Day three started when the kids ventured out to Bounce, an indoor bouncing/fun center in Loveland. They had a blast on the several huge blow-up toys. Lunch was served and the group departed for bowling at Sweetheart Lanes in Loveland. Everyone scored a strike and there were smiles abound! Here, Natalie Stoesz & Josh Volf share a lane with Sasha & Vova.
Again, breakfast, lunch and dinner were supplied, cooked and prepared by our wonderful volunteers. Thanks Guys!
0 Comments
Today the kids started out with a trip to Miller farms to pick huge, yummy vegetables. As always, this is a huge event because Ukrainian kids love vegetables. The Miller farm grows ’em big, too! Most of these veggies end up in our annual community dinner, which is scheduled this year for July 12th from 5-9 pm. Do come out for it if you can. Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the door. Kids are free! So come feed the family, meet the kids, and enjoy some good times!
More down time was in order as the kids returned to the Lake house for more boat rides and swimming. We ended the day with a meal provided by one of our many volunteers. Thank you all, this camp couldn’t happen without your support! After a night of rest, it was exciting to meet our new guests. We had long ago planned down time the first day to let them acclimate to after a grueling 14+ hours of flying, a huge time change, and lack of sleep. Here they are at the Carman’s lake home in Loveland, looking chipper as ever. They are (listed from left to right, front row then back row): Vova, Sasha, “Little” Dima, “Little” Yulia, Olya & “Big” Dima, Tatianna (chaperon), Nastya, “Big” Yulia (chaperon) and Marina. With them are Eric Carman, Clarke & Amanda Stoesz of UOO.
All eight kids and the two chaperons/translators for the 2009 Summer camp arrived safe and sound tonight. You could definitely see the look of exhaustion in their faces. All but a few were done and ready for bed. It took a while to get out of the airport and to the van. An hour-long drive to the Carman’s home was in store for them next. Only one of the Chaperons stayed awake as I drove them to their “American home” for the next week. They will transition to the Stoesz home about mid-camp and will stay there until their return to Ukraine. Here are the 2009 Summer camp participants:
Chaperons
In December we traveled to Ukraine for our adoption and had the opportunity to visit the kids that came to Colorado last summer. As we traveled the 12 hours by plane and 12 hours by train to meet them, I thought about them traveling this same path to Colorado last summer and the excitement they must have felt to go on such a big trip. When we arrived at their internat, Natasha (last year’s chaperone) rounded up all of the kids to come and meet us. One by one they came in and ran into our arms, and it was such a treat to see them again. We were able to visit the many times over the next several weeks.
On our first visit, Ilona ran off to her room and came back with an envelope and asked me to give it to Grandma Judy. Judy has been writing to Ilona since they visited Colorado last summer, and we were able to witness firsthand the positive influence of a pen pal. At almost every visit Ilona would show us something Grandma Judy had sent her, a letter, a book, jeans, a stuffed animal. One time she had our facilitator translate a letter Grandma Judy had sent her. Ilona handed me a picture she made almost every visit and asked us to give them to her Grandma. By sending letters and small tokens, Grandma Judy is showering Ilona with unconditional love, and we could see the affect it had on Ilona. Oftentimes being a pen pal is a one-sided relationship as the kids are usually not able to write back, but after seeing the joy the letters and gifts bring to these kids, we know it is a worthy endeavor. We are looking for pen pals for this year’s camp kids, so contact us if you would like to participate. Here is a short update on each of the kids from last summer:
The Summer 2008 Camp was amazing as always. Here’s a quick gallery showing the kids who came over this year and some of the activities they participated in while here. A big thanks to all of our volunteers for your help, love, and support for the children while they were here. Click on any of the thumbnails to see the full-size photo.
9News featured our 2008 summer camp. Here’s a video of their report. Hi everyone! I’ve been given the extreme honor of writing about the 2008 UOO camp. Many of you were involved daily with the camp, some helped as your schedules allowed, and a few others attended an event or two. No matter your level of involvement, I want to let you know that the UOO staff is blessed to have your support. The kids enjoyed every day and every activity. Your help and donations made it all possible.
On our first day of camp, the kids enjoyed a relaxing day at the lake. UOO’ers, the Carmen’s, have a house on Horseshoe Lake in Loveland. There were many water activities for the kids such as kayaking, tubing, boating, swimming, paddle boating and water balloons. A picnic lunch was followed by more water activities (I think it’s an old wives’ tale about not swimming after eating…I think our parents didn’t want to chase after us after “pigging out”). The evening ended with a spaghetti dinner and marshmallow roast. The next day, the kids were loaded up into several vehicles (thanks drivers and chaperones) and taken to the Denver aquarium. It is safe to say that every kid had never seen fish like these at all in their lives. Many were captivated by the exotic species and all of them were amazed by the sheer size of a few of the fish! Day three had the children taking in an Art Day. This was a good day for the children to showcase their artistic talent and make delightful crafts for themselves, the community and the families with whom they were living. Sack lunches were brought by a generous volunteer and many helpers were on hand to assist the kids with their crafts and drawings. Have you ever seen a kid eat a raw onion right out of the ground? Well, day four, I did! Quite a few of the kids, in fact. In Ukraine, many families and the orphanages, grow their own vegetables. So, seeing a garden is not a big deal, unless it’s the huge expanse of Miller Farms in Platteville! The kids couldn’t believe the size of the farm and the huge size of their crops. The onions, potatoes and turnips were the size of softballs. It was a joy to see the kids digging and pulling up vegetables. They were especially eager to get good ones as they were told that many of these vegetables would end up in our annual Ukrainian Dinner that they themselves would cook and serve. Day five started with the big birthday picnic bash! At this orphanage, we learned that the kid’s birthdays are celebrated twice a year, those having birthdays in the first six months and those with birthdays in the last six months. As a gift, the kids only get a bowl of fruit. UOO felt that it was important to celebrate each child’s birthday and as a result we held a picnic in Berthoud with the community. At the party, each child received a gift and special recognition. Following the picnic, each child was chaperoned by an adult or family and taken to Wal-Mart to spend a $25 gift card. Some of the items they purchased ranged from Batman costumes to clothes to gifts for their friends. What a great time! The evening was concluded with a trip to the Colorado National Speedway in Erie. The kids enjoyed the fast cars and thought the “crazy eights” race was hilarious. What a fun end to a full day! It was finally time for our annual Ukrainian dinner on day six. This dinner affords the kids the opportunity to give back to the community that has sponsored them. As noticed at last year’s camp, the kids really get into this because they really do like to work and serve others. It is their only way to say thank you! During the dinner, guests had the chance to bid on items at various tables for our silent auction, too. Many thanks to the donators of our items. Through your generosity we were able to raise a few thousand dollars for next year’s camp. Dinner was a nice entrée of Ukrainian cabbage rolls, borsht, and perogees. Our food volunteers worked hard to help the kids pull off another successful dinner and this contributed more funds to the next camp. The kids also knew that the dinner is a way for them to “pay it forward”, as the kids from the 2007 camp did last year. It’s another reminder of community service and God’s abundant love for us. On day seven, the Lord rested, and I wished we could! Just kidding! By this time we were in full swing as the kids took part in Mission It’s Possible’s carnival and craft day. The kids enjoyed a relaxing morning making more crafts and playing at the carnival and were ramped up when we headed off to the rodeo that night. The Larimer county 4-H’ers sponsored our night at the rodeo. All eyes were wide open as the kids took in their first ever rodeo. I don’t think they knew what was in store as they sat in the arena, awaiting the action. But, I can tell you from firsthand experience, we have some new rodeo fans! Thanks 4-H! We went to the mountains and camped for days eight, nine and ten. The kids learned rifle safety, archery, tenting, capture the flag, and good nature stewardship, and the teachings of Christ our savior. They were also treated to real chuck-wagon style meals everyday! It was fun to watch the kids “be kids”, a real change to their hard life as orphans. I stood in amazement every day with those big mountains surrounding us and I was touched by the gentle hand of God. It was a sort of revival for me as much as it was a terrific Christian experience for the kids. I shall never forget these days with them and God for as long as I live. I encourage you to come next year and experience the same. On day eleven, we returned from the mountains and got cleaned up for our trip to an educational center in Longmont, Math Monkey. The kids enjoyed the learning experience and were a little surprised that they were in “school” for the morning. The owner of Math Monkey showed the kids a new way of tackling math once they got home. . The kids got a little bit restless as they knew that swimming was next. We walked over to the Longmont Rec Center, an indoor water park, for the remainder of the day and the kids had a blast. There is plenty to do there such as the Lazy River, sliding tubes, water pipes, diving board, and the pool. As always, the pool and the lake are favorites! So, when it was time to go, I needed all the help I could get wrestling the kids out of the water. Day twelve was a community day at Horseshoe Lake with the Carmen’s again (this helped me get the kids out of the pool the day before). Lunch and dinner were again provided by a host of volunteers, of which I cannot begin to remember, thanks to all of you! Again, water fun is one of the kid’s favorite activities. Of course they enjoyed every bit of the day. Who wouldn’t! Its fun to be a kid again and you have an excuse, eight excuses to be exact. You got to come out and be a part of this next time, if you missed it! We went to see a Rockies game and the Steven Curtis Chapman concert on day thirteen. The Rockies lost and rain cut the concert short, but the kids didn’t care. It was another opportunity to see something “American” and hang out with their new friends outdoors. Thanks to all who donated to this special day! The Pioneer Village tour in Greeley was next on day fourteen. The kids got a firsthand look at pioneer life in America and took part in a TV news story about their visit. See the story on our website at www.ukraineorphans.org A dairy farm tour and horseback riding in Berthoud was in store for day fifteen. We even found out that we had a natural cowboy in the group when Vanya schooled us all in the finer points of horsemanship. They kids loves seeing how milk was produced and being that it was a warm summer day this year, the dairy let the kids have their pool for the day. Again, water fun is the best fun when it comes to this group! So there were no complaints heard. Our last full day with the kids was at the Rogé home doing scrapbooking. This was a chance for the kids to get their photos from the whole trip and place them in albums or scrapbooks to keep for all time. Volunteers made certain that every kid had a complete set of pictures from their trip. Some wanted to scrapbook while others didn’t want to cut up the pictures. It was a chance to enjoy some quiet time with the kids and to unwind from the busy weeks that preceded. It was a great final day. Again, thanks to everyone who donated time, funds and most of all, LOVE! This is a once in a lifetime experience for these kids that they will never forget, always cherish, and talk about for the rest of their lives. Come join us next time and talk about it for the rest of your lives. You’ll be glad you did! Over 100 volunteers, The Berthoud Fire Department, Subway, Jon Doughs Pizza, Grace Place, Walmart, The Berthoud Surveyor and donations from around the community helped to make this years Cultural Exchange Camp a huge success! Thanks to everyone who contributed. UOO hopes you were also blessed by the experience! Below is a daily account of all activities the children from Ukraine participated in. We had so much fun…
December 5th – Wednesday Children arrive at DIA the evening of the 5th. December 6th – Thursday Wilder ness Adventures BBQ’d a fantastic lunch for the kids on a private ranch where we were able to cut down a Christmas tree. This was followed with Ukrainian football, frisbee football and roasting smores over a camp fire. The weather cooperated for a great day in the mountains. That evening the kids performed Silent Night at Grace Place Church in Berthoud. December 7th – Friday The girls had “salon day” with haircuts, styles, manicures, make-up and a photo shoot. The boys had a tour of a local dairy farm and went bowling. That evening we made Christmas ornaments, ate dinner provided by Subway and had popcorn and a movie – all at First Presbyterian Church in Berthoud. December 8th – Saturday Rock climbing, foosball, pool and video games at Five Stones. Lunch provided by The Berthoud Fire Department along with t-shirts for all the kids. The Community Christmas Party was also held at Five Stones Saturday afternoon. Despite a winter storm, there was a great turn-out. The children decorated their Christmas tree, shared Ukrainian Christmas traditions and each received a donated Christmas gift. December 9th – Sunday The children preformed short bell and puppet performances at two local churched before enjoying a lunch at the Teravest’s house. A trip to Walmart was next. The kids (along with a chaperone/helper) were able to spend a donated $25 gift card on whatever they wanted. The girls chose a lot of clothes and dolls; the boys bought soccer balls, music, remote control cars and tools. Pictured below are the kids preparing a huge Ukrainian meal at the Berthoud Community Center. On the menu was Borscht, cabbage rolls, perogies, cabbage salads and Ukrainian Christmas bread. The dinner was fantastic and enjoyed by over 200 people. December 10th – Monday On Monday we enjoyed some down time at each host’s home. These kids love being in a home where they are part of the family! After a lunch, provided by Crestview Church in Boulder, we all swam for hours at the Longmont Recreation Center. December 11th – Tuesday The kids and their accompanying chaperones/translators were packed and ready to go. There was a very tearful goodbye at DIA with lots of hugs and promises to write. By 1:00 pm they were gone, but definitely not forgotten! In a country where poverty prevents many children from receiving the most basic necessities, it’s hard to imaging an orphaned child having hope. At age 3 & 1/2, Natalie Stoesz, born to a poor Ukrainian peasant, was a survivor of hardships beyond description. Labeled with a grim medical diagnosis and narrowly beating severe child illnesses, young Natalie was unaware that God had a plan.
We were on our way to Ukraine in 2003, with hopes of adopting not one toddler, but two elementary aged siblings yet to be identified. However, with the Iraq war just starting, and a nervous National Adoption Center leader, the Stoesz family would learn that their dossier was now going to be inadequate for the adoption of two children. With the divine hand of God at work, we were unmistakably led to meet our new daughter, Natalie. Natalie’s adoption into the Stoesz family was blessed from the very beginning, as indicated by this miracle shown in the picture above… After the court appearance where Natalie officially became a Stoesz, we arrived at the orphanage to see GOD’s LOVE shinning upon the wall of the orphanage through the crook of a tree. The image only stayed long enough for us to see and photograph before returning to just a shadow of a tree. Over the next few years, a passion to reach more orphans grew inside us. Two years later we found ourselves (with Natalie and our two older biological children) returning to Ukraine to carry out our plan to adopt two elementary aged children, Luke and Rhya. Since then, our family has been constantly advocating and mentoring couples who were developing their own passion to help these “Fatherless” children through adoption. Recently, our family decided to turn our passion into a ministry. Teaming up with the Roge’s and Carman’s, who were growing in the same passion to help orphans, a new ministry of Ukraine Orphan Outreach was born in the summer of 2007. A common vision is shared by the team, which is to offer hope to orphans of Ukraine in as many ways as possible. Through Ukraine Orphan Outreach, our church and community have the ability to touch many of the 100,000 orphans of Ukraine! Clarke and Kris |
OutreachArchives
December 2022
Categories |