Most donors today are familiar with the concept of exponential growth versus linear growth. Nevertheless, it is interesting to think about again. If you were to reach 1000 kids’ lives each year, in ten years you would have reached 10,000 kids. But if you reached only 12 in two years and those kids reached another 12 in two years and so on exponentially, you would reach 248,832 kids in the same ten year period!
We all want to reach the most people possible with the good news of Jesus Christ. But what does it mean to really “reach” someone? For us, this means to befriend, invest in, love, journey with, and live out the good news to someone, as well as tell them about it. We would probably all agree that this is impossible to do with more than a few people at any given time.
This strategy – investing deeply in the lives of a few – was the Lord’s strategy and model to us as he worked with his disciples. The Harbor is committed to ministering deeply and individually to each young adult orphan. Not only will such care and development empower these orphans to reach others with Christ’s love, but it will also mirror the genuine love and attention that God demonstrates to each of us as individuals. God’s love has transformed our lives and we believe that it will transform the lives of Russia’s orphans. Will you join us?
FUTURE
OUR LONG-TERM GOALS
- Secure eight permanent apartments, each housing eight young adult orphans and full-time mentors.
- Develop a Professional Training Center offering degrees in twelve professions.
- Train leaders for 250 programs within Russia and another 100 in the other CIS nations.
- Financially support the program through businesses and endowments.
PROGRESS SO FAR
| CATEGORY | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | Total |
| Orphans helped | 4 | 4 | 8 | 13 | 13 | 16 | 16 | 21 | 74 |
| Staff working with orphans as mentors, counselors, trainers, pastors, administrators, and tutors |
4 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 |
| Orphans served through community service in the baby home or orphan hospital |
4 | 4 | 20 | 20 | 25 | 80 | 80 | 80 | ~240 |
| Harbor graduates | 0 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 6 | 12 | 16 | 3 | 50 |
| Individual partners | ~50 | ~100 | ~150 | ~210 | ~250 | ~260 | ~314 | ~322 | ~350 |
| Church partners in Russia & America | 2 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 11 | 14 | 14 | 14 |
| Foundations/Charitable Trusts/Corporate partners | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 8 | 8 | 8 |
Russian volunteers partnering with The Harbor: 5-10 per year (average)
Harbor graduates working at The Harbor as volunteers: 3 per year
Facilities as of March 2008: 3 residential apartments and 1 office/professional training center apartment
THE GOAL for 2008-2009
2008: Locate separate facility to host Professional Training Center (PTC)
2009: Rent 2 more residential apartments to house 16 new orphans every two years
2009: Rent 1 more residential apartment for Next Step phase (post-adaptation)
