Team Ukraine Orphan Outreach Raises Money to Stop Child Trafficking

On Saturday, October 2^nd, Team UOO met bright and early for the Stop Child Trafficking Now (SCTNow) run in Denver.  Ironically, one of the headlines in The Denver Post that morning was about a local man arrested for sex trafficking teenagers.  First up was the stiletto run.  Brenda Laughlin and Kari Volf ran 80 yards and managed to stay on our feet the whole way.   Miss Colorado won the stiletto run with an impressive sprint in very high heels.  Next up was the 3k walk/run.  Sixteen of us walked/ran around Elitch Gardens, and we all made it to the finish line!  We enjoyed food and fellowship while listening to some inspiring speakers, including Sundy Goodnight.  She inspired all of us with her passion for SCTNow.  Sundy has a 14-year-old sister adopted from Ukraine.  The rest of the day was spent enjoying Elitch Gardens as they provided passes for all of the race participants.  Team UOO raised $2,225 to help stop child trafficking!  Thank you to everyone who donated to help our team!  If you would still like to donate, we have until December 31, 2010, to try and reach our goal of $5,000.  Click here to donate: http://sctnow.donordrive.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.team&eventID=614&teamID=6190

Team UOO: Stephanie Anderson, Jim Land, Brenda Laughlin, Caleb Schumacher, Joshua Schumacher, Paul Schumacher, Sarah Schumacher, Kris Stoesz, Natalize Stoesz, Ashley Volf, Josh Volf, Kari Volf, Clarence Young, Isabella Young, Jada Young, Janna Young

Kris’ time with Mel’s and Ruth’s house children – Oct 18 and 19

Mel’s and Ruth’s House

October 18, 2010

I arrived in Berdyansk via a 12-hour train ride from Kiev followed by a 2-hour car drive of which I said my prayers during the ride.  The road was very bumpy, wet and we went fast, passing every car, truck, van, tractor, bicycle on the way.  I arrived in Berdyansk around noon and was greeted by Nancy and Robin from Heart 4 Orphans.  They are staying at an apartment which is part of a church World Gospel Mission out of Indiana and it is very nice apartment.  Upon arrival I settled into my room which is the living room and Robin had prepared a lunch for us.  Dima (the lawyer representative on the Ukraine side for the house translation)  Dima speaks very good English and is 27 years old and has his PHD in US tax law and specializes in taxation.

After lunch Dima drove us to a small village about 20 miles outside of  Berdyansk.  It was another cold, windy, rainy day with pot holes filled with puddles.  Dima is very good and maneuvering around each and every pothole with out even blinking an eye, missing most of them.  When we arrived at the house, Marina, a 19-year-old girl who looks like 14, first greeted us.  She introduced us to the dog  “Boss”.  We walked around the grounds first and I was so impressed by the set up.  It had been raining all day so it was very muddy but the kids have been working on making paths of stone and other material to cut down on the mud sticking to their shoes.  I enjoyed my tour, starting with the summer kitchen (which is basically a shed) I was sad to find out the 3 of the girls are currently living in the shed.  The shed is no bigger than an 8×10 area and very tight accommodations and no heat.  The remaining 2 girls are sleeping in the house parent’s living room.   The grounds that I toured included a huge garden, maybe an acre?  The soil is so black and rich and very fertile.  There were still heads of cabbage left to be harvested later.  The kids showed us the green house they are starting to construct .  The frame is up and they hope to complete the construction by spring, this will enable them to start their garden early and possibly year round.  They had a bunch of chickens and roosters roaming everywhere.  With the chickens they receive about 10 eggs a day for eating!  10 pigs (one which is pregnant), 1 boar, 2 piglets and 1 named Mash in the freezer.   A slew of cats and kittens keeping down the population of mice could be found everywhere.  The 2 animals I have not mentioned were the pet rats, Masha and Vasya?  Yes….rats.  The kids love the white haired, pink eyed rats.  Me, not so much, but I was actually able to get the guts to pet one.

After the outdoor portion of the tour, we went inside the house.  The first room is the “mudroom” where it is customary in Ukraine to take off your shoes as soon as you enter any home.  There is a place for shoes, slippers and coat racks.  The first room to the left is a kitchen, that by Ukraine standards, is very large!  It has quite a bit of counter space, a table that I believe we squeezed over 20 people on as well as plenty of huge pots and pans to cook up enough food for a lot of very hungry teenagers.  Directly in front of the mudroom is the living room where the kids can watch TV, read, do crafts or even play a small electronic keyboard.  There is a restroom with laundry right off the living room as well.  At the back of the living room is the entrance to the 2 bedrooms which the 14 boys sleep in.  Actually 4 of the boys are sleeping on the floor in sleeping bags and gave up their beds for some newcomers.  Sasha, one of the oldest boys, was very proud to show us his creation he made from rocks/stones/shells.  Dima played a song for us on the electronic piano of which he composed and has only been playing the keyboard for 2 months.  Aliona (the house mom) explained how they sew all their curtains and sheets on the sewing machine in one of the bedrooms.

It was so neat to see how the kids interacted with one another and really how happy they were.  I just felt that they were so thankful to have a roof over their head, out of the rain and weather and with their house parents and friends.  This truly felt like a family.  With Dima there translating, we spent time talking and he explained the set up of the house as well as how the kids are responsible for chores both indoors and outdoors.

After about an hour of visiting, we sat around the table in the kitchen and had tea and coffee, along with some sweets that Nancy had brought.  This was a special time because we really got to hear their hearts and how they came to know the Lord.  Andre #2 (who is a single house parent mentor to the boys) was very curious to know Robin, Nancy and my testimony and to understand how God led us to Ukraine.  It was a very moving to hear Robins and Nancy’s and then I was able to give mine.  It was surreal to think, here I am in Ukraine and they want to me hear “my” story?  I don’t have one compared to what they have all been through!  I gave my testimony, explaining how God has blessed me and my family in so many ways and how it is on my heart to help children in Ukraine.   Dima did a very good job translating  (I believe) as when I had completed my testimony, Andre #2 had tears and was wiping them away.  Once the 3 “Amerikonskis” were done, Andre #2 started his testimony.  He moved me to tears as he talked about the very hard life, born in Kazakhstan.  After his father died at a young age, his mother moved with him to Ukraine.  They had very many struggles and it was hard to survive.   He was falsely convicted of a crime and sent to prison for 9 years in his early 20’s.  He endured much pain and hardship.  His mother had been praying for him to become a believer for a very long time.  In prison he was given a bible by a believer and was challenged to read it that night.  Andre said he laughed about such a god to do such great things.  He told the believer, “sure I will read it and show you it will not change me like you say it can”.  Andre#2 read the bible thru the night and by morning he made the public announcement to accept Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior.  Soon after that he prayed to God to take him to a safe place while he was still in prison.  He was taken actually to the worst part of the prison where he was beat, tortured and starved.  He asked God, “why”  but then understood the pain and suffering which Jesus had endured for our sins.  He spoke of Jesus to the prisoners that were beating him up.  Soon after this, a leader at the prison decided to have a separate area with 60 beds for the Christians.  As soon as it was offered to the prisoners, Andre said (translated by Dima) that it was like Moses and the Exodus out of Egypt!  Andre #2 and Andre (the house parent) met in prison and both testified to one another that they give their whole life to Jesus and want to be used for his glory!   After they left prison both Andre and Andre decided to pray about where God wanted to use them and they ended up coming to Mel’s house to help mentor boys.  Andre is married to Aliona.  A&A live in a very small apartment (about 600 sq feet) that attaches to the back of the house.  Nancy said it used to be a shed but they transformed it into a living space, 1 bedroom with bath, small kitchen and living room.

Boy’s testimonies

We heard 2 more testimonies that night from 2 of the boys.  Ilion and Ruslan both gave their testimonies and again  they both accepted Jesus and want to live their lives for the Lord!  Ilion comes from a drunken mother who had 10 children, all from different fathers.  He is such a wonderful boy, very engaging and outgoing.  He has many leadership qualities that I could see in him.  After graduating from technical school, he really wants to help at the house and mentor younger boys.  Ruslan had many hardships and remembers starving because there was no food in his house.  Their lives looked so bleak with not much hope.   Andre’s shared a story about how their family was so poor that their family would have to go to the farmers fields and try to find pieces of corn that had been left behind after the harvest and collect them to make corn meal for food.  As I sat and listened to these stories I felt so unworthy to be here with them sitting at the same table.  Here they have lived through so much in their lives yet are so hospitable, happy, filled with the joy of the Lord in their hearts.  God is doing some great things here at the house!  I see the children all have humble, serving hearts and anyone of their smiles would melt your heart.

House tour

After sharing, we decided to go look at the property that shares the same garden plot of land.  The new house has a blue gate, which is so typical of Ukraine; I think they have vats of this color blue!  Marie, who is soon to be the past owner, let us tour the house.  When you walk in there is a built in porch which will serve as a meeting room as well as where the shoes and jackets are put.  The are 3 large bedrooms, a large living area, hallway that leads to the bathroom, which in Ukraine it is standard to have the toilet bowl in a separate room then the sink and bath/shower.  There is also a washing machine in the bathroom.  The kitchen is in good condition and a good size as well. The condition of the house is very good, again to Ukraine standards.  There is a garage, which is large enough for 1 car and bikes/storage.  Another standard item you will find in Ukraine is a root cellar as well as an outhouse.  There is also a well for water that the house will use for drinking.

So both houses really serve and function as a whole, sharing the garden, the animals, the chores, fellowship with one another as well.

Dinner

After our tour of the house we headed back to the Mel’s house and the kids had started on dinner.  They were peeling potatoes, carrots, cutting up onions and cutting up some pork meat.  We pitched in to help (me being mostly the photographer) and enjoyed each other’s company.  Once dinner was prepared, we all sat around the table and blessed the food and ate.  I enjoyed watching the kids interact and engage with one another, noticing how giving all of them are and kind to one another.  The meal was very delicious and there was plenty for all!  After dinner we soon decided it was time to go.  We said a prayer in the living room and Dima drove us back to the apartment.  Wow, what a day.  My head was spinning and I could not get to sleep even though I am mentally, emotionally and physically exhausted!  I enjoyed falling to sleep listening to songs on my I-Pod, tonight Enya lullabies me to sleep.

Tuesday October 19, 2010

Today I was up bright and too early, catching up on Facebook and posting pictures.  It is very nice to have that connection to home and I appreciate all your messages and prayers.  I posted some pictures of the trip so far.

Breakfast was great, warm milk with like “Musili” cereal along with 2 cups of instant “Jacobs” coffee.  Today we met up with Aliona (house ma) and Alina (translator and Nancy’s friend who helped establish the home several years ago).  Marina came on the shopping trip too.  I was so glad to walk and get a chance to see Berdyansk.  Today was very windy with cold rain blowing and a chill in our bones!  Aliona was on a mission though; she had to get some shopping done for the kids!  Nancy with Heart 4 Orphans purchased many items for the house.  (Ukraine Orphan Outreach donated $50)  On the list to buy was: fabric for sheets which the girls will sew up, winter boots for some of the kids, jeans, hats, gloves, and tights.  Marina had snuck into one of the small stores in the market and was looking at pet supplies.  I could tell she was dreaming about buying her pet rat Vasya an exercise wheel.  I offered to buy it but she refused.  I asked her if I could by her rat some food.  Her eyes light up and said “da”, so yes, I bought rat food.  (not sure if I should even report that part……)  I also bought Aliona a potatoe peeler, even though she refused and the one she has is very old and dull.

We took a lunch break and enjoyed some borscht and galupsi (cabbage rolls) with some tea.  I enjoyed being in the outdoor market, even though it was raining and cold and windy!  I had asked Aliona if she would be interested in having a pen pal relationship with the kids.  She seemed very happy to do that and thought both the boys and girls would enjoy that.  Nancy and I will work together to ensure it is a safe program with guidelines.  Another idea that was mentioned is to have each of the kids staying at the houses to write up their testimony and story.  This would be a good way for all of us to feel connected to one another.

After we were done shopping, we squeezed into an old Lada from the Soviet times that Andre picked us up in.  Now that brought back memories of how many people can you fit into a Soviet car, we fit 6 plus all our bags!

Upon arrival to the house it was raining again.  I was determined to spend some time taking more pictures of the outside grounds.  I really wish we had sunshine, but we had grey skies.  Vika was so kind and walked me around holding the umbrella as I took as many pictures as I could of the garden, animals, out buildings, laundry hanging out to dry and some outside shots of Mel’s house.  I walked back over to the new property, in spite of the downpour of rain, and took more pictures of the new house.  After my soggy photo session, I went inside and Vika helped me with my umbrella, coat and just kept smiling at me.  This time we did not have a translator so we spent time trying to talk using dictionaries and Nancy does speak some Russian as well.  (I wish I would have remembered the translator that Clay and Selene let me borrow!)  We watched as the kids were so excited for the boots, hats, gloves and all the items purchased at the market.  It was such a blessing to see their eyes light up when they would try on a new pair of jeans and come and model it for us!

It was soon time for our goodbyes.  That is always the hardest part.  Even only after spending a few short days with these young adults, we shared so much during our time together! Sharing our testimonies, our passions, our hearts and friendship.  Even though these kids range in age from 16-20, they are still so naive and innocent.  They need a family and this family set up at Mel’s and Ruth’s house is keeping them safe, warm, feed, clothed and off the street.  These homes give them hope by first giving them the basics in life PLUS a safe and secure environment.  They have time everyday for bible studies, prayer as well as devotions.  Watching the kids during the time I spent there, they are all very respectful to Andre and Aliona and help around the house without being asked.  They are learning life skills such as cooking, cleaning, shopping, gardening, harvesting, sewing, house construction and improvements, butchering, livestock care, and so much more!

Conclusion:

I have been deeply moved by my experience with Nancy Hathaway and Heart for Orphans.  God has blessed her work here and there is a revival going on!  Not only at the homes, but also in the Berdyansk region as well as the whole country of Ukraine!  This house is more than I had imagined.  The fact that the kids are being taught not only life skills but that it is mostly self sustaining with the setup, it is very efficient and well thought out.  With the purchase of the new house, there will be more room for all the girls.  After reviewing both homes and touring both facilities, it makes more sense to have the girls move into the existing house and the boys move into the new home.  There are several reasons for this:

1. The new house is larger and would be able to accommodate all 14 boys and they would each have their own bed. (Get them up off the floor)
2. The house parents, Andre and Aliona, live in an attached apartment on the existing house.  Having the girls closer to the parents is better for safety reasons.
3. Currently there are 6 girls (one showed up today, her name is Olya)
4. The boys situated in the new house would have Andre #2 has the house parent mentor in their home.
5. Chores and animal/garden duties would still be shared by both homes.

It is almost midnight again…another 18 hour day!  Tomorrow we pack up the van and head to the Kherson to visit 3 more houses that Heart for Orphans has currently going.

I hope all is well in Colorado, miss you all but I am honored and blessed to be here in Ukraine with all these wonderful people!

Family Movie Night!

Hello to all from Ukraine Orphan Outreach and Grace Place Church!  Come join us for a fun family night for fellowship and a movie!

When:

Saturday November 6^th, 2010

Where:

Grace Place Church
250 Mountain Avenue, Berthoud, Colorado 80513
www.graceplace.org

Time:

6:00 Fellowship
6:30 Movie starts

Feature film: 

“The Lost and Found Family”

Contact:

Kris Stoesz (kstoesz@aol.com)  970-535-4399

Free popcorn and drinks!  Bring a dessert to share.
Encourage the kids to bring pillows/bean bags and a favorite blanket!

THE LOST & FOUND FAMILY is a touching story of hardship, change, and the faith that God can make things better, no matter how difficult the situation appears in our eyes. It’s a great reminder that God brings out the best in us when we show His compassion to those in desperate need of love.

For details visit:

http://www.orphansunday.org/find-event/6-colorado/116-family-movie-night

Sunday the 7^th is Orphan Sunday. We will be hearing an inspiring message from Pastor Clay Peck at Grace Place.  Be sure to be there!

Kris’ Ukraine Adventure

Hi all,

It has been a whirlwind of a trip so far. I have not had a lot of time to send email updates but I have been talking to Clarke about every other day. I do have a cell phone (Ukraine one) so if you want to call me, Clarke can give you the number!

I wanted to do a run down of my last few days:

Day One: October 13th – arrived at the airport at 4:30 and Julia met me. We drove to her sisters flat in the Emmanual van. They keep saying how cold the weather is, its not that bad at all. We freshened up and then took a taxi into the city and had dinner at this wonderful “Soviet” diner. We ate dinner with Matt and Stephanie Hooker (on their adoption trip and they are from Longmont) as well as George. After dinner I had to get my other suitcase from Matt and Steph their very swanky hotel (Five Star Hotel) I was soooooo tired as I did not sleep very much on the airplane ride over. I got to bed at around midnight.

Day Two – spent the morning at the CNB Emmanual building with Julia. She toured me around to all the departments. It was very impressive and a very nice building. I met with Steve Weber who is Karens Uncle for about 45 minutes. He wanted to know all about UOO, Grace Place and the reason for my trip! He was wondering if we would be interested in brining the “Russian Shoemake” to Colorado in November of 2011. (this was the program that really helped UOO start their roots). Clay and Selene, he is very excited to hear your adopting and looks forward to meeting you when you come! At around noon we left to drive about 1 1/2 hours to the orphanage where the 2010 camp kids are from. On the way, we picked up a singer “Natasha” who we met back in 2005 when the Shoemaker came to Colorado. It was nice to see her again. She came with us to practice singing with the 5 children who get to go to Germany next month (including our Anna). I was glad to get out of the city into the country. The drive was scenic as well as bumpy! Natasha asked the driver to stop so she could buy some apples for cooking. She offered me one and it was delicous! (certainly organic as there was only 2 worms in it!) We went through many villages and curvy roads. Then we pulled up to what I thought was a house and it was the orphanage! The girls were up in their 2nd story room waving as I got out of the van! The kids knew that only an “Amerikonsky” was coming, but they were so glad when they knew this “Amerikonsky!” I was welcomed with huge hugs and smiles! We talked and I met Nickoliv, the orphanage director. A very nice man who wants to see these children be adopted. The 4 pack of kids were so excited that THEY were going to be adopted and wanted to know if I knew about this. I acted dumb because I did not want to tell any information that was not to be told. Natasha showed me the picture of her new momma and pappa. (Vicki and Paul). I smiled and gave them all a big hug! It was lunch time and we were offered borscht and bread. It was very good! After lunch I got the tour from little Aloyna and Natasha. Our Anna was in the music room practicing but she later joined us with smiles! I felt bad for Masha because when she returned from school she had to go into the directors office. There was a family there that wanted to take the 4 children into Foster Care (which means they can not be adopted). She did not want to do this as she is holding onto the dream that she will be adopted. I finally did get some smiles from her at the end of the day, but she has a heavy heart. I handed out the presents and the kids were excited. The presents are really NOT the highlite, they are just excited to have a guest! We toured the outside grounds and then spent time together in the main family room. We soon left (staying about 2 hours) for the long trek back to Kiev. We dropped off Julia at her flat and I countinued on with the driver to Tatiana’s and Kolya’s house in Novi Petrocy. I did not arrive there until after 8:00….feeling the calling of the pillow. Tatiana is very energetic and outgoing and I was as good as a listener as possible. I think she could tell I was glazed over……

(to be continued, I just got the 5 minute notice we have to leave)

Thanks for your prayers, emails, facebooks. When your in a place so far away, I really do appreciate them!

Love,

Kris

Facebook Posts :

Friday, 10/15/10

Heavy heart tonight as I head for bed. Thinking about the beautiful kids and how they ask Kolya (the director) to please find them a family. I was glad to spend a day with the kids and play games, tour their orphanage and eat a meal with them! Check out the pictures in the photo album. Tomorrow I head for Zhytomir to stay at a shelter for aged out orphans.

Saturday, 10/16/10

Time for bed in the shelter….wow what a humble experience sharing a bedroom with aged out orphans. Really no words that I can think of….. Yana is GREAT and truly has the joy of God in her heart. I am so proud of her! The shelter celebrated 3 years tonight, what an honor to be part of the celebration. Church to…morrow at the shelter too! Thank you for all your prayers and support during my stay in Ukraine!

Sunday, 10/17/10

Enjoyed a dinner with George and his lovely wife Natasha at their flat in Kiev. Heading out soon for a 12 hour train ride followed by a 2 hour car ride to Berdyansk! It was hard saying goodbye to Yana today, she is a very special girl. I hope to post pictures tomorrow!

—

Its past midnight here, what a day. After 15 hours of travel to get to Berdansk, I am here! I spent the afternoon with the kids and house parents and we hung out. We shared testimonies as well as dinner together. I am exhausted but can’t sleep yet, too much to think about! See the pictures I posted of Yana! I miss you all, thank you for your prayers!