Before I leave for work today, I have to post this link:
UTAH VISIT THRILLS RUSSIAN ORPHANS
Thousands of miles from their hometown, five orphans and two of their teachers oohed and ahhed at the architecture in Utah's Capitol.
FULL STORY: http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,700238789,00.html
(Sorry, you'll have to cut-and-paste it. For some reason, I can't get it to link.)
My friend, Stephanie Haynes, visited this orphanage with her mother in 2004. This short visit made a huge impression on her. Much like Greg Mortenson and his drive to help the people of Pakistan, Stephanie has been driven to help the children of Sovietsk have opportunities for education, growth and personal happiness and peace in their lives.
In 2005, I was able to go with Stephanie and her mother, Eva-Maria, to Sovietsk. We taught the kids to knit, played volleyball, sang songs, danced and went for walks in the woods with them. Though I don't speak Russian, and they didn't speak English, we were able to build friendships and enjoy each other's company. These children deserve the opportunity to grow beyond the limits that are placed on them by their situation, and I'm so glad that this group of girls and their teachers were able to come to the US and see what possibilities the world holds for them.
2 comments:
I didn't know you did this. I finally met Lena, who has been working in Katya's orphanage, this year when she came to visit in SLC. (She worked as an interpreter for some humanitarian missionaries and they invited her to come out.)
I still think about Russian orphanages a lot.
Thanks for posting this link, Di! We had the best time with those girls. During their visit they had their first airplane ride, restaurant meal, ride on a roller coaster, and miniature golf game; they met their first African American family, went to their first play, made quilts, roasted marshmallows, and stayed in homes with two parents who cared about their kids and where no one was addicted to drugs or alcohol. It was an amazing experience for all involved and I feel so lucky to know so many generous people. It was hard to send them back. One of the girls is applying to BYU's ESL program for next year. We just returned from this year's visit to the orphanage. It was as fun as always, and now we'll be sponsoring 4 kids as they go to vocational school.
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