Greg and Kim Lucas are a testament to grace in so many ways as God has worked in and through their son’s disabilities to change their lives. If you have not read Wrestling with an Angel you need to. If you need a copy we will gladly get one in your hands. It is truly a “must read”.

Enjoy this video recently created about their story.

Wrestling With An Angel from Brian Patton on Vimeo.

Thank you all for your prayers for our trip to Ukraine. We arrived home on the night of the 22nd and have been getting settled back in here for a couple of days. What a great trip it was!

It is hard to know where to start in communicating what this trip was for us, for TEF and our friends in Ukraine who hosted us. We have spent hours just decompressing and evaluating our rich time there. We tried to journal faithfully while there so that we didn’t forget the details in the midst of taking in all that the ministries of the two churches there are doing. So bear with as as we share snippets of our time there, hopefully it will be cogent.

Kaharlyk (Kaw-gar-leek)

Danny and Liese Foote were our hosts for the first half of our journey. Danny is co-pastor of Calvary Chapel, a church plant in the town of Kaharlyk. They are Americans but have been serving in Ukraine for about 10 years, they met at a Bible school in Switzerland and have been married for 5 years. Danny is also part of InLumine. They are wonderful people, we enjoyed our time with them immensely. Danny is a master of Ukrainian history and all pertaining facts which was very helpful in understanding the culture.

Kaharlyk is a town of about 10,000 people south and slightly east of Kiev about an hours drive. The area surrounding is made up mostly of agricultural land. Lots of farms. The town serves several villages outside of town. Many of the homes in the villages have no running water and are made up of Soviet era housing. It is a beautiful little country town.

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Calvary Chapel was blessed with a building several years ago that was a former Soviet era sewing factory and they have made great use of the facility. It houses the lead pastor and his family and also has a two bedroom flat for hosting guests and has ample space for the sanctuary and other ministry functions. This is where we stayed during our stay in Kaharlyk.

I will try to summarize the ministry of Calvary as succinctly as I can as it is multifaceted. Pastor Wayne has been there from the start and he and his wife, Olya, and their children live at the church. Pastor Wayne is very entrepreneurial and has always been cognizant of how they can impact the community through job creation. He has undertaken bio-fuel generation as one means of doing this – very interesting to say the least! As I mentioned before Danny co-pastors with Wayne and does quite a bit of teaching, counseling and discipling.

Calvary is very active in the community working with a local alcohol and drug rehabilitation center, abstinence education in the schools and orphan care among other things. It is a very mobilized congregation and one that has grown through conversion in a land that is staunch Orthodox. A contingent of them have taken on the orphan care on their own and are reaching out to area orphanages and have recently started having them in their homes on weekends. There is a group of young girls in particular who have taken orphan ministry and the disabled to heart in a very unique and counter-cultural way by loving on these precious people.

We spent our time there participating in the life of the church (Bible study, prayer meetings, orphanage visitation and a church gathering). It was so enjoyable to be with God’s people on the other side of the world. We were encouraged by the faithful shepherding of Danny and Wayne and by their wonderful wives.

I spoke for a special gathering on ministering to the disabled. It went well considering that I had to learn the “ropes” of speaking through a translator. After I spoke, Danny opened it up for a time of Q&A. The Q&A time went on for about an hour with excellent questions. The sincerity of these believers was remarkable. I spoke with one lady for a while as she faithfully pursues a woman she knows who has a disabled child but the woman rejects her efforts to help. This lady is relentless in her pursuits and I encouraged her to continue with that in all discernment. Tamara and I spent time with three young ladies who have a remarkable affinity for the disabled. As they spoke about a couple of children with disabilities they had huge smiles on their faces and talked about how much they enjoy them and want to help them. It was amazing!

Let me pause here to talk about disability in Ukraine briefly. During the Soviet era those with disabilities or disease were considered a burden to the collective and could not contribute so they were largely institutionalized. Parents were strongly encouraged at the birth of a special needs child to give them over to the institutions. Very few parents kept their children to raise on their own. This governmental stance produced an extremely negative mindset and culture towards disability and disease. Those parents who kept their children or those individuals who lived with disease were ostracized, outcast and oppressed.

The conditions present in the institutions were, and is some places now are, deplorable. We have all heard stories of what these places were like. Children left in their beds laying in their own waste, workers barely providing even the most basic of care, abuse, disease and so much more. As these children would “time out” (at certain ages they would be moved to a facility for the next age group) in one institution they would then be moved to others and over time end up in mental hospitals for life (or death).

For years and, even, generations that is what defined disability in the Soviet states. The mindset is still present in this culture. It is a part of the culture and the Ukrainian mind that has not yet been “westernized” or for the Ukrainian believer has not yet been redeemed in some cases. To see how through Christ and the Spirit’s work in His people these ladies at Calvary could have such a counter-cultural love and desire for the disabled is stark and humbling.

The young lady that heads up the children’s ministry for Calvary has a servants heart and has taken on the cause of the orphans. She and others have been faithfully visiting orphanages in the area and she has recently started having some of these orphans come to her home on weekends. She said, “How can I tell these children I love them and then just leave them?”. These kids are hearing the Gospel and being told of the one true Father.

Calvary is a great church and a great example of fruitful ministry. Danny and Wayne are serving with excellence and humility. The believers are warm, gracious and engaging. We were so encouraged by them.

Danny and Liese are deeply committed to their ministry. They have an intimate grasp on the culture they are serving and are thoughtful and careful about how they approach ministry in their context. Danny and I talked at length about Ukraine, ministry, church, missions and a host of other things and I thoroughly enjoyed him as a Brother and laborer in Christ. Tamara enjoyed her time with Liese and learning from a woman who has immersed herself in this ministry and is discipling the young ladies there with intention. Tremendous people with a Christ-centered, Gospel proclaiming and God glorifying work!

Our time in Kaharlyk was well spent and informative. We are looking forward to seeing how we might partner with them in their work there.

Part 2 of our trip will be up next…check back soon!

Justin and Tam

P.s. this is Danny’s sweet ride that treated us so well in our travels! The infamous Skoda FABIA!

Disabilities in much of the world are under-serviced and, at times, shunned by governments and peoples. A pervasive culture of death dictates the worth of a child by how much he or she contributes to society rather than the fact that the child has a life worth living and worthy of investment.

Although there are many countries whose orphanages and streets are full of children in need, TEF’s focus is on former Eastern Block countries.

Back in October we had the privilege of meeting Jake Knotts and Daniel Foote with In Lumine. Jake and Daniel are church planters in Ukraine – Jake in Chernigov and Daniel in Kaharlyk. The reason for our introduction was their desire to know how to more effectively serve children in the special needs orphanages near them. Since then we collectively desired to partner together in Ukraine.

A time slot that worked for them and us opened up several days ago and through God’s providence we will be heading to Kiev on May 11th! Please pray for us and our Brothers there as we head over to serve and survey the needs in Ukraine.

We are excited to take our first venture with Reach and anticipate an eye opening experience with opportunities abounding to work with and through the people of Ukraine to engage an enfold these precious children.

We will keep the “News” coming as we set out to Ukraine.

- Justin

Almost 14 years ago a boy named Elisha came into this world and out of his life with Down Syndrome was ultimately born The Elisha Foundation. Years of thought and prayerful pursuit went into the endeavor of starting a ministry to those affected by disability. Finally, after eight and a half years the Foundation got its start and shortly thereafter held its first Retreat. That was 5 years ago now. Five years and a lot of ministry and growth.

In those 5 years God has worked in amazing ways to move in the hearts of those we serve and those who serve with us. We have seen lives changed, marriages restored and countless other fruitful evidences of His working in such kind and truly gracious ways. On this journey we have been given more and more opportunity to reach more people. TEF is being used for the great Kingdom work of Christ in building up faith in Christ and proclaiming the Gospel.

Along the way we have recognized the need for more resources to meet the challenges and opportunities before us. A part time effort can only accomplish so much. Early this new year the Board of the Elisha Foundation officially requested that Justin Reimer commit his full time efforts to the Executive Director role of TEF. Justin and Tamara gladly accepted and will begin April 18th!

This is “Big News” for us and a step that is needed but also comes as a large step of faith for both TEF as a ministry and the Reimer family, particularly. Justin will be stepping away from his life long vocation and the security of an established career. Pray for TEF and its continued ministry efforts. Pray for the Reimer family as they step out in faith to lead TEF forward.

Currently, Justin is responsible for the administration and oversight of the various ministry activities inside of Respite, Retreat and Reach. With his acceptance of his new full time role, his primary responsibility will be to raise funds for TEF to continue to provide and expand its ministry functions. Simultaneous to that he will continue to provide the needed administration and oversight for all ministry functions. We have tasked him with a large job encompassing great responsibility. Pray for him as he transitions to this vital role.

Justin and Tamara wanted to share the following:

“When Eli was born, nearly fourteen years ago, we recognized God’s call on us to the community of the disabled. In the time since He has faithfully provided us opportunities to minister to others and to the start of The Elisha Foundation. We have been so ministered to through all that these years have brought and, in the midst of that, have desired to devote more of our lives to the cause of the Gospel in disability.

To now be on the threshold of  our lives/time fully committed to that cause is energizing, anxious and humbling. What a gracious Lord we serve who put this desire in our hearts through the sovereign placement of Eli in our family! Pray for and with us as we take this step and thank you for your support past, present and future.”

As usual we are grateful to all who are a part of this work through being ministered to by us, through ministering with us or through your prayer and financial support.

It is our mission to continue to encourage families of people with special needs to more intimate faith in Christ, passionately lived out in love. Pray with us to that end.

Sincerely,

The Board of Directors of The Elisha Foundation

A short while ago I posted some thoughts about Eli on his birthday. In that post I shared about Eli’s first friend, Mr. Dave. You can read that post here. Just last month while in San Diego we were able to go spend the afternoon with Mr. Dave and his wife Katherine. They are a dear couple and sweet friends that we are honored to know.

Here are some pictures of Elisha and Mr. Dave that we took during our visit. While there Mr. Dave gave us a copy of his memoirs detailing his teenage years in Holland during WWII. What a gift to us to read the story of God’s hand of protection on this man who would become our son’s first friend.

Enjoy!

JDR

13 years ago today Elisha Alexander Reimer was born to us in Anchorage, Alaska. How time flies!

Thinking back over Eli’s life we can see not only the impact he has had on our lives but also on the lives of others. From day one, seeing the nurses in NICU tend to him and us in unique ways, was humbling. Then to be embraced by our entire village community in Alaska was amazing. There have been many “standing stones” in his life where look back and see monuments of grace from our sovereign God displayed through his life.

One of Eli’s earliest friendships was with an elderly man from the church we attended in San Diego, Mr. Dave Rottenberg. Each Sunday after church Eli would waddle his way through the people and find Mr. Dave outside and sit down with him and “talk”. Eli new more sign language than he did spoken words then but Mr. Dave didn’t care he just enjoyed the light in Eli’s eyes and the melodic chatter Eli would offer up. Each Sunday Mr. Dave brought Eli those little “Smarties” candies and they would “talk” as Eli devoured them.

There is an interesting dynamic to this friendship between Mr. Dave and Eli. Dave grew up in Holland during WWII where his father was a Dutch Reformed pastor who was taken prisoner 6 months into the war and later died in a nazi death camp. At the age of 15 Dave was working with the Dutch underground. He was faced with many unusual trials as a teenager where his very facial expression while passing SS officers in the street determined life or death for him. What a contrast in teenage years between my son and his friend Dave.

Yet I reminded that the though nazi extermination machine has long since ceased due, in part to the indomitable courage of friends like Dave, there is still a pervasive culture of death in our country that would eliminate children like my son. With the prenatal diagnosis tools being used extensively in North America, around 90% of babies with prenatal diagnosis’ of Down Syndrome are being killed. The killing of what is essentially an entire civilization.

I can’t imagine my life without Elisha. His unconditional love is inspiring, his smile is contagious, his struggles bring me growth, his victories bring me elation, his love for Jesus is simple and precious. Why would we want children and adults like him eliminated from our lives, from our churches, from our society?!

The battle against this culture is one with few allies to be sure, but there is one that trumps all others – JESUS. Jesus spent much of His time on this earth with the disabled and infermed loving them and making them examples of His grace in the this fallen world. Do we approach those with disabilities in the same fashion? Do we shy from the controversial subjects in eugenics, abortion and the like? We should embrace these challenges head on and fully engaged with the Gospel of Christ. We need to faithfully proclaim the Gospel and engage in Gospel conversation those who oppose Him, those who advance ideologies of death, those who would eliminate ones we love. We need to do this with grace and love, but with the certainty of the brevity of our own lives – don’t neglect so great a salvation!

Mr. Dave was inspiration to us in our early parenting of a child with special needs. Our son had found his first friend in the least likely of peoples, but they shared so much that neither you nor I can really understand – an oddly common experience in life bonded by a Sovereign Providence. As I sit here I can picture Eli searching the crowd for Mr. Dave then finding him and moving as quickly as his barely-walking legs could carry him over to him. I see them sitting on a little flower bed wall, Eli just 3 years old and Mr. Dave silvery-white hair in his late seventies…they both have a gleam in their eyes and wide smiles on their faces. I am fond of those memories and the sweetness of the love they shared. Thank you Mr. Dave for being Eli’s first friend and for what you taught us who faithfully observed a friendship mostly without words but full of grace.

So my family and I will glory in Christ today at the celebration of another year of life granted my son, Elisha. Eli, we love you and thank Jesus for you every day!

From your father’s heart,
Dad

Several days ago we posted  the video “This Was Grace” about John and Dianne Knight and their family. The extended version just posted and we wanted to share more of their story with you…

“This Was Grace” Extended Version from Andrew Laparra on Vimeo.

JDR