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.