications Liaison
“Therefore, let us run with perseverence the race marked out for us” (Hebrews).
*It’s not actually invisible, of course. Our administrative team cheers every time a new monthly donor signs up, and we see and appreciate every gift – even the automatic ones, which come straight to my inbox!