Open Arms

Open Arms
...caring for orphans and adoptive families...

Thursday, September 17, 2009

He can...

As we said yesterday, this week we have spent a lot of time with Jenya. We haven't discussed it out loud, but we all know the time is drawing near for our departure.

Most afternoons we go to watch Lyonya and Pasha play basketball at #4. Lyonya loves playing basketball. Jenya proudly says he taught him!


AFTERNOON BASKETBALL (Pasha is in the green Mexico shirt and Lyonya is in the red and white stripe shirt)


PASHA'S MUSIC LESSON


Andrei is always excited to see us waiting to visit. He comes running down the long, steep flight of purple stairs to spend a little time with us before it would be time for him to go back inside for the evening meal.





Our evenings are enjoyable. One night we stop at a friends apartment to share dinner,visit and encourage each other a little before catching the bus downtown to spend a few hours with Jenya, another night we attend a small prayer meeting at another friends apartment. There is never enough time for all we want to do and see and experience. The time here is just seems to fly by.

We asked Jenya a lot of questions this week about the trade school he attends. As best we can understand with the language barriers, Jenya attends the trade school that is offered to orphans when they graduate. He is studying mechanics. We're told that most of the graduates never make it thru the school. It seems that they are taught some of the basics of their field, but if they want anything advanced there are additional fees. Of course they have no means of paying an additional fee. They receive a small stipend from the government if they stay in the program but that may or may not show up and then it is barely enough to survive. The school day last from early morning to six or seven in the evening so there is not much chance to work. It is a four year program. The living conditions in the dorms is pretty difficult. It's almost impossible for these orphans to break out of the cycle.

It's so difficult knowing these are our children and leaving them each night in the orphanage. Only a few more days...only a few more days....but what about the ones we will leave behind. Please pray with us for these children. They also need a hope and a future. They need His glory to fall on their young lives and transforms them into His own children. We might not be able to take them all home, but He can!

1 comment:

  1. I'm so enjoying catching up on reading the blog. I haven't read it in a while. It warms my heart to see your family pictures and seeing the kids play basketball and say goodbye to their friends (their family). Is that Marat in the blue shirt playing basketball with the boys? It looks like him. So sweet......all of them!
    My heart breaks for those who are trying to make it in collge (trade school). I have two 20 year old friends who are trying to survive in this world. One has it made....he lives with his mom, works, and is still going to school. The other has probably not been able to go back. His grades weren't very good and they consider him lazy. He has no support of family or any adults or Christians. Go figure that he doesn't have motivation. : (
    My dear friend, Igor, and my husband and I want to start some sort of program to help these kids. So many of them lose hope and motivation and just end up on the streets doing what ever they have to do to survive. Very sad.
    I'm so happy for your family and will continue to pray for you!
    Pam www.PassionForUkraine.blogspot.com
    d7defrees@hotmail.com

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