Celebrating Christmas 2006

We had a wonderful Christmas party on December 29th. We all felt like a great big family of 52 people coming together: the staff and 4th grade and 8th grade children from orphanage-internot #4. We rented some rooms at the Christian retreat center downtown with a special Christmas dinner of my favorite holiday foods. The dinner was followed by a program prepared by the kids and adults, and then the exchange of presents. What was special this year is that we introduced the children to the idea of saving their money from the stipends (we give them $1 a week) to buy a present for their special friends. A lot of special people in the children’s lives turned out to be their supervisors, teachers, Paul and I, and even our taxi driver Roman. Singing Ukrainian and American Christmas carols was a great end to the evening.

This year the Lord provided funds to buy nice sweat pants for the 8th graders and warm pajamas for the 4th grade children as Christmas presents. Our friends from Panama City sent beautiful slippers for all the children. They enjoyed their presents very much and thanked the Lord for them that night before going to bed. Thank you all so much for participating with us in providing a wonderful celebration of our dear Savior’s birth for the children and staff. We know that we could never do these things without your help and the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.

God’s blessings be upon you and your household!

Paul and Tania Becker

Can you pray for Marika

Tania and I would like to ask you to pray for a specific child this
week who is very dear to us. It is a Ukrainian girl from orphanage-internot #4,
she is 13 and she is in the 8th grade. Marika needs the Lord to help her
fight the anger and loneliness that is in her heart and fill it with the
peace and love that surpasses all understanding.


We have known Marika since 2001. We remember when the director brought this
skinny little dark haired girl with huge brown eyes into our playroom.
She looked like a scared puppy. It happened right after the police
found her sitting on the side of the highway crying. They turned the
child over to social services. Her stepfather and mother, two bums, had
sold her to gypsies for a bottle of vodka. Marika was only 7 years old. The
gypsies liked the girl who skillfully brought them a lot of money while
begging on the trains and in the market places. This went on for months
until the older kids became jealous and started beating her every day.
One day Marika ran away from them and that is when she was found by a policeman.

Marika continues to be a very determined and brave girl. She is very bright and
loves school. She wants to go to college and become an accountant when
she grows up. She has a good heart and fears the Lord. Last Thursday
many older children disappeared from the orphanage for the whole afternoon.
Marika said that everyone went to the church near by to get
Christmas presents. Tania asked Marika why she stayed behind. Marika put
her head down and said, "I couldn't. It is too embarrassing to go to
church just to get a present". That is the kind of "God's child" Marika is.

On Friday, after our regular staff meeting and birthday party for
Zena Michaelovna (8th grade supervisor) who turned 71, we went
downstairs to the playroom to see the 8th graders. There were only 6
of them. The rest of the kids went to spend the week with their distant
relatives. Marika looked very depressed and angry. Tania went to talk
to her for about 20 minutes. I saw Marika crying, then talking and
smiling. She was very upset because she did not have anyone to
visit, because she had no home to be at during Christmas holidays and
because her friend Nina took off.

This seemed like a good reason to bring Marika to our house for a few days
even though Tania was due to give birth this past Friday. Marika seemed
so happy and appreciative. This morning we all went to church. Marika
enjoyed the sermon and worship time. During the prayer time her lips
were moving. I think she had her own special prayer to raise to the Lord
and I know He was listening to her.
Thank you for your prayers and support!

donations to the program can be made to:
Chapelgate Presbyterian Church
2600 Marriottsville Rd
Marriottsville, MD 21104
Account # 9284M Becker Orphanage- Ukraine

Zeanida Michaelovna, Marika and Alla