Gabriel and Kelly Young both knew God was calling them to advocate for orphaned and vulnerable children from around the age of seven, and that calling on their lives has only continued to grow and become further defined throughout the years. Although Gabriel and Kelly didn’t meet until they were 18 years old, they can look back and see the countless ways that God was working in their lives to ultimately lead the two together—all while pursuing the calling of advocating for vulnerable children. Gabriel and Kelly met while on a global orphan care training trip in China together in 2015 and the two became great friends, which led to them dating a few years later and getting married in March of 2021.
Gabriel and Kelly love to reflect on the way God wrote their stories and lives together as they share the same life-calling of caring for vulnerable children and families. From serving together in China, both learning from wise leaders at the annual Chrisitan Alliance for Orphans Summit, to joining together in serving orphaned and vulnerable children in Ukraine—there is nothing like sharing the same calling with your spouse. To be able to join hand-in-hand and heart-to-heart on this incredible (and often daunting) adventure that God has called us to is a testament to God’s great love for His children.
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Kelly has always had an interest in the medical field, due in part to the severe and extremely rare genetic syndrome she was diagnosed with in childhood. In 2021, Kelly completed an accelerated vocational nursing program and is a licensed nurse—something she has dreamed about since she was a little girl. Kelly feels both humbled and amazed to now be able to use her nursing education to better serve and love vulnerable children and families in Ukraine.
In 2017, Kelly and her best friend, Leah McGowan, founded New Song International—a nonprofit that serves orphaned and vulnerable children in Ukraine. The mission of New Song Int. revolves around orphan prevention and family preservation and has an emphasis on supporting families who have children with special needs. New Song Int. currently has an Emergency Medical Fund, which can help provide medical services to children in need of emergent medical care. The nonprofit is also working to establish a Mobile Medical Team that can provide medical and therapy services directly in the homes of the families they serve.
New Song Int. has a long-term goal of opening a family-style alternative care center in western Ukraine for medically fragile children who have been orphaned or abandoned. Additionally, they will build a medical resource center to serve not only the children in the alternative care center, but also families in the community who don’t have resources for their children with medical or special needs. This is how orphan care and family preservation will operate hand-in-hand. Nothing like this currently exists in Ukraine, and it will meet a huge need for countless children and families.
Gabriel and Kelly enjoying their future home city in Ukraine
“Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.” —James 1:27
“Чиста й непорочна побожність перед Богом і Отцем оця: зглянутися над сиротами та вдовицями в утисках їхніх, себе берегти чистим від світу.” —Якова 1:27
Kelly having a fun day in nursing school
Gabriel and Kelly currently live in central Houston and are actively taking steps toward moving to western Ukraine in the next couple of years.
Right now, the Youngs are focusing on Ukrainian language learning and Kelly has been taking one-on-one immersion lessons for a few years. Language development will continue to be a high priority and the couple plans on continuing intensive language learning well after moving to Ukraine. Additionally, they have spent the past 8+ months in a discipleship school with their church, in order to actively prepare their hearts and minds for long-term ministry in Ukraine.
Gabriel and Kelly are hands-on in developing all aspects of the ministry, but some of their roles include creating global medical resources, maintaining connections with various partners in Ukraine, overseeing the Emergency Medical Fund and Mobile Medical Team, as well as overseeing the development of the care centers.
Alongside these things, in March of 2023 the Youngs became a family of three, as Gabe and Kelly welcomed a healthy baby girl named Ellen Sloane! Parenthood has been a dream and a calling for each of them since they themselves were very young, and they feel incredibly blessed to be able to walk out that calling together.
WOULD YOU PRAYERFULLY CONSIDER BEING A PART OF WHAT GOD IS DOING IN UKRAINE BY BECOMING A MONTHLY SPONSOR?
By supporting the Young family, you become a co-laborer for the Kingdom of God, and a part of this ministry in supporting and encouraging biological families who are at risk of separating.
New Song Int. has an incredibly wise and discerning Board of Directors, serving in both Ukraine and the United States. Here you can find a Letter of Recommendation from J. Rick Adams, MD—Board Chairman of New Song International.
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