(Written on Wednesday, May 8th, 2013)
Let me introduce you to Max.
Max is 25 years old.
He has adopted 12 kids.
He is a grandfather.
He is a lawyer.
He sponsors/works with and/or owns x-number of orphanages, disabled homes, transfer houses, single-parent homes, etc. throughout Kryviy Rih (our current city).
Max is an unsung hero. He works endlessly—only sleeps three hours a night (if that)—to care for “the least of these” and share the love of Christ with them. Not only does he invest in buildings and organizations, but he invests in people. He financially provides for several children, teens, and adults to have a place to live and/or work; but what’s more is that all the people in all these places know him personally. He’s not a far-removed donor or executive—he’s on the ground level, too. It’s really no wonder that the local pizza joint named a drink after him: the Cappuccino Max.
Since arriving in Kryviy Rih on Monday night, Team Luminous has been blessed to work with Max and our Christ family members from Canada—this team has blessed us in so many ways at several of these facilities.
Check it out >>
See that guy with the shoulder-length hair in the Hurley shirt? That's Max. He's Ukranian through and through, but speaks perfect English. Here, he's showing us part of the property that he hopes to one day turn into the transfer home for orphans. This building is going to be a church.
Max, with some of the boys at the first orphanage we visited. All the kids and staff know and look up to him–you can just tell.
Cherissa and I with a couple of the girls from the same orphanage. We played with them on the jungle gym bars and they gave us flowers.
Christine and Katie, with three of the teens at another orphanage. Unfortunately, the older the kids get, the less likely it is that they will be adopted.
Patty and me, with a woman from the disabled women's home that we visited. We were able to talk (kind of, haha) with them, pray for them, dance and sing with them, and we brought over bananas and candy!
"And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world…and so we know and rely on the love God has for us…" (1 John 4:14-16).
Jesus has that covered. But I can do what I can. Max does what he can, and with God, that's a lot.
