River of Joy Foundation
River of Joy is 3 years old and still in the formative stages. Current work includes village evangelism, foster care aid and development, repair and staffing of village kindergartens, basic regional humanitarian aid distribution, and a big building project of a children's rehab center and children's camp (slowed by lack of funds). For the past three summers we have held children's camps there. We are the first non-profit org ever registered in the Belagorsk region of Crimea. We have made a huge impression while under the microscope and have phenominal favor even among some Muslim government officials.
When the project is mature it will have a good Christian camp facility, include foster care training, child and family rehabilitation programs, family conferences and a team effort for village resource evaluations and planning, developing into their redeployment into work projects for village reconstruction based on sound business practices and Christian principles.
Ukraine
River of Joy Project in partnership with Light of Crimea Foundation grew out of an American Mission Teams effort to perpetuate the Kingdom of God in Crimea.
After the Soviet Union fell, Crimean villages, which had grown up around and depended on collective farms, lost most of their male workers to the big cities. Many women and children were abandoned. Desperation and lack of employment proved a catalyst for a sharp growth in drug and alcohol addiction. Evangelism in the villages has brought many decisions for Christ, but the villages are still very poor. We need to increase village evangelism efforts and begin serious village transformations. Meanwhile we are helping with foster care of challenged village children...
River of Joy Foundation has acquired two farms and a little land in a Central Crimean village. We are beginning to create a rehabilitation and training center for abandoned children and newly reborn adults. We have much building ahead...
Before beginning let us state that we work happily with many, "of like precious faith" who disagree with us on some details of doctrine. We agree with the Lausanne Statement of Faith and the Apostle's Creed, thus in Christ's pre-existance, cooperation in the work of creation, bodily birth, death and resurrection as recorded in scriptures. We believe Christ is coming back to receive his bride, the church. We believe God is one, as do Jews and Muslims, but we also believe in the Trinity. We believe God made man in His own image so man also has a three-part nature, though not so distinct and so readily distinguishable as God's. Jesus is 100% God and 100% man. How exactly that was done is for God to say.
We believe salvation is a process that begins with justification by faith (new birth), proceeds through sanctification with much help and the grace of God and is culminated with glorification at the resurrection. Thus being born from above (again if you wish) must begin with genuine repentance and proceed until there is an awakening and reconnection of the human spirit with The Holy Spirit of Almighty God.
We believe Jesus will come back for the church when we have done what He has commissioned us to do. ?And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.? (Matthew 24: 14) We think the Great Commission will be fulfilled before the Lord's return, which event we believe will happen in a 'kyros' rather than 'chronos' timing. It stands to reason that our Lord has waited so long to return because his bride has not made herself ready.
We believe Jesus Christ will return and gather together His church to Himself. We believe the church will be caught up to meet Him on His return. We believe the Kingdom of God is to be perpetuated here on earth vigorously until that event. The key to the success of that effort may be found in the high priestly prayer of our Lord in the garden just before He was arrested and shed His life blood for us on the cross. (John 17:20-23)
