A couple weeks out of every year, Linda and Jerry Harmon's garage is stuffed with peanut butter.
For the past seven years, the Statesville couple — with the help of some area churches — has collected the nutty spread and clothing for Little Lambs Ministry to distribute to orphans in the Ukraine.
November's shipment should make it just in time for Christmas, which is celebrated on Jan. 7 in the Ukraine.
"They can take the peanut butter and keep them from starving for a long time," Jerry Harmon said. "Most of the time, they can get bread."
In 1995, the Harmons attended a service at Faith Baptist Church, where retired pastor Joe Hester spoke about the needs of the Ukrainians.
After praying about it, the Harmons decided they should spend some time in the former Soviet republic. Their bags were packed by May 1996.
Since then, they have helped raise money used for churches, remodeled old buildings, added on to buildings, and worked in children's camps, taught backyard Bible schools and helped young people further their education.
"We usually stay three weeks," Jerry said.
The recipients of their good will are very grateful, Linda said. She has an entire room filled with handmade items people have given her just to say thank you.
They met Renate Kurz and were introduced to the Little Lambs, a ministry Kurz founded in 1993 to help the Ukrainian orphans.
"We found out how we could help all year round," Linda said. "I guess the best thing that has happened to us since we've become believers is He has put us to work."
Linda said the farmers don't have modern equipment, and most of them don't have a way to preserve food except to store it into root cellars.
Americans who do the mission work with the young children often share stories about how the orphans will hide bread in their mattresses for the wintertime, Linda said.
"The children will break your heart when you see them," she said.
The Harmons said God has been good to them in their efforts to help others. Jerry said they've always been able to find a trucking company willing to take on their shipments. C Line Trucking Co. of Statesville hauled two skids of clothing and peanut butter to the Chicago area in November for free.
"It's just great what the Lord will do," Linda said.
The Harmons' own ministry doesn't just extend to children halfway around the world.
They also help with the bus ministry at Calvary Baptist Church in Statesville. Linda said she sometimes goes through the clothing and finds an item she knows one of her bus children might like.
It's not unusual to have the children over to their house when school is out for some pizza and a game of Monopoly.
"I'm not a rich person, but I'm enjoying doing a lot of things I didn't get to do as a mother," Linda said. "It only takes one person to make a difference in a community."
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