Testimony
Sam Wright
A ministry targeting young people around the world,
sharing the Love of God in Word and Deed.
Wow!!
What
a
life
changing
experience!!
Something
this
phenomenal
cannot
be
fully
described
in
my
own
words,
but
I’ll
try
my
best.
This
trip
was,
by
far,
the
most
exciting,
the
most
rewarding,
the
most
difficult,
and
the
most
heartbreaking
thing
that
I’ve
ever
done.
I
don’t
think
that
I’ve
ever
laughed
so
hard;
I
don’t
think
I’ve
ever
cried
so
hard.
I
don’t
think
that
I’ve
ever
been
happier
.
.
.
or
sadder.
God
changed
my
total
outlook
on
life
and
is
leading
me
down
a
new
path
of
life.
I
went
into
Ukraine
prepared
to
change
these
orphans’
lives
and
I
came
out
with
my
own
life
completely
different.
I
have
so
many
stories
filled
with
the
glory
of
God
that
I
could
easily
fill
up
a
book.
So
here
goes,
the best thing that has ever happened to me, summed up in a nutshell:
This
trip
was
really
a
great
leap
in
faith
for
me.
I
had
never
flown
internationally,
never
flown
without
my
family
(even
though
the
team
became
my
family),
never
been
on
a
mission’s
trip,
and
never
trusted
God
with
my
whole
life.
Oh
yeah,
and
I’ve
never
eaten
fish
eggs
or
liver
(I
thought
that
was
important
to
throw
in!).
The
flying
went
almost
as
smoothly
as
it
could
have,
with
just
a
slight
hiccup
in
Kiev
that
God
worked
out
in
the
end.
The
team
was
spectacular
with
hardly
any
arguments
or
rough
times
between
us.
Both
the
American
team
and
the
Ukrainian
team
grew
really
close
over
those
short two weeks.
We
worked
together
striving
to
show
God’s
love
to
these
beautiful
children
and
succeeding
in
teaching
them
about
Jesus’
sacrifice
through
skits,
songs,
and Bible Verses. I continue to pray that these kids remember our programs during times of despair, hopelessness, and temptations.
The
programs
were
a
blast
to
be
a
part
of.
The
Ukrainian
part
of
the
team
did
most
of
the
preparing
(partially
due
to
the
language
barrier),
but
allowed
me
and
the
rest
of
the
American
team
to
play
roles
in
wordless
skits
and
help
out
with
the
motions
of
songs.
I
think
that
I
was
involved
in
at
least
one
skit
every
day
but
one
and
had
so
much
fun
in
each
one.
My
favorite
and
most
nerve-racking
skit
was
the
one
that
we
performed
on
the
last
day
we
were
at
Gorney.
It
was
called
“The
Cross.”
It
showed
how
those
that
put
there
faith
in
Jesus
will
live
and
those
that
don’t
will
encounter
death.
The
circumstances
surrounding
the
skit
also
made
for
an
interesting
delivery
of
this
play.
The
day
that
the
skit
was
going
to
be
done
on
was
planned
to
be
backwards
day.
The
Americans
figured
that
if
it
was
backwards
day,
we,
instead
of
the
Ukrainians,
should
plan
the
program.
Programs
were
two
hours
the
entire
time
we
were
at
camp,
so
naturally,
we
planned
a
normal
two
hour
program
with
more
humor
and
games
because
we
didn’t
know
the
language.
(We
always
planned
the
program
the
night
before
it
was
executed,
so
that
the
morning
of
the
program,
we
could
just
quickly
run
through
it.
So
we
planned
this
backwards
program
on
Wednesday
and
were
going
to
complete
it
on
Thursday.)
Thursday
morning
when
we
woke
up
for
devotions,
Marina
and
Vitaly
(team
leaders)
told
us
that
backwards
day
was
called
off
because
Ukrainian
inspectors
were
going
to
be
at
the
camp.
I
guess
inspectors
in
Ukraine
are
much
different
than
those
in
America
because
the
entire
camp
was
very
tense
and
no
one
was
allowed
to
be
wandering
around
the
camp
that
morning.
They
are
part
of
the
government
and
tend
to
fine
for
almost
anything
they
can
find
with
any
flaws.
This
meant
two
main
things:
the
first
being
that
all
of
the
kids
were
required
to
attend
the
program;
and
secondly
that
instead
of
a
two
hour
program,
we
were
supposed
to
come
up
with
a
three
and
a
half
hour
program.
A
number
of
thoughts
ran
threw
all
of
us
at
once.
We
were
thrilled
that
we
had
planned
this
really
powerful
skit
on
a
day
where
all
of
the
kids
had
to
watch
it
(definitely
by
God’s
influence),
but
the
American
team
was
terrified
realizing
we
had
an
extra
hour
and
a
half
of
unaccounted
and
unplanned
time.
We
fell
back
on
the
help
of
our
Ukrainian
brothers
and
sisters.
The
few
hours
before
the
program
we
crammed
memorizing
new
skits
and
songs
.
.
.
I’m
positive
we
never
could
have
accomplished
what
we
did
without
the
help
of
our
Lord.
When
it
was
time
for
the
program
to
start,
we
all
gathered
all
the
supplies
and
carried
them
to
the
amphitheater.
I
would
say
that
the
highlight
of
the
entire
program
was
going
to
be
the
skit
“The
Cross.”
I
was
so
excited
to
be
a
part
of
it.
We
began
the
program
and
it
all
went
smoothly
for
about
an
hour
and
a
half.
At
that
time,
Marina
comes
running
across
the
stage
to
where
our
team
was
sitting
and
starts
whispering
in
each
person’s
ear
down
the
line.
As
I
watch,
troubled
looks
come
over
each
person’s
face
as
she
tells
them.
When
she
gets
to
me,
she
tells
me
that
the
inspectors
that
are
in
the
camp
don’t
look
kindly
on
Christians
and
that
we
could
get
in
big
trouble
if
we
continue
to
share
our
faith.
She
also
says
that
from
here
on
out,
nothing
is
to
be
said
about
God.
The
whole
demeanor
of
our
program
changes
as
we
begin
to
improvise
skits
and
games,
cut
out
testimonies,
and
say
nothing
about
the
love
of
God.
I
was
very
confused
about
now
and
during
the
games
just
sat
in
prayer.
I
was
sure
that
this
day
was
set
up
for
us
to
perform
“The
Cross”
regardless
of
the
inspectors.
I
didn’t
know
if
God
had
an
alternative
plan
so
I
just
trusted
God
that
he
knew
what
he
was
doing.
After
about
an
hour
of
improvising,
Vitaly
stands
up,
picks
up
our
hand
made
cross,
walks
out
in
the
middle
of
the
stage,
and
sets
it
up
for
the
skit.
I
wasn’t
sure
what
he
was
doing,
but
I
got
into
my
place
for
the
play
anyway.
Despite
the
consequences,
we
performed
“The
Cross”
and
I
noticed
that
while
we
performed,
the
entire
crowd
of
kids
became
silent
and
all
eyes
turned
upon
us.
At
the
end
of
the
skit,
there
wasn’t
laughter,
there
wasn’t
clapping,
there
wasn’t
talking
.
.
.
the
only
sound
that
we
could
hear
was
the
sound
of
silence.
It
was
beautiful.
Performing
this
skit
required
us
to
put
all
of
our
faith
and
worldly
safety
in
the
Lord.
It
was
one
of
the
neatest
experiences
I
have
ever
had.
God
spoke
through us to those kids and they accepted it and listened. God truly is an awesome God.
God
filled
this
trip
with
answered
prayer
and
spirit
filled
adventures.
Whenever
we
were
in
need,
He
was
always
there
and
willingly
to
help
us
out.
From
smaller
seemingly
insignificant
needs
to
spiritual
warfare,
God
was
constantly
in
the
foreground.
He
delivered
water;
He
got
us
out
of
a
dangerously
hot
van;
He
kept
us
safe
(both
in
travel
and
in
witnessing);
He
kept
me
from
sickness;
He
gave
us
time
to
spend
with
those
precious
children;
and
He
defeated
Satan
throughout
the
trip.
I
learned
the
importance
not
only
of
prayer
but
of
reading
and
meditating
in
the
word.
One
verse
that
I
often
turned
to
was
the
well
known
verse
in
Matthew
7:
“Ask
and
it
will
be
given
to
you;
seek
and
you
will
find;
knock
and
the
door
will
be
opened
to
you.
For
everyone
who
asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.”
Leaving
the
children
was
the
most
heartbreaking
thing
that
I’ve
ever
had
to
do.
Both
the
team
and
the
children
cried
from
Thursday
night
all
through
Friday
night,
even
after
we
had
left.
We
grew
so
close
to
these
children
that
I
sometimes
cry
here
at
home
when
I
think
about
them.
I
loved
getting
to
know
the
kids
.
.
.
from
Nadia’s
smile
.
.
.
to
Andre’s
beautiful
eyes
.
.
.
and
from
Katya’s
facial
expressions
.
.
.
to
Angela’s
giving
heart
.
.
.
and
Ira,
and
Olya,
and
Anton,
and
.
.
.
each
one
very
special.
Some
of
the
kids
asked
me
if
I
had
gifts
to
give
them
before
I
left
.
.
.
I
replied,
“Yes.
I
have
the
best
gift
of all. Though I am going home, I will leave you Jesus and his love . . . I will never forget you.”
As
we
got
onto
the
bus,
we
were
crying,
the
kids
were
crying,
and
at
that
point
I
knew
that
the
memories
that
I
experience
on
that
trip
will
never
leave
me.
And
they
haven’t.
There
has
not
been
one
day
when
I
haven’t
thought
of
my
trip
to
Ukraine.
As
I
cry
writing
this,
I
recall
the
last
I
saw
of
the
kids
.
.
.
We
had
just
detached
ourselves
from
their
hugs
and
crawled
upon
the
bus.
Everyone
was
in
tears.
They
all
had
their
hands
against
the
windows
on
the
outside
of
the
bus
and
we
were
inside,
looking
down
from
the
window
at
the
grief
of
the
children.
And
then
the
engine
started,
and
we
slowly
and
painfully
drove
away
from
the
kids
.
.
.
“To
Him
who
is
able
to
keep
you
from
falling
and
to
present
you
before
His
glorious
presence
without
fault
and
with
great
joy
--
to
the
only
God
our
Savior
be
glory,
majesty,
power
and
authority,
through
Jesus
Christ
our
Lord,
before
all
ages,
now
and
forevermore!
Amen.”
