Back Home!

August 10,
Hi everyone!

We're home from 3 weeks in Ukraine! Our trip was challenging and amazing. We all four feel so blessed to have been able to go.

The conditions were difficult. Picture this: 30 or more people (some who only spoke Russian) sharing a dirty bathroom with one shower and 2 toilets. No tools or cleaning products available and no privacy. Sleeping in 55-year old sagging metal beds with torn and stained sheets and woolen blankets. That was a challenge.

Picture this: Pushing and shoving your way onto a crowed Soviet-era bus where everyone is standing, the windows are closed, everyone must hold onto overhead bars, and no one wears deodorant. You are an armpit away from the next person! Whew! Two buses we rode on broke down in the middle of the route. The driver got out and tried to tinker with the engine, but pretty soon everyone just got out and walked to the next bus stop to wait for another bus. That was challenging.

Picture this: Eating a mystery-meat-meatball every morning, along with cold oatmeal or barley with 2 chunks of cucumber on the side. No cold drinks, only hot, and no refrigeration available. Heat in the high 90's. That was challenging.

Picture this: Working with 55 orphans at the camp, many of whom were literally climbing the rafters and grabbing everything in sight. They needed to be taught manners desperately, but we didn't speak the language. The best we could do was lovingly and firmly show them how to behave. They hung onto us.

But picture this: Russian- speaking orphans who latch onto you and immediately begin calling you "Mama." Sweet smiles and hugs in abundance. Bibles given to the kids who will stand in line for an hour to get one, and then immediately sit down and begin reading them. Some of the kids read their Russian children's Bible within a day, and came back and asked for an adult Bible.

Picture this: Working with the oldest kids in the camp (non-orphans who were 15 or 16 years old). These were the star soccer players and dancers and fun leaders of the kids at camp. But given a choice of going to play sports or come to our class and do child-like crafts, they came to our class. It was hilarious to watch the big boys juggle the craft on their lap (no tables), and put the stickers on. Even these kids are hungry for love and attention.

Then picture this: The morning our team was preparing to leave the camp, nearly all the children - big and little rushed out to the front gates where we drug our luggage to wait for the bus. They were crying and we were crying. They would hold onto us, saying "Don't go!" in Russian. We would hug them and tell them, "Ya lyoobof vas," which means "We love you all." As we finally got on the bus and looked out the windows all the kids were waving their arms with tears streaming down their faces, and they ran after the bus as it pulled away.

That is our experience in a nutshell. We have so much more to tell, and I'm sure we will as time goes on. The travel alone was quite a grueling adventure. But for now I just want to share with you that Mark and I are considering adopting 2 of the orphan girls we met. They are sisters and their names are Jana (pronounced Zhana) and Ella. They are 12 and 11 years old. They've been in the orphanage for 3 years. We talked to them with the help of our translator, and they gave us information, but we're not 100% sure they are really adoptable or not. However, we are going to pursue this as fervently as we can. These two girls reached a special place in our hearts. They are both beautiful and gentle and loving. Our translators told us if we can adopt girls, do it. When they reach the age of 16 the orphanage puts them out on their own, and many of them resort to prostitution. That simply perpetuates the cycle of the children in the orphanages. We have a home and love to give and we feel we could make a difference in the lives of these girls. Nathan and Annie are all for it, as well. So, please pray about that for us, will you?

Well, just wanted to touch base and let you know of our adventure. Our normal life and routine seems so insignificant compared to what we've seen and experienced, but we're getting back into it. School starts again here tomorrow, so I'm back in the classroom already. Nathan leaves to go back to Abilene next Monday. We take Annie to Lubbock Christian next Tuesday the 19th. We'll have an empty nest for awhile, but then maybe God will fill it again!


Love,
Dawn and family