The Kids

We have a new work here in the Ukraine: to feed and house 350 children from the ages of 3 to 15 years.

Many parents simply cannot afford to raise families, so some children are blindfolded, and dropped off in a strange city to fend for themselves. Sevestovol (and all of the eastern coast) has more than its share of homeless children. In addition to that, many orphanages have simply closed for lack of finances, and the children are turned out on the streets. These children beg or steal just to get something to eat. They sleep on the streets, in dark hallways, in parks, or on city buses. Their ages range from three on up.

This project grew in the heart of a Ukrainian woman whose name is Tamara. The children, though very shy and fearful of adults, all call her "Mama."

She began to feed and clothe 10 street children (these are the children in the photos). As she fed these children, her twin teenage daughters became interested and started to help their mom in the feeding program. They are a Christian family, and a part of a local Church, but the local resources have been exhausted. The retired Navy dad has taken a job to help buy food. The daughters help cook the food and take it to the park to feed as many children as possible.

They are not always able to feed these children even twice a day. Sometimes they can only feed them once. When she does not bring food they just hug her and say, "It's OK, Mama". This would break the hearts of most mothers or fathers anywhere in the world!

How did we get involved? I was sitting in a McDonald's in Kiev one afternoon with some men when this lady came up to me and said that she had these children in Sevestovol in the Crimea area of Ukraine. She did not cry or beg. Tamara just presented the need of her children.

About a year after I met her I had the opportunity to meet her again in Eupatoria, a town about 45 miles from hers. At this time I met her pastor and his brother, who is also a pastor. These pastors confirmed her story, and invited me to come and see the children and the church for myself.

In August of '99 I was able to go visit the work and minister at the two Churches, and at some of their homes. While there I saw several of the children that I had heard about from Tamara, and helped with the food program myself.

In this group, there are three boys who are brothers. Michael, age 15, and his two brothers, ages 11 and 12, have lived on the streets for two years. The four of them, plus their big black dog, are a family unit, and always stay together for protection. These children have never been to school, and have their own language version of street Russian, which even the girl who works with us (who can speak Russian, Ukrainian, English, some German and Polish) found difficult to understand. They gobbled up their food, but Michael waited until he was sure the others had theirs first. They were dirty, their clothes torn, and were in dire need of haircuts. When asked where they would sleep because of the cooler weather, Michael said that they would either sleep on a city bus or near a large hot water pipe that ran through an alley. The 11-year-old is addicted to dope already! We need to get the gospel and a home for these kids!

Then there is Anya, a young girl of 14, who has short hair and tries to dress like a boy so she doesn't get raped. Seven years ago the mother of this girl brought her to this city and left her standing in the street. If we don't rescue this girl for JESUS the law of averages says she will be a prostitute before she is 15 years old.

In Sevestovol there are over 700 children who need a home, food and probably do not know JESUS.

God is starting to do miraculous things in this area for His Glory! Below are three pictures of a school building; the front of the building and two wings. The city government has told us that we can have this building RENT FREE, but we have to pay for heating, water and electricity. This will cost about $1,500 a month. We can house about 200 children here!

Then, a Christian man came to visit us, Denny Buehlmaier, and he fell IN LOVE with these kids. He has gone to America and Ireland and has raised some money to start feeding the kids. He is also excited about following God in starting programs in others nations like this.

Also, on October 20, 1999, I talked with a fellow who has found food packaged for starving children with extra vitamins and minerals. This food is available in the Ukraine at 20 meals for $2 at the time of this writing. We can get powdered milk by the ton at a low price, too!

This is only a quick view of what God has provided, and what He wants us to do.

From time to time we will show you more photos. We will give names and ages and let you get to know them and be able to pray for them by name. Why do we think this is important? This country has a minus population growth. What does this mean? Simply this. More people died than children are being born.

90% of the children born have some kind of a physical disorder. This is a country that needs help physically and spiritually. God has called us here for many tasks, and this is one of them. Please ask God what your part should be. Please call, e-mail, or fax us today at the numbers/addresses given on this web page. We will answer your questions the best that we can.

Thank you!

David and Carole Nicholson

Pastor and street kids eating by side of the road
Pastor and kids
David and Pastor's Son
Tamara and Dave's kids
Tamara and daughter who help feed the kids
This is home for some of the street kids
School we want to buy for an orphanage
School we want to buy for an orphanage
School we want to buy for an orphanage

Anyone who wants to send financial help for the street kids should send it to David/Tamara's Kids and mark it very clearly before sending it. This money is not for us in any way - it will go directly for the street kids! Please send it to:
ANCHORED IN ZION
REV DAVID A NICHOLSON
2715 HAM BROWN ROAD
KISSIMMEE, FLORIDA 34746-3415
Receipts are sent once a year for income tax purposes.

This could be from most any city or nation in the world. Some lands have snow and others have hot heat but all places have homeless children. In the city of Chicago, one cold, dark night, a blizzard was setting in. A little boy was selling newspapers on the corner, the people were in and out of the cold. The little boy was so cold that he wasn't trying to sell many papers. He walked up to a policeman and said, "Mister, you wouldn't happen to know where a poor boy could find a warm place to sleep tonight would you? You see, I sleep in a box up around the corner there and down the alley and it's awful cold in there for tonight. Sure would be nice to have a warm place to stay." The policeman looked down at the little boy and said, "You go down the street to that big white house and you knock on the door. When they come out the door you just say John 3:16, and they will let you in." So he did. He walked up the steps and knocked on the door, and a lady answered. He looked up and said, "John 3:16." The lady said, "Come on in, Son." She took him in and she sat him down in a split bottom rocker in front of a great big old fireplace, and she went off. The boy sat there for a while and thought to himself: John 3:16....I don't understand it, but it sure makes a cold boy warm. Later she came back and asked him "Are you hungry? He said, "Well, just a little. I haven't eaten in a couple of days, and I guess I could stand a little bit of food." The lady took him in the kitchen and sat him down to a table full of wonderful food. He ate and ate until he couldn't eat any more. Then he thought to himself: John 3:16... Boy, I sure don't understand it but it sure makes a hungry boy full. She took him upstairs to a bathroom to a huge bathtub filled with warm water, and he sat there and soaked for a while. As he soaked, he thought to himself: John 3:16... I sure don't understand it, but it sure makes a dirty boy clean. You know, I've not had a bath, a real bath, in my whole life. The only bath I ever had was when I stood in front of that big old fire hydrant as they flushed it out. The lady came in and got him. She took him to a room, tucked him into a big old feather bed, pulled the covers up around his neck, kissed him goodnight and turned out the lights.As he lay in the darkness and looked out the window at the snow coming down on that cold night, he thought to himself: John 3:16... I don't understand it but it sure makes a tired boy rested. The next morning the lady came back up and took him down again to that same big table full of food. After he ate, she took him back to that same big old split bottom rocker in front of the fireplace and picked up a big old Bible. She sat down in front of him and looked into his young face. "Do you understand John 3:16?" she asked gently. He replied, "No, Ma'am, I don't. The first time I ever heard it was last night when the policeman told me to use it." She opened the Bible to John 3:16 and began to explain to him about Jesus. Right there, in front of that big old fireplace, he gave his heart and life to Jesus. He sat there and thought: John 3:16. ..I don't understand it, but it sure makes a lost boy feel safe. You know, I have to confess I don't understand it either, how God was willing to send His Son to die for me, and how Jesus would agree to do such a thing. I don't understand the agony of the Father and every angel in heaven as they watched Jesus suffer and die. I don't understand the intense love for ME that kept Jesus on the cross till the end. I don't understand it, but it sure does make life worth living. John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." If you need more help in finding Jesus contact us and ask your questions. Be sure to share with someone that you asked Jesus into your life.

"FILTHY RAGS"   There's a Christian revolution that's spreading across the land. To prove the mighty power God holds in his hand.   He's formed a brand new movement that may sound sort of strange.  But God is using "filthy Rags" to show how sinners change.   He gathers up old "Filthy Rags" that man has thrown away.  Those nasty slimy putrid things mixed with the world's decay.   He washes them with loving care until they're white as snow to show God's people everywhere how seeds He plants will grow.   He uses thugs and prostitutes and people locked in prison, to take His message to the streets proclaiming Christ is risen.   He sneds them into neighborhoods diseased with crime and dope to teach old friends that God is Lord and share new strength and hope. God grabs ahold of "Filthy Rags" that no one else can reach, removing all of Satan's tags then sends them out to preach.   God's growing tired of self-righteousness and big collection bags.  So now He's cleaning up the mess and He's using "Filthy Rags."   By Herman Priest   This poem was written by a man who found Christ in Prison.

Our phone number in the Ukraine: 011-380-44-266-0169