vickie-blackson

Vickie Blackson

President

I have been married to my husband Mike since Aug. 1973. We have a son and a daughter and one granddaughter. She is my joy.

My first missions trip was to Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine in Aug. 2012. I spent a week at a summer camp where orphans were sponsored, some by my church. The day before we left Dnipropetrovsk we visited an orphanage that included infants with special needs. I came home knowing missions would be a part of my life even though I was not interested in going to the summer camp again.

The following summer I went back to Ukraine and spent a week living in an orphanage. On the way to the airport we stopped at a special needs orphanage. i met a teen age girl that touched my heart deeply.

The following year I went back again to Ukraine, this time I spent the time in the special needs orphanage and realized this was my passion.

In many places outside the United States children with physical and/or developmental handicaps are considered "throw aways", not of any value to society. I want to do what I can to change that by showing the love of my Savior Jesus Christ to the orphans and to the staff.

Mike Blackson

Co-director

After serving several years in Children’s Ministry at church I started volunteering with the Special Needs Ministry.  It was a reluctant move for me.  It seemed each time one of the special needs kids came into the classroom they wanted to be close to me, I would be friendly with them, but would find ways to try to move away.  My wife, Vickie, finally convinced me that maybe there was a reason they came to me and that I should consider changing where I was serving.

I did and now I often tell people: “Never assume these kids can’t do something.”  They have answered Bible questions that some adults could not answer.  They memorize Bible verses quicker than I can.  I’ve heard them play songs on a keyboard by ear without missing a note.  I’ve seen them drive a golf ball 200 yards.  They participate in martial arts, hockey, swimming, and can tell you who their favorite sports team is playing each week.  They dance and sing, and can let you know what they like, and what they need, when they can’t say a word.

It's the reason I serve.

Graciela Lacey

Graciela Lacey

Development Director

I have been a California Licensed Vocational Nurse for the past 22 years and a Licensed Professional Massage Therapist for the past 20 years.


As a Medical Missionary I’ve traveled to the Congo twice for Doctors On Call for Service (DOCS) and traveled alone eight times to Kitali, Kenya to help the local staff in a small facility and work with the poor and disabled. I’ve also gone on two mission trips to Honduras with the Rice Foundation and a team from middle Georgia.


In the past eight years my focus has been in Ukraine, where along with missionary work, I taught courses in Massage Therapy, Basic English, and Spanish. I’ve worked in villages located anywhere from 800 meters to 2 kilometers from the war zone in eastern Ukraine.


Because of my passion my husband, Ron, was inspired to participate in missionary work for the less fortunate. He’s traveled to southern Mexico to assist at an Indian tribe’s orphanage in the small village of Juxtlahuaca, and to southern Peru to visit a seminary for young priests.


Together we have been part of local community service in Southern California to feed the homeless in the Salvation Army and Catholic Workers’ shelters in Santa Ana.