January 2020 News
Greetings in the New Year!
Last year was a special year for Good Samaritan Ministries — we celebrated 25 years in America; expanded the project “Help for Widows in Ukraine” to 440 widows, and continued helping widows in Moldova. In addition, we kept up with our ongoing projects like support for girls in India, monthly support for missionaries in Ukraine, and organizing missionary trips. All this was made possible through your participation and prayers.
Transportation for a Disabled Man
In our previous newsletter, we introduced a young man from Cherkassy, Ukraine who was praying for a miracle – a vehicle for his family. Vitaliy Ilchenko was born with cerebral palsy. It is very painful for him to walk. Vitaliy loves attending church services, but using public transportation was difficult. His mother got a driver’s license with hopes that one day she would be able to drive her son to church. In 2016, Vitaliy completed a Bible College program on “Evangelism and Discipleship” and he has great desire to bring others to Christ.
We are happy to share that a car has been purchased for the Ilchenko family! Total project cost was $6,800 (less than we anticipated). Believers in other states gathered $4,000 and the remaining $2,800 was donated by “Good Samaritan”. What a joy to be an answer to someone’s prayer.
Ukraine: Help for Widows in Ukraine
Ministers and volunteers visited families of widows in many regions of Ukraine this December, distributing groceries and Christmas gifts.
Donetskaya Oblast
“We greet all participants of the project “Help for Widows in Ukraine!” and sincerely thank “Good Samaritan”! May Jesus bless you and your work. On December 28th, a meeting was held for widows of the Donetska region at the “Transfiguration” Church in the city of Slavyansk. We had good fellowship, prayers, lunch and distribution of food packages and Christmas gifts. We also visited several families at their homes and delivered refrigerators and a washing machine. Everyone thanked the Lord with grateful tears. May the Lord reward you all! ”
Rivne
“Greetings to all the sponsors and participants of the project “Help for Widows in Ukraine.” Happy New Year and Merry Christmas! We are immensely grateful to the Lord for each of you. You were such a blessing to the families of widows throughout 2019. In mid-December, we visited widows with grocery bags and Christmas gifts. Families expressed gratitude and shared that they eagerly await our quarterly meetings. It’s unfortunate that these days, not many remember and desire to help orphans and widows.”
Dnepropetrovsk
“We sincerely thank “Good Samaritan” Ministries and all the sponsors of this project. May God’s mercy be with you. May the Lord reward you and your loved ones with all His blessings. Merry Christmas and Happy New 2020 Year!
On December 28th-29th, we held our final quarterly grocery distribution, this time by delivering the gifts to the widows’ homes. We heard many sincere words of thanks. Best wishes to all participants of this wonderful program! May the Lord reward you for this labor of love!!!”
Christmas gifts for girls in India
Girls at the “Good Samaritan Girl’s Home” in Siliguri, India received extra special gifts this Christmas. We sent finances for the purchase of new outfits and uniform sweaters. At first, we were fundraising for new dresses for the girls, but the local leaders decided sports suits were a more practical choice at this time. We also purchased and sent a laptop for one girl, Gayatri, who is in 10th grade but is studying under a Cambridge University program. She’s a very smart girl, and really needed a laptop to help her with her studies. Thank you again to everyone who contributed to make Christmas unforgettable for these girls.
Firewood for Widows
We are still collecting finances to help widows who need firewood for heating their homes during the winter months. 16 trucks have been purchased, but we wish to bless 34 more families. The cost of a truck with firewood is $250. If you wish to help with this need, please send your donations with a note (firewood for widows).
