Treasures

In the midst of working hard on curriculum planning for the kids in Ukraine, marketing my services to other organizations, and failing miserably at learning how to speak Russian, I am constantly finding myself overwhelmed with the fast-paced, greed-driven, complicated world that I live in. Even though our great country was founded in the name of Liberty and is rooted in the principle of Freedom, most Americans spend their days as slaves to one master: Success. As I step back and reflect on our society's never-ending scramble for more money, more possessions, and more power, I can't help but think about those 80 boys living in rural Ukraine whose prize possessions are the shirts on their backs.

As I spent more time with the boys at Romaniv, something started to stand out. I noticed that many of the boys were carrying around trinkets everywhere they went. No matter what the boys were doing, they didn't leave the room without their "treasure". To anyone else, these objects were trash: an old dirty sock stuffed with dirt and grass, a button ripped from a sweater, or a broken shoelace. When I inquired about the trinkets I was told that some of boys brought these objects with them from their homes - and were their only reminders of life before Romaniv. After one of our lessons, I stopped one of the boys who was carrying his trinket, safely tucked beneath his deformed arm. I held out my hand and gestured toward it, asking if I could see it. He held it up for me to see - the old sock stuffed with dirt. Dirty, rank, and unsavory to say the least, it was clear the sock had seen better days. But as I smiled at him, he beamed back at me with pride -- It was his.

In many ways, these boys are just like their trinkets. To the world they are Dirty. Broken. Undesirable. Garbage. Unworthy of the world's time and resources. But to me, they are treasures.

As I think about my life here in America, I find myself holding on to these treasures and carrying them with me throughout the day. It's not always easy to escape from the dizzying pace of our society. But in the end, it's about finding the simple things - the little things in life that get you through the day. The support of someone close to you. Or letting your guard down, if only for a moment. Or going out of your way to do something meaningful for another. Whatever your treasure may be - hold on to it and remind yourself to enjoy the simple things.

Prayer for Mission to Ukraine

Exciting things are happening in Ukraine this summer. Several different summer camps are being offered for Zhitomir's youth with disabilities and their families. A week-long day camp for the boys of Romaniv is also being offered in July. In anticipation of these exciting events, Mission to Ukraine has sent out a prayer list for each event. I hope you will join me in praying for them throughout the summer.

SUMMER CAMPS FOR ZHITOMIR YOUTH WITH DISABILITIES:

Praise God for this summers' overnight camp for youth with disabilities. Thank God for the Ukrainian team and the US volunteers.

Pray that the Lord will orchestrate all the administrative and spiritual work of all teams and bless all workers and volunteers with good health and high energy.

Pray for the families receiving service to see Jesus behind the good works and material blessings.

Pray for the seeds of faith sown at camps to grow and thrive in the hearts of our children and youth and their parents. May all camp participants return home with hope in Christ.

SUMMER DAY CAMPS FOR BOYS WITH DISABILITIES AT ROMANIV ORPHANAGE:

Praise God for the Romaniv Orphanage day camp. Pray for every volunteer to be filled with the love and power of God.

Pray for Angela, Romaniv Orphanage physical therapy nurse, to receive Jesus into her heart and to have wisdom and success in accomplishing her program of development for the boys.

Pray for the Lord to open the hearts and minds of both the boys and the staff to understand and accept the spiritual truths taught at the lessons.

Pray for favorable weather and wise organization of the program and space as the day camp takes place amid construction on the orphanage grounds.

Pray for the Romaniv Orphanage staff. They work hard and grow weary and harden their hearts. Pray for the Lord to renew them and melt their hearts with His love and hope.

Pray for our God to bless the Romaniv Orphanage administration with the necessary funds for their construction work.

Taking Chances

The past four years of my life have been unbelievably adventuresome. Filled to the brim with uncharted territory, I have spent these past years as a wanderer within my own life. Moving into new apartments....moving to a new cities....moving to new states and even new countries and cultures. Now, as I sit comfortably under my parents' roof, where I currently call home, I wonder about the chances that I took to get to this place and the serendipity that connects them all.

I took my first chance when I moved to St. Louis for graduate school. Without fully knowing what Occupational Therapy was or where St. Louis is on a map (don't worry - I eventually figured it out), I packed my belongings and moved south to a city I barely knew. Wrapped in anticipation and opportunity, and laced with a bit of heartbreak - I have come to realize that I was born in that city. It was in that city where my dream of finding hope for the hopeless was conceived and where the roots of my love for orphaned children with disabilities began to grow. They say that the St. Louis Arch represents The Gateway to the West....but to me it means so much more. It's the gateway that led to all of the experiences that helped to shape who I am and what I stand for.

I've been thinking a lot lately about taking chances. Now that my time in St. Louis has come and gone, I realize that it was just one of the many chances that I will have to take. I will have many more moves to make and risks to put on the line. What takes me past the fear of the unknown, however, is the truth found in the grace of Christ. It is His name that I will cling to each and every time I take a chance.

It seems there is a bit of risk in everything these days. Risk in your professional choices. Risk in your personal choices. Risk in letting yourself be vulnerable with another. But at the end of the day, taking chances is really just about overcoming fear of the unknown and stepping forward in blind faith. Sometimes it's frightening and most of the time it's hard....but every time you take a big risk in your life I think you'll find that, no matter how it ends up, you're always glad you took it.

Happy Birthday, Romaniv!

Have you ever had a moment where you find that you are exactly where you are supposed to be? That moment where you stop long enough to realize that your heart is singing? I had several of those moments during my first trip to Ukraine. But one in particular will always stay with me.

You see.....In certain areas of the world, the detrimental societal barriers against children with intellectual and developmental disabilities are present from the very day they are born. In some instances, children with disabilities are not deemed worthy of an official record or identification from the government. Though Ukraine has a more advanced system, the children with disabilities that are abandoned to orphanages are often left with little more information than their names and birth dates. For many of the boys at Romaniv, the concept of a birthday, let alone celebrating one, is strange and unknown. But during my stay in Ukraine, that all changed.

I had the privilege of participating in an extraordinary celebration for all of the boys' birthdays at Romaniv. It was quite an undertaking for MTU's disability team. They had been planning this visit for weeks - buying and preparing gifts, organizing games, creating costumes, and gathering supplies. But the day finally came. There was excitement and energy in the air as we hustled around the dining area to put up the decorations and set out the chairs for the boys. When everything was ready, two volunteers from a local church went to get the boys. Smiling and laughing as they entered, the room became ablaze with beautiful chaos. They were everywhere - marveling at the decorations and eager to snatch up the games. As the leaders gained control over the crowd of enraptured boys, the party began.

During the next hour I watched as the boys participated in the games and even engaged in a short lesson on the seasons of the year. After the lessons we brought out the cakes - six beautiful cakes lit with candles. Passing out the plates I began to notice that some of the boys didn't know how to use the plastic forks that we provided them with and resorted to using their hands. I have never seen anyone eat cake so quickly - how wonderful that sugary cake must have tasted on those sweet lips!

After cake, the MTU team passed out donated Target bags to each boy. As they tore into the bags they found winter hats and gloves. They stared in wonder at the gifts - the fact that the hats and gloves were so practical and utilitarian made no difference. They were treasures - one of the few gifts in life they would ever receive.

Thinking back on those moments, I can't help but be overwhelmingly honored to be a part of that day. I got to witness something that most of these boys had never experienced: someone celebrating their life. The proud and dignified smile knowing that the gifts were theirs to keep - the light in their eyes as the candles were blown out - the glow in their face when tasting cake for the first time.....my heart sings when I think back on those moments.

Update

The other day I received an email from Oksana, my dear friend in Ukraine who is the director of disability services at Mission to Ukraine. She is seeking my help for their two-week summer camp for their kiddos with disabilities in July. I am hoping that I am able to go, but am waiting for approval from the Mission to Ukraine board. Every year my employer, Dave Helmer, sends a team of Americans to Ukraine in order to help with the camps. It is my hope that I can train his team in working with children with disabilities prior to the camp, then help with the programming of the camp sessions as well. I am also hoping that I can meet with the disability team to discuss the program that I hope to launch in September.

Oksana also shared some heartbreaking news in her email. She mentioned that they have discovered that some of the boys at Romaniv are being aggressive and abusive. They do not have all the details, but it seems that the older boys often prey upon the younger, more vulnerable boys. It's a constant reminder of how desperate and damaged these boys are. I am thinking of putting together a lesson about appropriate social boundaries to teach to the boys. Hopefully this will address the issue and help to put an end to the problem. Please pray for these boys and for the MTU team.

Lasciamo

Lasciamo.

Roughly translated in Italian it means "let it go". I love that word - so much so that I use it every day for my personal creed. It's my reminder that regardless of how much something means to me, I have to let go, holding it with an open hand. Over the past few months this word has become my safety net....my security.

You see, the path that I am traveling down is so precious to me. The opportunity to actualize my heart's deepest desire - to bring hope to the lost children of world - is unspeakably priceless to me. But this journey has not come without its trials and valleys. I have had to fight my way through the fires, the floods, and the roadblocks. The task of putting a vision into concrete, tangible action is not as easy as it seemed in the beginning.

So each day I have to remind myself "Lasciamo." Let it go. Let go of the small, insignificant details and focus on the important things. Take each day as it comes. Do not be in a hurry to see results. Hold this opportunity with an open hand. Fight through the battles but do not lose heart.

Beautiful Transformation of the Romaniv Orphanage

This is a video produced by Mission to Ukraine highlighting their work with the boys of Romaniv orphanage. If you watch closely, you'll see 'yours truly' in action!

More to come....