Andrei – Andrei is one of my many new friends from Ukraine! During the last eight days we have hung out of vans shooting photos together and he has saved me from some tight scrapes, holding on to me … Continue reading →
August 8th, 2017 – Day 8 of a 26 day, 11 flight and 4 country adventure, Capturing Grace in France, Ukraine, Russia and Spain. Mine and Carissa’s last day with the World Without Orphans Cycling team was epic as we … Continue reading →
Albert – A chaplain and father of 12 adopted children, Albert did not start out working with youth. He used to be the manager for an adult rehab center. When he heard a sermon about adoption, he had the revelation … Continue reading →
August 7th, 2017 – Day 7 of a 26 day, 11 flight and 4 country adventure, Capturing Grace in France, Ukraine, Russia and Spain. Today we cycled west from Paris to the tiny country Hameau of Guillonville, population 423. France … Continue reading →
Sasha – Some children are rescued while they are small, but even those with a late start can blossom beautifully. A perfect example of that is Sasha. A bright and resilient boy, Sasha joined the Pilgrim children’s program when … Continue reading →
August 06th, 2017 – Day 06 of a 26 day, 11 flight and 4 country adventure, Capturing Grace in France, Ukraine, Russia and Spain. Day six was a rest day for our World Without Orphans cycling team, spending it in … Continue reading →
August 5th, 2017 – Day 05 of a 26 day, 11 flight and 4 country adventure, Capturing Grace in France, Ukraine, Russia and Spain.
Last night we stayed in the quaint village of La Borde, Chattillon -la-Borde & Soignies-en-Brie. Waking to the sounds of church bells, I enjoyed my morning coffee while walking the grounds of a castle, complete with mote.
We rolled into Paris, France today. Everywhere we went people asked Gennadiy about his boys. The opportunity this pastor has to promote adoption is remarkable.
The boys experienced their first ever visit to the city of lights, enjoying croissants under the Eiffel Tower. Having grown up on the streets of Ukraine, abandoned and homeless, the contrast here is hard to fathom. God has used pastor Gennadiy in a powerful way to change lives in the name of Jesus, encouraging all those he encounters to consider adoption and embrace his passion for a world without orphans.
DETAILS ABOUT THIS TRIP-
I am so excited to photograph The World Without Orphans Bike Tour as thy make their way from Paris to the Atlantic Ocean. In just two days from today I will ride with this team as they make their way through Chartres, Le Mans, Angers and Nantes, ending at the west coast of France in the town of Saint-Nazaire.
“This bike campaign is organized by partners in the World Without Orphans movement and is being led by Gennadiy Mokhnenko, pastor and director of Republic Pilgrim, which is the largest rehabilitation program for street youth in Ukraine. Gennadiy and his wife Lena are parents to 32 previously abandoned children.
“My adopted children used to live on the streets. Some of them were as young as 4, and we knew if we didn’t take them, most would end up dead or in prison,” Mokhnenko said.
Gennadiy understands that his own family is not the typical example for adopting children, but he believes strongly that everyone can do something. See the beautiful video about Gennadiy Mokhnevnko’s story of adopting these thirty two children. I highly recommend watching Almost Holy as well, a full length movie about Gennadiy and his life’s work in Ukraine.
The World Without Orphans around-the-world bike tour seeks to advocate for orphans in need of families, encourage national adoption in the countries where they ride, and encourage the development of solutions to end orphanhood worldwide.
The World Without Orphans Bike Tour began in 2011 when a group of Ukrainian orphans from Mariupol started riding eastward to raise awareness about orphans. Their quest continued on for 4 summers, and led them to far-east Russia, covering a total of 15,000 kilometers. Tens of thousands attended gatherings that were set up as part of the tour, while hundreds of thousands heard the message about adoption through local media campaigns. As the team continued on in their ride east they regularly heard news of families who had stepped forward to foster and adopt children as a direct result of the campaign.” – From the World Without Orphans website
This year these courageous young bikers started in Bochum, Germany on July 16th and have made their way through Germany and Switzerland before this years tour ends at the west coast of France. While on the tour, the group will speak at public events, hold press conferences, and meet with foster and adoptive parents throughout Europe.
[In August my daughter Carissa and I set off on a 26 day, 11 flight and 4 country adventure, Capturing Grace with our camera’s as we journeyed through France, Ukraine, Russia and Spain. I am now back at home in the US, posting about the experience of those twenty six days from my journal]
August 4th, 2017 – Day 04 of our 26 day, 11 flight and 4 country adventure, Capturing Grace in France, Ukraine, Russia and Spain. This man and his boys… don’t try to tell Gennadiy Mokhnenko that a world without … Continue reading →
August 3rd, 2017 – Day 03 of a 26 day, 11 flight and 4 country adventure, Capturing Grace in France, Ukraine, Russia and Spain. We loved our two days in Paris, the food, sights and sounds were as memorable as … Continue reading →
August 02, 2017 – Day two of our 26 day, 11 flight, 4 country adventure is underway. Today we explored Paris a while preparing to join the World Without Orphans biking than tomorrow. We loved visiting the Portraits de Cézanne … Continue reading →