Report from the 2002 "Face of a Child" Team

As the Little Samaritan Mission (LSM) vehicles arrived on the premises of the state orphanages, excited little eyes peeked from behind frosted windows.  The children know that every time people from the Little Samaritan Mission visit, it is a special day, a holiday! Children in 38 state orphanages were blessed last year with the 2002 “Face of a Child Backpack” Project.

The backpacks were distributed during the months of December and January. There were plenty of obstacles along the way: containers delayed, customs difficulties, long drives on dangerous roads, temperatures of -18 degrees Celsius (0 degrees Fahrenheit), and many others. But, with God's provision and your prayers, each backpack arrived at it’s destination: the extended arms of a child. The picture attached to each backpack gave each child the assurance that this backpack was especially for him/her and that someone in America loved them so much as to send a gift for Christmas. Christian literature (Keys for Kids) and a holiday meal (sponsored with the $6 shipping cost) were provided for each child.

Volunteers from the United States and LSM staff distributed the backpacks in the orphanages, sometimes going to 2 or 3 orphanages in one day. Words are too few to describe the joy of the children as they received their backpacks, their treasures, only to open them  and to find the contents of school supplies, clothing, shoes, socks, soap, toys, etc. Although these children were abandoned by parents and relatives, they now had a new family.

One little girl said it best: "I know that the family who made this for me lives far away.  I know that they speak a different language than I do, and I know I may never see them, but they love me! They know about me here in an orphanage in Moldova." How precious it is to a child to know that God cares for him, provides for him, and shows His love through the kindness and generosity of individuals and families who participated in the Face of a Child Project and in the ministry of the Little Samaritan Mission, to bring hope to the children of Moldova.

Thank you for your sacrifice and your willingness to reach out across thousands of miles into the life of a child living in a state orphanage. We are humbly grateful to God for the opportunity to serve the children of Moldova and we thank you for your partnership in this ministry. It is our hope that through the images of the children on the following pages and their letters, you will have a glimpse of the distribution and the impact this project has had in the lives of the children. Their letters and their happy faces will be the storytellers.

                                                            God bless you,

                                          Joann, David, Donnie, Laura, and Stephanie