Several years ago, after a trip to visit some orphan homes in Ukraine where children with Down syndrome were living, we felt God calling us to ministry in that area. We assumed at that time that God wanted us to move there as missionaries and we began to prepare for that major life change. We put our YES on the table even though we really didn't know what God was calling us to.
Fast forward about 3 years to summer 2008 and we felt the unmistakable prompting of God to begin the adoption process. For the last couple of years, we began to get frustrated that God hadn't "called" us yet. He had asked for our answer, but hadn't told us what we were doing. In 2008 suddenly we were on the fast track to obedience and it was almost a blur it all happened so quickly!
We returned home March 24, 2009 and felt that we had accomplished that which God had called us to do. But in our hearts we knew that was not the case. We knew that He was still calling us to bring justice to the fatherless, the devalued, the forgotten.
What God had begun in our hearts so many years ago was becoming a reality. We were scared, we were unsure what to do to begin, but we trusted God.
Two other families expressed an active interest in being part of any venture we felt God calling us to in this area.
Eli Project was born in our hearts the first time we held the little boys and girls like our son Eli. They were the same in many ways as Eli. Except one BIG difference was that they had no hope of a future. No one to hold them and tell them how valuable they were. No one to whisper into their ear, "I love you."
What is Eli Project?
Eli Project is a Biblically-based, not for profit, Christian ministry organization that is dedicated to the rescue of children with Down syndrome and other special needs from orphanages and mental institutions and children who are near aging-out of orphanages specifically in Ukraine. Eli Project is committed to helping families throughout the process of international adoption from beginning through post-adoption requirements including selecting a child, preparing paperwork (dossier), in-country assistance and post-adoption reporting.
Mission Statement:
- The mission of Eli Project is to provide loving families for the unwanted, special needs and older children of Ukraine and other countries, and to assist families through the difficult process of international adoption. Eli Project is committed to adding value to the lives of these children and to make a positive impact on their home country to make a better life for the children yet to be born.
Goals:
- Raise awareness regarding the unwanted children with Down syndrome, other special needs and those in danger of aging-out of the "system" with nowhere to go and no skills to survive.
- Provide loving families with opportunities to give these children forever homes through adoption.
- Assist families throughout the international adoption process by
- providing hands-on assistance with paperwork preparation
- providing in-country contacts and assistance
- seek corporate and private sponsorship to lessen the overall cost of international adoption for families willing to provide a home
- assist families in need of financial assistance in coordinating personal fundraising opportunities
- providing post-adoption assistance (support, annual reporting)
- Make a positive impact on the country of Ukraine and other countries to show the value of these special children so those yet to be born will be cherished and loved instead of hidden away to await an early death.
- Provide opportunities to minister to children living in orphanages through camps, events and by hosting children in families in United States during the summer months.
- As we go, we will share the love of God that has been freely shared with us through our Savior, Jesus Christ
- Many of our readers are familiar with Reeces Rainbow, another ministry dedicated to finding homes for children in Down Syndrome over 20 countries worldwide. We will be working in cooperation with them when our ministries overlap and we are certainly working on the same "team." Andrea (the founder of RR) and I have been in communication a lot over the last weeks and both of our ministries are passionate about bring justice to the fatherless. We are excited about more Followers of Christ becoming passionate too!
- In the next couple of days, the ministry website will come online and more information will go out by email, facebook and twitter. In addition, if you are local to us (OKC area) there will be seminars to bring awareness to the plight of the orphans of Ukraine and explain opportunities for helping the orphans find homes.
- We need your prayers as we step out in faith and surrender our lives even more to the work of the Father.
God has a heart for the fatherless. He's passionate about their care...
it simply must be our passion too.
With much love and thankfulness,
Chris & Mary Malone
Blessed be the Name of the Lord!
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