I just got back from my trip to Uzhgorod and I’m eager to share my experiences with all of you. I think the best way will be to start at the beginning so here goes…

Saturday evening I met the rest of the team at the Venetsya (YWAM Kyiv’s ship) and we all left for the train station. When we arrived, the Ukrainian national anthem was basting throughout the station and it was kind of eerie. (The song is not pretty at all, it’s more like the music for Darth Vadar in Star Wars.) Getting on the train was no trouble at all, show our passports and tickets, step onto the train and POOF! we were transported back in time 50 years. The train was comfortable for the most part but obviously the trains haven’t been upgraded since before the fall of the Soviet Union. We were in the middle-class train car and our rooms each had 4 bunks. I was sharing a room with Rosen (pictured below, sitting down wearing a red shirt) and a former Ukrainian General. Once the train started 3 of the general’s buddies joined us in our room. They brought out some bread, homemade sausage, pig lard, cow tongue, red wine and of course, vodka. Rosen, who grew up in a Bulgarian orphanage, ate along with them while I tried to say “no, thanks.” The problem is that in this culture you can’t say no to them when it comes to food. They said I was disrespecting them and so forth (Rosen chose not to translate everything for me) so I broke down, had some sausage, bread and a few swallows of wine… I ate slowly and by the time I was done all the old men were drunk enough not to care about me eating anymore. :) So Rosen and I met up with the rest of the team in their rooms until it was time to go to bed and the general and his buddies were out of the room. The only other noteworthy event was the random internal border control passport check, which is a leftover from the Soviet era…

The team

We arrived safely in Uzhgorod Sunday evening, got settled into our hotel rooms and went to the local church. The next day a group went to the orphanage for a little while and the rest of us packed 130 gift bags for the children. The bags were packed with items sent by the supporters of the other members of the team (pens, coloring books, writing pads, crayons, markers, soap, toothpaste, tooth brushes, small toys, stuffed animals and the like) and also with some things we bought in Uzhgorod: small Lego-type sets, toy cars, candies, oranges and juice.

Packing the gifts for the children

The first day we went to the orphanage some of the kids sang Christmas songs for us. They were suprisingly good and you could tell the singing brought them joy! It made my day to see how happy they were singing. Most of the kids in the audience sang along too. I know, there were 6 within almost half as many feet of me. The kids are starved of touch and love. Everyone from the little girl who kept feeling our hair and faces (especially Markus’) to the 13 year old guys who would hold my hand and beamed when I put my arms across their shoulders. At first everyone smelled bad but after a little while I forgot to notice. The kids were so happy just to see us and know that we cared. A couple of the guys spoke English, 13 year old Sasha and 16 year old Peter. I was able to communicate well with them and with other kids through them. We had a lot of one on one with the kids okay, well one on ten (10 of us, 103 of them) as soon as the singing program was over. They delighted in running me around showing me their classrooms and pictures and their prized possessions all the time hanging onto me. It was the same for the other members of our team.

Some of the children singing Christmas songs for us

During my “tour” I saw that this orphanage was much worse off then the other I visited here in Kyiv. This orphanage was much darker and much dirtier. Most of the classrooms didn’t have any lights and the ones that did only had 1 or 2 bulbs. The hallways had maybe 2 old fluorescent lights or, if there were “enough” windows, none. (I’ve lightened the photos in this post quite a bit so you can see better.) Despite the dreariness of the place there were hand made decorations for Christmas all over the place. You can see some snowflakes in the picture below. They were so proud of their simple decorations and were so happy when I praised them. Even though the conditions for the kids are depressing and dirty I honestly think that the time and love we showed them was more appreciated and did more to really help them they any thing we could give them.

Markus and a little girl who loved to touch and smell our hair, especially facial hair.

The next day we spent our time going from one class to the next. Luda and Valik (both Ukrainians) would go into the classrooms first, Luda would read the Christmas story from a Ukrainian Bible and talk with the kids about the importance of Christ’s birth (and death) Valik would then expand upon that and talk about why we give gifts on Christmas. Finally Santa (Markus) would come in and distribute all the presents to the kids.

Luda and Valik sharing the Christmas story with a class. (This is an un-edited photo, I left it dark so you can get an idea of how dark it really is… this was with the flash on!)

Santa giving the kids gifts…

…and getting big smiles!

The children were elated at all the gifts especially the juice and oranges. They were more eager to eat the fruit and juice then the candies! Mostly because they never get those things, most people bring and send candy… but juice? fruit? They rarely get any. They also like the “legos” a whole lot. Even the big kids were excited.

I am so thankful that I was able to go on this trip, I know that we made a difference in the lives of these children. YWAM has been going to this orphanage for 10 years and there are real relationships between the missionaries and the children in the orphanage. One day our taxi got there 10 minutes before everyone else and I was so happy to hear the kids asking for the other members of the team… “Where Luda? Luda come? Rosen! Were Rosen! He come here?!?” Those questions confirmed to me that this wasn’t just a one time deal where we give gifts and disappear, but that we’re showing the kids we really care. That we love them and that God loves them (more then we ever could.) I really connected with Peter, who’s almost 17 and as far as I know has grown up in the orphanage. He was a lot like a big brother to the younger kids, watching out for them, breaking up disputes and making them move out of “his” seat. ;) He stuck by my side most of the time we were there. I can’t wait to go back to the orphanage.

Peter and me. (He’s wearing my hat.)

I want to thank all of you for your prayers and encouraging emails. I thank God for all of you. I’d like to ask that you add the kids in this orphanage to your prayers, and specifically Peter who’ll be faced with many important decisions in the coming year when he turns 17 and must leave the orphanage. Please pray for the staff also, that they’ll come to know our Lord and be filled with genuine concern and love for the children in their care.

20.05.06: I’m going back to Uzhgorod.