December 17th visit to "SB"
After receiving our referral on Friday late afternoon, we took the Metro back to Karen’s apartment and finished packing for our weekend in Kherson. We were going to be spending time with the CBN crew to visit 3 different orphanages and 1 boys transitional home called Joshua’s house. We were packed and decided to order Domino’s Pizza (yes they now deliver in Ukraine) to share with the Deyoung family, who were enroute from Munich for a week visit in Kherson. After filling our bellies with pizza, we were off to the train station. All 8 of us headed to the train with lots of extra luggage filled with donations for orphans in the Kherson region.
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| The DeYoung and Stoesz family and George |
The train departure was relatively uneventful other than our taxi being pulled over by the police for careless driving. We all nestled into our cabins for the fun night on the train.
Arriving fresh and well rested in Kherson, Karen and her crew met us with smiles with the huge CBN 17 passenger van.
Our first stop would be Stara Zburivka to met 91 orphans and have a Christmas program that CBN organized. The party was filled with kids making crafts, decorating sugar cookies, and watching a wonderful skit staring CBN crew. One of the highlights for the children was receiving a Bible and a chocolate bar as a gift from CBN. A special thank you goes out to all of you who shopped and donated Christmas decorations, crafts and cookie frosting & sprinkles, it was such a joy to see the children enjoy their time making ornaments, decorating the sugar cookies and hanging ornaments on the tree.
Being here in Ukraine and spending time with orphans during the Christmas season has been such a blessing.
It’s exactly where I want to be.
It is hard to see what we have seen and not forget. Meeting kids that only want one thing for Christmas….a family. They are starving for attention and often I am smothered by their little dirty hands and they just want to be next to me, getting hugged and ask for me to take a picture of them. They talk to me as if I can understand them, I wish I could. I see their smiles; their beautiful eyes their warm hearts. These children are getting their basic physical needs met; they have food, shelter, clothing and some education. The orphanage does the best they can with what little they have. The teachers and workers seem to tend well to the kids.
As I observe the “craft” time, I see how certain children will get picked on and bullied. Many times there would be little girls in tears because someone took their glue, or scissors. I see older boys trying to take something from the younger kids. I see elbows and shoves and small scuffles with one another. I see kids trying to watch out for themselves, trying to only survive in this harsh world that they are living in. Just by being there and helping them with their ornaments would light up their faces.
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| A room full of 91 orphans excited for the visit |
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| Karen helping with the frosting of cookies |
Spending so much time with these precious children is heartbreaking. I continue to smile, hug, encourage, take pictures and embrace as many as I can, even though inside my heart breaks and is filled with sadness and wonder. I wonder what God has planned for all these special children? I wonder if our visit will only make it harder on the children? I wonder how I can do MORE to help MORE children! I wonder what each and every one of us can do to help just one child. It is so easy to turn away and forget about the orphans of the world. “Out of site, out of mind” as they say.
We cannot forget these lost children, not only of Ukraine, but also of the entire world. I wonder about the imbalance that seems to be everywhere in this country of Ukraine. So much poverty and poor as well as so many enjoying the finer things of life. The rich drive Lexus, BMW’s, wear designer brand clothing, live in very expensive lofts etc. . The clothing styles of the women, the availability of alcohol everywhere, the provocative life styles of so much of this society is evident.
On the other side of this imbalance are the people of the village who are just trying to survive. As for orphans, well, they are at the bottom of the society pecking order! I pray that God continues His watch over these precious, vulnerable children, protecting them and sending angles to them (The staff at CBN) as often as possible.
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| Karen, Galina and Oksana...Angels on earth |
Karen Springs, Oksana and Galina are truly angles living on earth, bringing hope to the orphans in Ukraine. Watching them minister to all the children, young and old, was so moving. Their selfless giving hearts, the love they give to the children and orphanage staff is simple, pure and filled with care and concern. CBN has loyal volunteers as well, Sasha, Roma, Alena plus many others, donating their time and energy to help the CBN staff.
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| Rhya handing out Bibles |
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| Sweet girl |
The highlight of the party was the skit, which talked about Christmas and explained why we celebrate Christmas and that it is the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Concluding the party, the kids enjoyed their chocolate bars and looked through their new bibles.
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| Mary, Baby Jesus and Joseph stenciled on the window |
Clarke and I were able to meet privately with past UOO campers and give them gifts from friends back home. They were all very thankful and filled with smiles and hugs and all the kids say hello to their friends in Colorado!
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| 2007 & 2008 UOO campers |
Kris
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