New Years in Russia

Here is Lena's description of the winter holidays in Russia. Look for her information about Christmas in a later post.

Winter holiday season is one of the most exciting times for everyone in Russia. With the first snow comes first excitement. And as it gets colder and the snow piles grow bigger so does people’s joy and anticipation for winter and everything it brings.

Winter (“zima”) in Russia is a beautiful time and even minus 22 degree Fahrenheit weather can’t take away the feeling of awe when looking at the ice patterns on the windows and snow covered tree branches.

Winter is the time to get skis and sleds out of the closets, go outside, play snowballs and make snowmen.

And, of course, winter is the time to celebrate New Years and Christmas. The tradition for celebrating Christmas is coming back to life, yet New Year’s still remains the biggest winter celebration. The kids in the orphanages, schools and kindergartens start getting ready for New Year’s celebrations a long time in advance. They make New Year’s cards, learn poems about Grandfather Frost and winter and rehearse dances and songs for the big New Year’s performance. From December 30th till January 10th there are winter vacations at school (“kanikuli”). During this time the kids have a lot of parties and celebrations (called “Yolka” - “New Year’s tree”). New Years tree/Christmas tree is the center piece of a lot of places during this season: town squares, shops, work places, homes, school and orphanage auditoriums. Very often it is decorated with the things the kids make themselves: snow flakes, stars, snowman figures etc. The top of the tree is usually decorated with a big star. The New Year’s trees are put up at the end of December and put down in the middle of January.

The two main characters that make their appearance during the New Years season are Grandfather Frost (“Ded Moroz”) and Snow Girl (“Snegurochka”). The Grandfather Frost has replaced in Russia the European Saint Nicolas and American Santa Clause. It is a tall old man with a long white beard in a red fur coat, special mittens, felt boots, with a magic staff and bag of gifts for children. He isn’t carried by reindeer, but rides a big Russian sled with three horses and a little bell under an arch. His usual place of stay is winter snow forest, where he is responsible for blizzards and snow storms.

Snow Girl is his charming granddaughter. She is dressed in a light-blue coat and a hat with white fur and she is also wearing white boots. She has a long blond braid. She is a mistress for birds and animals of a winter forest: hares, squirrels and birds.

Both Grandfather Frost and Snow Girl are the main characters of every “Yolka” celebration. They come to every school, kindergarten, orphanage to give the kids gifts and celebrate with them (very often the characters are played by the orphanage/school staff). During the play malicious Baba Yaga and Forest Man (“Leshiy”) steal the bag with gifts from Ded Moroz. In course of the play the kids help to look for it. Once the bag is found Ded Moroz lights up the New Years tree and does a dance (“horovod”) around it with all the kids and other characters. Many kids are dressed up as fairy tale or winter characters on this day as well: snowflakes, hares, snowmen…

New Years is a family holiday in Russia when all the family gets together at a table for a big New Year’s meal. This happens on the night of the 31st of December. By doing this people say good-bye to the Old Year and welcome the New. The classical attributes for a New Years table are: champagne for adults (though Russians have come up with what’s called “Champagne for Children”--a non alcoholic beverage), tangerines and a meat salad. There are a lot of special programs and shows on TV that night and so the family usually enjoys a big dinner watching TV most of the night. Minutes before midnight the President appears on TV with his New Year’s speech and then the count down begins. Once the Kremlin clock starts to strike midnight people clink their glasses, tell each other “S Novim Godom!” (Happy New Years!) and drink champagne. Another famous New Years tradition is watching the movie called “Irony of Fate” (or “Have a Nice Bath”). It is a hilarious New Year’s movie and it gives a good insight into Russian culture. Directed by Eldar Ryazanov and originally released in 1975, it’s been a tradition to watch the movie on New Year’s or around that time (if you are interested in Russian culture it is a great movie to watch and every Russian would know what you are talking about). Some people who are not into a quiet dinner have New Years parties with dancing, jumping into the snow and sliding down snowy hills at night.

It is customary to exchange gifts on New Years and not on Christmas. People put the gifts under the New Year’s tree and open them right after midnight or in the morning. January 1st is the day of rest, finishing food from last night and quiet family time.

The kids at the orphanages have a big “Yolka” celebration somewhere at the very end of December (29th, 30th) and then usually have a nice dinner and dancing for the actual New Years. But both New Years and Christmas are family holidays so in spite of all the joy and excitement of this season the kids still long for the family touch. Please, send your children a special greeting this Christmas and New Years and let them know that the are loved and remembered.

To say “Happy New Years” you say “S Novim Godom!”

Three Wishes

Here are the last few updates from the caregivers and directors at Sovietsk. They contain three wishes that we will do our best to grant, with your help.

First, for letters:

First of all let me thank you for all your care for our children. They are really happy when they receive letters and presents from you. It would be very nice if you continue writing to them, and if possible to them all, as some of them are a bit envious that to some children come 3 or 4 letters in a month. It is really interesting for them to receive letters especially from children, with whom they can share their interests and so on.
We are also looking forward to your visiting us because these are unforgettable memories for the children. From Caregiver Irina Nikolaevna

SO, we also request that you continue writing. It appears that we have some dedicated writers from our last big letter drive, so thank you! However, there are a number of children who are new to the orphanage who do not have anyone to write to them--their names are listed to the right and below. PLEASE consider becoming a pen pal for one (or two) of them. And please pass this information on to anyone who might be interested. It is very easy! Just email me and I will give you some background information and an email address to send your letters. If you have internet access, writing letters is free!

Second, for socks and gloves:

Winter is here and there is a great need here for warm clothes, especially warm socks and warm gloves. What ever help you can provide would be wonderful blessing. Thank you again for you letters and support.
Assistant Director Anisiya Vachreneva

SO, we are holding a Sock and Glove Drive! Since it costs more to send actual socks/gloves to Russia than they are worth, we are just collecting funds for the Sovietsk general fund at HopeChest. Just $5 can help keep a kid warm! Even in this crazy world, most of us can handle that much. Please consider donating--you can donate on the right--and please designate your funds "Sovietsk Sock and Glove Drive."

And finally, for prayer, as requested by disciplers and caregivers:

Please pray for the boys and girls who need to finish this school year well, for the graduates to find their way in life, and for the director and staff who take care of the children.

Enough said there.
We are so grateful that there are so many of you who love these kids!

What are partners for?

KidsFirst Foundation has been quite generous when caring for our children at Sovietsk. They have partnered with Children's HopeChest to fund our driving teachers, sports and arts teachers, special tutors--including pre-med classes, and a psychologist and speech therapist for our kids. Now is our chance to help them! KFF has asked as many people as possible to view their video describing the work they have done and the goals they have. If they can get 1,000 people to view the video by New Year's Day, or Thursday, they will receive $1,000 from an anonymous donor to help orphaned and abandoned children. We'd love all of our Sovietsk supporters to thank them by following the link, watching the video, and sharing this with friends and family. It only takes 3 minutes, and every click counts! After they have given so much for our kids, it's a great way to say Thanks, KidsFirst Foundation!

Caregiver's Corner

Sovietsk has so many wonderful staff members, from the director and assistants to the nurses, cooks, cleaning staff, tutors, social worker, and special instructors.

From Tatiana, one of the many wonderful caregivers at Sovietsk:

I hope you and your families are doing well. On behalf of all the Sovietsk orphanage staff members I want to thank you for the job you are doing for the kids. It’s great that they can learn about the life of people who live so far away. It’s good that they know they have a person to think of them.

Galina Plotnikova, the director, was in Kirov for three days to take some advanced courses in managing the orphanage. She also managed to enjoy the kids’ performance at the contest. Moreover, at the contest we managed to see Valentina Ivanova and Tatiana Kozlochenkova, the representatives of different Children’s Funds in Kirov Region.

Due to the cold weather our kids spend a lot of time outdoors, playing in the snow. They love making snowman and snow angels!

Sincerely yours,
Tatiana Soboleva and the staff of Sovietsk orphanage

A New Discipler

Here is a letter from Ann, a new discipler at Sovietsk. Sponsorship funds allow people like Ann to share the children's lives and bring support and encouragement. We have not met her yet, but we've enjoyed reading about Sovietsk through her eyes.

Dear friends,

This is my first newsletter to you. In fact I’m a newcomer and I don’t know much but I hope that as the time passes by I’ll become more experienced. My first visit to Sovietsk was a week ago. I was really excited. First of all I was really fascinated by how cozy and homelike this orphan house was. The mistresses were very kind to me too. I think it is due to their inner qualities that this place has such a lovely atmosphere.

On the 5th of October we have a Teacher’s day, so our first meeting with children was devoted to this holiday. I told them some interesting facts from the history. They especially liked the story about teachers in ancient Greece, and then we spoke a bit about their own teachers. It was really amazing to admit how open-hearted these children are. I also made friends with new children. You know, there are 5 of them: Kate, Larisa, Kirill, Marie, Sveta and Maksim. After the lesson we just talked a little. The children eagerly shared their memories about the past summer. They told me that they rested in different camps, in different shifts; and some camps were in other towns, for example in Kirov and in Urzum. Most of all they liked to sing songs sitting by the fire. In Sovietsk they went camping on the bank of the river Vyatka. You know the nature is marvelous here especially in summertime when the trees are dressed in their green outfit and the blue skies are reflected in the streams of our a bit slow, but still powerful, river. Also they had a trip to Lejinskoe Lake in Pizanski district, they say it is very beautiful there; their eyes sparkled when they told me about it.

I also brought them a lot of letters. Some of them wrote back right away. The others promised to be ready with their letters next time.
I should say that my heart really stayed with those children. Thanks a lot for your help, your support, and your letters; the children really need them. They put the letters and the photos in their special albums and you really become a very important part of their lives.

Ann Butorova

Updates from Lena

Thank you so much for your understanding, help and support. I feel how much you care about the children who need love a lot. It is nice that the children can learn a lot about people who live so far away, whose country differs from Russia.

During this past summer, the kids as well as their caregivers participated in the contest that took place in Kirov Children’s Crafts Centre. There were participants from various orphanages in Kirov Region. The first contest “Next to the Master” involved either boys or girls (or altogether) with their caregivers who taught them different crafts (e. g., woodwork, knitting, sewing, etc.). Ilya N., Tolia N., Sergey V., Gena P. and their instructor Vadim A. introduced themselves (they sang songs and recited poems about the orphanage and the crafts it is noted for). Later on they showed how talented they are and displayed their marvelous crafts.

The girls took part in another contest called “Constellation” which means children’s singing and dancing abilities. A group of girls who are good at singing participated a lot. Among them there were Lena Z., Nastya G., Olya V., Olya P., and Lena M.. Among the children who were there were Sergey N., Oksana G., and Katya M. Some caregivers joined them for support.

God bless you!
Lena Makarova

Updates!

We recently got some updates from Sovietsk, and we'll be sharing them with you in pieces over the coming week. The updates have inspired some new ideas and projects we'll be sharing with you as well. If you have any ideas or questions, please send them our way!
Olya P. playing at the gym
From some of our kids . . .

Dear American friends,

It is really cold those days. A strong wind was blowing. We had a real housecleaning, a great bath day. We had some activities both for younger and elder kids, including sport events (soccer, swimming in the pool) and visited the museum of Local Lore and the circus. Some of our children went to Kirov to take part in the contest. They sang and showed their crafts.

Nastya G. sent her guinea-pig. She did that because she had no time to look after it. First she felt pity for it but then she put up with it.

Our puppies (Jack and Nika) are big enough. We feed them with our leftover food. Sometimes their mom feeds them but now she doesn’t have enough milk to do that.

Good-bye!
Love,
Nastya G., Olya P., Lena Z.,
Tanya M.

Lena & Tanya show their lovely fingernails :)

A Christmas Prayer

Artwork by Maria' s Children, orphaned and abandoned children in Russia who take part in an art therapy program. You can order prints and cards from them!

Merry Christmas!

We wish you all a wonderful day of love, laughter, and celebration with the people you cherish.

Our hearts are with those around the world who are separated from light and warmth this Christmas.

This prayer by Daniel Lee came from Lutheran World Relief and is based on Isaiah 9:2-7:

God of light, who illumines the night,

Come to those now in darkness.

God of plenty, who multiplies joy,

Come to those now in sorrow.

God of promise, who creates the harvest,

Come to those now who hunger.

This Christmas and always,

We trust in your light, your plenty and your promises.

Teach us again, through Word and deed,

of the Christ child made flesh among us:

Who breaks the rod of oppression,

That we might work for justice;

Who removes the yoke of burden

That our neighbor might walk with dignity;

Who sets the tools of war afire,

That all creation might live in peace.

Amen.

May peace, love, joy, and hope be with us all at Christmas time and always.

Russian Christmas

The Russian Orthodox Church, and to a degree, Russian culture itself, gets it right when it comes to the difference between Christmas and New Year. The New Year holiday comes first with a big party, complete with gifts and jumping in the snow. Christmas comes January 7 and is more solemn, and certainly less commercial, than what we're used to. For them, the holiday is about faith and family and the seriousness of the moment that the holiday represents.

Even when moving away from commercialism, it's easy to get carried away. We are the sort who want to do EVERYTHING at Christmas. We shop for the Sharing Place, where people who are struggling financially can come and 'shop' for presents for their family. We donate special food to a local pantry so people can celebrate with a meal. You can send gifts to military men and women, pack shoeboxes for children around the world, visit nursing homes and hospitals with smiles and songs. There is really no end to the need for love and joy for those who are especially lonely this time of year.

(For more ideas, visit Sojourner's Peace and Justice Christmas at
http://go.sojo.net/campaign/peace_justice_christmas. There is so much more to Christmas than bargains and cookies!)

While I would do everything if I could, I am trying to prioritize wisely because despite my denial, I can't do everything. I'm trying to prioritize what only I can do. While I can (and will) share some gifts and food and Christmas smiles with others this holiday, others can do that as well (and I hope they do!). But I'm the only wife to my husband and the only daughter to my parents, the only aunt Sarah and sister Sarah and daughter-in-law Sarah and granddaughter Sarah, the only one who can continue the relationships I've started at Sovietsk, with Katya, Sergey, Galina, and the rest.

I am going to continue to do as much as I can, but I've learned to start with what only I can do first.

We encourage you to use the whole time up to Orthodox Christmas (January 7th) to focus on sharing love and light, peace and justice with the world around you--in the spirit of the baby we celebrate. And we encourage you to do what only you can do--enjoy and invest in the relationships you have been given. And please remember to let that special child know you are STILL thinking of him, or start that letter just from you especially to her.

(photo credit: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/7174794.stm)

Sergey the Carpenter

About a year ago I undertook a house project that was probably over my head from the beginning. I decided that I was going to build a bed for Sarah and me. Surprisingly enough, though, the bed turned out fine. (I was as shocked as you are). That's it in the photo to the left, complete with a sleeping cat.

One of the methods that the orphanage uses to help the children learn life skills and other important lessons is a wood shop program. The kids learn basic carpentry as well as fine woodworking skills. Over the course of my early correspondences with Sergey, I learned that he enjoyed wood shop. Even though he lives a million miles away, I decided that I should enlist his help in building this bed. I asked him in a letter if he had any advice for a novice like me who is trying to venture into furniture building. He responded with painstakingly drawn diagrams of how to construct a bed and the simple encouragement that "building a bed is not a difficult thing to do."

Truthfully, I had already built the bed by the time I heard back from him, but I was very happy to have engaged him in such a way that let him know that I didn't think of our relationship as being so one-sided. As a sponsor, as an American, as an adult, etc. it's easy to think that the kids at the orphanage have everything to learn and nothing to offer. That's simply not true. They're as interesting and complicated and intelligent as anyone. And if you listen closely, they can teach you a thing or two.

The List is Shrinking!

I am pleased to report that we now have sponsors for over half of the kids at Sovietsk!

This good news means the list of kids in need of sponsors (look to the right and down) is shrinking. We would love to eliminate it completely!

Who/what are sponsors?

Sponsors commit to send $34 a month, or $408 a year, to Children's HopeChest. This money provides for physical care for the child, additional education

opportunities, medical or other issues that may arise for the particular child. It also, very importantly, contributes toward resources for the orphanage in general. It provides for tutors, supplies, and a few fun events for all the kids. It pays for Lena, our discipler, to visit Sovietsk regularly and invest in the kids there. Lena is kind of a mix between a mentor and a youth pastor, for lack of better description. As Galina put it, Lena knows everything about Sovietsk. We'll share more about her later.

And, Sponsors write letters. The kids know who their Sponsors are. While we went to visit ALL the kids at Sovietsk, everyone knew we were Sergey & Katya's Sponsors, and that relationship carries significance to them. (Another reason we'd love to have some travelers join us next time!) Sponsors invest in one specific child for at least a year, and they can maintain that relationship as long as the child has access to HopeChest programs (whether at Sovietsk or after graduation). Sponsors can become like family.

Here's a cool sponsor story: On our 2007 trip, we met a woman who had been sponsoring the same girl for 10 years. After 10 years of letters, visits, prayer and encouragement, this girl had become a young woman who was graduating university and engaged to a kind young man with a wonderful family who accepted her fully. Her sponsor was invited to dinner with the family, and I believe she returned for the wedding. In a society where 'orphanage kids' are severely threatened and stigmatized, this is a WONDERFUL story. I wonder where my Katya will be in 10 years.

So, if you are interested or have more questions, contact me. I can send you everything you need to get started.

A good Christmas gift, maybe?

:)

Wistful for the Future

It's Advent. It's the beginning of my favorite time of year.

It's just like whenever I hear the Overture from Messiah--I get so excited about what's coming next. The moment I hear the opening chords, I'm drawn in, simultaneously relishing each musical moment and anticipating the music to come.

(Messiah essentially fits the whole liturgical year into one setting, with beautifully expressive music and brilliantly chosen texts. I am pretty sure they sing Messiah in heaven.)

So, while my favorite time of year is Lent culminating in Easter Sunday, I love Advent. It signifies so much more to come. As Pastor Felde put it, during advent, we are "wistful for the future." We await the baby who comes to bring light, who lives a lifetime of human joy and pain, who brings ultimate triumph when darkness is defeated and Love wins.

Pastor mentioned that wistful is an odd word in discussing the future, as it often focuses on the past. But, during Advent and the holiday season, I feel it. I feel wistful for the coming joys of the holidays--seeing family and making memories.

I feel wistful for my kids at Sovietsk--for their futures, knowing this hopeful story is theirs and praying they can own it. Their pasts are burdensome, it's true. But there are so many beautiful possibilities in their futures, if they are able to find the right path. That's why we go.

Many times, their eyes for the future are clouded by debilitating pain, paralyzing self-doubt, and no true knowledge of how to find the way. They have trudged through valleys on confusing, winding, rough paths, young and alone. Their experiences tell them that darkness is inevitable, that they don't deserve joy, that they mean nothing. Those lies are so difficult to drown out--impossible if there is nothing else to hear.

But the story of hope brings the music of hope. Advent reminds us that out of darkness comes light. As in Isaiah, "Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill made low, the crooked straight, and the rough places plain." We're called to prepare the way for hope, to build a highway in the desert. The more caring people who bring comfort, encouragement, and guidance, the better chance these little ones have.

We often get asked "Why Russia?" So there's another answer.

Ben and I are wistful to see our children again. The good news is, it is almost time to plan our next trip! Stay posted, more information to come soon.

How I ended up with this cucumber

You might be wondering how I ended up taking a photograph of a cucumber setting on my hand. Well, here's how it happened. After we had been at Sovietsk Orphanage for about a day and a half, Sergey and I had, in a way, found our rhythm. As I've mentioned, he's painfully shy. In fact, he seemed even to be a bit embarassed that Sarah and I had come there from America to visit him. It was all he could do to stay in the same room as us for more than a few minutes at a time without having to escape to the solace of his bedroom or some other such private place. I didn't take his constant scurrying away personally, but I had really started to wonder what he thought about us. But I got a clue as to what he thought by a small, meaningful action. We were hanging out with some of the kids when Sergey took off again, so I went to look for him. When I found him, he handed me a cucumber that he had picked for me, and then promptly ran away again before I could even say thank you. I don't know all that much about Russian culture, but I think that giving someone a cucumber as a gift probably means that you think of them as a friend. The cucumber was delicious.

A Russian Hymn

Music is meaningful in the Clark family. The right spirit, poetry, and sound can deepen understanding beyond words and communicate more than mere words ever could.

We have a slew of Russia songs, many of which are featured on the playlist below. There is one, though, that feels as if it was written for our kids. Even our 2 1/2 year old nephew, the most joyful Clark, seems to count it as his favorite song--he listens to it over and over and over again and feels it through his whole being. It encompasses everything: sorrow, empathy, hope, our deepest gut-wrenched prayers. We don't really do the 'fixing,' but this explains some whys of what we do.

We wanted to share it with you.

Coldplay's Fix You

When you try your best but you don't succeed, when you get what you want but not what you need, when you feel so tired but you can't sleep, stuck in reverse . . .

And the tears come streaming down your face when you lose something that you can't replace,
When you love someone but it goes to waste . . .

Could it be worse?

Lights will guide you home and ignite your bones. And I will try to fix you.

High up above or down below, when you're too in love to let it go, but if you never try you'll never know just what you're worth.

Lights will guide you home and ignite your bones. And I will try to fix you.

Tears stream down your face when you lose something you cannot replace . . .
Tears stream down your face and I . . .

Tears stream down your face, I promise you I will learn from my mistakes . .
Tears stream down your face, and I . . .

Lights will guide you home
and ignite your bones
and I will try to fix you.

Lena's Burning Ears

WELL, how lovely is this. Just last week I post about wanting to hear back from the kids, and today I heard from Lena!

Lena wasn't at camp when we went to Sovietsk because the doctors didn't want her to leave the orphanage. Galina specifically planned activities with her in mind, wanting to give her a memorable summer. It was a joy to get to know her!

Here you see her helping me make my pillow and kukla (d0ll). She also went mushroom hunting with us, helped me in the kitchen, and taught me a lot about the orphanage.

Lena is an excellent leader at Sovietsk. The caregivers count on her and the kids look up to her. When we needed to get the older boys involved, all we had to do was ask Lena to talk to them! Lena knows this is her strength, and she would love to be an event planner. She organizes different activities for Sovietsk and hopes to find a way to make a career of this. In her letter, she shared that she got to go to a 3 day camp to learn about planning events and organizing people. This is thanks to funds from KidsFirst Foundation. How wonderful that this bright young woman can start to fulfill her dreams!

Lena also showed a natural knack for guitar. With funds from Bethlehem Lutheran, we purchased one to leave at the orphanage for Ben to use when we visit and for the children to use during music lessons. Ben helped her learn a couple of chords, but she needed no instruction for strumming. She has great rhythm, even though she giggled through most of the lesson.

(Sergey took this picture of Lena's guitar lesson with Ben.)

I wanted to share with you some words from Lena's letter. They belong to you as well as to us.

I am happy that you and Ben don’t forget me and I hope that we’ll continue our correspondence and will get to know more about each other. By the way thank you very much for the guitar you’ve left us. Our mentor told me that he would ask older boys who are students to teach me (and perhaps somebody else) to play it.

So I end up with writing for now. I miss you very much. I hope that will meet again.
We love you very much.

Lena, we love you too.

For what it's worth

I can't believe it has already been a month since I wrote to my kids. I can't believe it's been over two weeks since I wrote here!

It is so easy in the bustle of life . . . school, work, bills, house, family, friends, church . . . to lose track of time. That's why I mark my letter-writing schedule in my day planner. I am not perfect, for sure, but like clockwork on the second week of every month I am reminded to write to my kiddos.

Those of you who also write can probably agree that sometimes it can be difficult. It can be hard to know what to say--you want your words to carry some weight, but certainly not to be preachy or assumptive. You aren't sure how much to share about your life--the joys of family, the fun adventures these kids might not get to experience. And you WISH they would write back! Wouldn't that make it easier?

But, because we know what it's worth, we write anyway. Because we know how devastatingly shy these kids can be, we write even when they don't write back. Because we know they desperately need someone, anyone, to love and encourage them, we write consistently.

It's really easy to do. All you need is the child's name and RU #--ask me if you'd like someone to write to. You can send an email to kirov@hopechest.org, or snail mail to HopeChest at P.O. Box 8627, Pueblo, CO, 81008-8627. They take care of the translating, and in a few weeks, a child knows you think of him or her. For us, it may be a few minutes and a few words. But for them, it's more than worth it!

History, Part II

In a previous post I highlighted the causes behind the high rate of parent-less children in Russia today. I wrote that the main factors contributing to this issue were Soviet family policy, wars, forced collectivization, and starvation. Now for some more background on how family policy evolved, especially in the early Stalin years.

By the beginning of the 1930s, the Soviet Union's leaders could see that its family policy was having an undesirable effect on the country's social fabric. It was especially disturbing to the government because of the need for young people to fulfill demands for military service and industrial jobs. A campaign of propaganda promoting family values and familial stability was begun that labeled the former policy of easy divorces as "free love," which they considered to be a "bourgeois invention."

The Soviet government began a retrenchment in reaction to its previous policies. In 1936, abortion became illegal in most cases. A government program to build childcare facilities was put into effect. Wedding ceremonies were turned into more solemn occasions. Beginning in 1944, a divorce could only be granted after a court hearing. And inheritance law was reformed so that children could inherit an apartment, a dacha, or other property from his or her parents. The notion of an "illegitimate" child was brought back through a policy that made such inheritance impossible if a child was born to an unregistered marriage. So, in effect, the bourgeois model of the family was restored and by implication, the model of the Marxist family was shown to be untenable in reality.

But, that was then and this is now. More to come.

VOTE!

It's the last day--and it's a GREAT day. Don't forget!
And no matter who you choose, you can vote with hope for our future and gratitude for our past and present.

Spread the word! Enjoy your day!

Ah, Consumerism

Everyone claims to not be a big consumer. Ben and I certainly try not to be. We drive old cars. We don't have cable or fancy gadgets. We live below our means. We basically try to minimize the stuff in our life and spend our energies on what we think is important.

But we're still American.

We pack light when we travel--1 carry on and 1 checked bag max between the 2 of us. We pack, pare things down, and pack again. But, we think, it's still important to be prepared. For our trip to Russia, we brought clothes to span many occasions (though I must say we weren't prepared for rock climbing in the village). For footwear, I brought a pair of flip-flops for inside the orphanage, some sneakers for physical activities, summer canvas shoes for every day, and a pair of nicer shoes for Moscow. All, I thought, pretty reasonable.

On the day we went to the history museum, Katya came in my room. She noticed my Moscow shoes, then investigated the rest. She counted . . . "Adeen, dva, tre . . . chetirye?!?" Four?!? she asked me. I was mortified.

It's not so much that I wish Katya had more shoes (though I am sure it would be nice). Russian culture is rooted in collectivism, much like the disciples in Acts who shared what they had. The orphanage has a shoe-shelf, and kids grab a pair as they need them. This is their culture, and it works, to a degree. (Notice Stas's shoes in the photo above--they're two sizes too small and purple.)

But Katya makes a point--no one really needs four pairs of shoes, let alone the ghastly number most of us have in our closets. While we can easily justify buying them, and different cultures have different requirements, this illustrated the fundamental excess and entitlement that is a part of our culture.

I see it in the way we give as well. Americans love to give stuff--I do. And, with our place at the top of the world market (at least for a time), this is good--we have a responsibility to share what we have. But abandoned children don't crave stuff. They crave human contact, committment, someone to look them in the eye and tell them they matter. They yearn for deep and abiding love.

Among all the wonderful gifts we brought to the orphanage, nothing brought more excitement than letters. Thankfully, the most primal needs of food, clothing, and shelter are met at Sovietsk, though that isn't true everywhere. Still, times are tight, and the staff was thankful that we eased some financial burden by bringing both necessities and extras. But they were absolutely delighted to hear that each child received 3 letters.

I can't exagerrate what your love can do for these children. Financial generosity is wonderful, and very much needed, and everyone is grateful for it. But the love in and around the giving goes so much further.

History, Part I

We think it's important to speak from a broad perspective as to why there are so many orphaned children in Russia and why their circumstances are so dire. So, to add a little bit of historical perspective to the current dilemma, here goes...


The Marxist philosophy of politics and economics, to which Lenin and his comrades adhered at least in the beginning, extended to family life. Under Marxism, gender roles are considered hypocritical. Tasks that were put on women's shoulders in Imperial Russia were, in an ideal socialist society, given over to the public. So things like cleaning, cooking, and childcare would be carried out as a sort of co-op.



What happened in the Soviet Union as a result of applying this bit of Marxism really caused some trouble. According to Marx, marriage and family are unnecessary and so divorce becomes very easy. A piece of Soviet legislation called the Family Code of 1926 attempted to make these practices into law. Civil marriage replaced religious marriage and a divorce could be obtained simply by informing the other partner. As a result, during the 1920s divorce was on the rise in the Soviet Union. By 1926 the divorce rate was at about 50 percent.



The impact of this sharp rise in broken families meant that the state had to look after the children who were abandoned by these dissolved marriages. In the first two decades of the Soviet Union's existence the streets of cities and towns throughout the country were flushed with hundreds of thousands of orphaned and abandoned children.



The sudden appearance of so many orphaned children cannot solely be blamed on the Family Code of 1926; most of the responsibility should be shared by the civil war (1918-1921) and the forced collectivization of farms that took place under Stalin in the 1930s. These two events devastated the population through death by war, disease, and starvation. Some of the children living on the streets were taken into state-run orphanages, most of which were poorly provisioned. Others became the foster children of farming families where they worked as agricultural laborers--an exploitative situation for most kids, no doubt.


For further reading, I would suggest Geoffrey Hosking's Russia and the Russians: A History

Check back later for Part II...

Visit Dan's blog

Please visit my brother Dan's blog at http://danieljclark.typepad.com/

He works for Children's HopeChest.

For the next 8 posts or so he is going to do a day-by-day reflective journal of his recent trip to Uganda. His visit represents the next stage of Children's HopeChest's efforts to expand their care for children in Africa.

What a Difference a Year Makes

On our trip, we gained some perspective on what our sponsors and donors have done for the kids at Sovietsk.

Thanks to Sovietsk Supporters, we delivered:

-A year's worth of school supplies: notebooks, pens, clay, paints, drawing pads, craft paper, glue, markers, and more

-A year's worth of hygiene supplies: shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, more

-Important life-enhancing and educational items: a globe (featuring Indianapolis!), a guitar, soccer balls, volleyballs, puzzles, games

-Some fun: movies, cake, and ice cream :)

-Enough extra $ for bikes and skis--transportation and exercise

-Home supplies for recent graduates: tea kettles, pots and pans, desk organizers

-Thank you gifts to the wonderful orphanage staff

-Handmade, personalized hats & scarves--2 for each child!

-THREE LETTERS for each child! This was by far the most exciting delivery.

Over the course of the last year, based on sponsor support:

-Over half of all kids at Sovietsk have sponsors who provide financially and write regularly.

-Two older boys have obtained driver's licenses and have even worked and saved to buy their own cars. Their job prospects are now exponentially higher, and they are very proud to be 'members of society,' as Galina has said.

-One girl has spent the year traveling to Kirov City for special classes. She has just entered medical academy--unheard of for an orphanage grad!

-Sovietsk students have succeeded in soccer competitions and music competitions, lifting self-esteem and building relationships with children beyond the orphanage.

-The children have new tutors and learn new skills: cooking, gardening, cleaning, maintenance. They have extra adults in their life and are now better prepared for the outside world.

-The orphanage gained a psychologist and speech therapist to assist the children. Insitutionalized children have often experienced great trauma and loss in their little lives, and they are often severely delayed. Galina shared a story of a 9 yr old boy who came to the orphanage last year with severe Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, often dissociating into a catatonic state or melting down in certain situations. By the end of the year, he had found a home at Sovietsk and greets Galina with a huge hug when he sees her. There are still strides to go, but they have come so far.

So, THANK YOU, from the kids. Your impact is greater than you will ever know.

Fishing trip

On the morning of our fishing trip I was filled with anticipation and trepidation. It was my first time really going off on my own there without Sarah there to give me constant moral support. As I've alluded to in previous posts, conversation doesn't flow freely from me, so Sarah is always keen to encourage me to strike up a conversation with these kids even if it's about something rather mundane.

After breakfast, Misha and I headed down to what I thought would three or four teenage guys waiting for us in the bus. But it was only Andrey and the bus driver, Vovo. I asked Andrey if the other guys were sleeping. He said that they couldn't come because they were working (chopping wood and other odd jobs around the village). As it turns out, the other boys were sleeping. No one had woken them up. I don't know if Andrey had anything to do with it or not, and I didn't press the issue later after I found out.

After about a thirty minute bus ride on Russian country roads we got to a small lake with a surrounding village. We had three fishing poles and four people so I chose to observe at first. Andrey and Vovo had their own poles so Misha and I had to alternate. Vovo caught a fish almost immediately, and he pretty much kept up that pace the entire time. A few minutes later Andrey caught one, too. Misha and I didn't do so well--we didn't catch many fish and the ones we did catch were too small to eat. Vovo told us that the orphanage cats could eat what we caught. I knew this was probably a joke at my expense, but since I like cats I decided it was a nice thing for me to do.

When I wasn't manning a pole I just sat there and took in the nice view. I can see why people like to fish--it's pretty relaxing and fish are yummy. But the best part of our morning came when Andrey caught the biggest fish out of all of us. When he started to pull it in Vovo nearly tripped over his own pole getting there to lend a hand. We all made a big deal about it and I could tell that Andrey was quite proud. The next day, Misha and I overheard him telling someone the story of how he caught the biggest fish.

Maybe that's why Andrey didn't wake the other boys--he wanted all of our attention. It might sound base but it's perfectly understandable considering that for most of his eighteen years he has been ignored and abandoned by adults. Even though I was disappointed that I didn't get to spend more time with the other guys, I was glad that Andrey got to feel important for a morning.

Unexpect the Expected

Daniel, Ben's brother, leads trips to Russia frequently as part of his role with Children's HopeChest. His mantra is 'Unexpect the Expected.'

Yes, when traveling in Russia, Expecting the Unexpected isn't enough.

As this was our 3rd visit to Russian orphanages, we were pretty confident of what to expect: reserved children and caregivers, regimented schedules, and somewhat vague expectations from our Russian hosts. We received Sovietsk's schedule ahead of time, and it resembled a typical orphanage day:

9:00 Out of bed

9:30 Breakfast

10-12:30 Programming

1:00 Lunch

2:00 Nap

3-5:30 Programming

6:00 Supper

7-8:30 Open

9:00 Bedtime

We thought we would have 15 kids (the rest were away at summer camp) ages 9-18. So, we planned accordingly. We knew programming was ours to fill: crafts, letter-writing, outings, even a mini-olympics complete with team flags and opening ceremonies. We knew to be flexible, but we knew we had to be prepared. We sent our programming ahead of time for Russian approval. We had our plans A-Z ready to go--we thought we had unexpected the expected.

And THEN, just before we left for the airport, we learned we would only have 8 kids and 7 of them would be over 14.

Balloon soccer would be a major flop.

We knew we would have to do some serious revamping and improvisation, but we were in a pinch. Thank God for Galina!

Upon arrival in Sovietsk, Galina, the director, called us into our office. She informed us that our plan wouldn't work (we knew!). No talent show. No caregiver's tea. No movie night. No cafe visit. But, she seized on our request to have the children teach us something they know. What followed was among the most remarkable week of our lives--far beyond anything we could have even unexpected.

Galina was a lovely combination of organized and laid-back. She created unforgettable experiences for us and the children. Even our translators said we could hardly have had a more Russian experience. We had craft lessons with the kids and their teachers. I had cooking lessons. Ben went fishing. We visited the local history museum. We had full Russian banya. And of course, there was mushroom hunting and the trip to Dolbiylova. We shared such wonderful memories with the children laughing on the bus, playing darts, and watching movies before bed (I must say Hairspray in Russian is quite interesting). Our surprise schedule was such a blessing.

If we had stuck with our plan. . .

. . . we would have never sparked connections with the older boys--notoriously the most difficult group to engage.

. . . we would have missed the chance to get to know the caregivers. They are the warmest group of people I have ever met in one place, and they have such an impact on the children. Supporting and encouraging them is among the best we can do.

. . . I would have been too busy to sit and really listen to Galina. The children are her heart, and she shared so many details about how the last year of support has made an impact on the children. When we left, she said I was like a daughter. What an honor.

Thank God for the unexpected!

One Week Left

Sidebar:
Are you registered to vote?
Voter registration closes in one week on October 6. If you need information on how to register, send me an email.
We are grateful for this opportunity to raise our voices. Please remember to vote on or before Nov 4!

Mushrooms and berries

The morning and afternoon of our first full day at the orphanage was spent mushroom hunting, berry picking, and picnicking. Sarah and I and our translators covered ourselves from head to toe (despite temperatures in the low 80s) and loaded onto a bus with a half dozen or so of the kids from the orphanage and a handful of the caregivers and drove out to a nearby state-owned park. The plan was to divide up by gender and go in search of mushrooms and berries. Immediately the boys split off from me, Misha the translator, and Vadim the woodshop guy. I should have expected this, given the way my first meeting with Sergey went the previous night. Still, it was difficult not to feel a bit discouraged. Nevertheless, we had a good time rummaging through the woods. When we got back to the site of the picnic the boys were there just hanging around. I decided to try to engage them again. Let me first say, the male of the species, I think, needs to do something together in order to bond. It's not enough--really, it's just too difficult--to bond over a mere conversation. Several of the older boys, Sergey included, earn some pocket money by chopping wood for various people throughout the village. This is a skill that I've never developed and it doesn't look like I have a very promising future in wood chopping. But I decided to have the boys teach me how to chop wood for the fire that was roasting our lunch. Let's just say we all had a good laugh at my attempts. Then it was their turn to demostrate. They were all of course much more proficient than I. One of the older fellas, Andrey, was able to do it with one hand--no mean feat, I must say. This activity lasted all of ten minutes, but it was a start. There was a spring near the site of our picnic and so after lunch most of the kids found their way to the water. Undeterred by previous failed conversations with the boys, Sarah and I made our way over to them and tried to chat about going fishing the next day. I asked what I thought were important questions, such as "where will we be fishing?" and "what time are we planning to wake up and leave?" I got mostly shrugs, but one of the guys responded that they don't worry about waking themselves up in the mornings because the caregivers are responsible for that. I really started to worry about these kids at that point. First, they have real trouble engaging adults in a conversation--I understand why and I don't blame the kids for this, but still, you have to admit, that the inability to carry on a conversation could be a serious stumbling block. And second, they don't even know how to wake themselves up in the morning at the age of sixteen or seventeen. The orphanage director and the caregivers do a great job with the kids. They really try to help them become functional adults, but the fact remains that these young people live not in a home with parents, but in an institution. This is difficult for even the most resilient people to overcome. We had a fun time mushroom hunting but this chat we had down by the spring was a stark reminder of what Sarah and I, and Children's HopeChest, are up against in trying to look after orphaned and abandoned children.

Katyusha Part Dva

Just to clarify . . . Katyusha is not a reference to rocket artillery.

Russian has many names for one person. Ekaterina is a formal name. Katya is the short version--like Benjamin and Ben. Katyusha is the diminutive--like saying 'sweet little Katya.'

Katyusha is also a traditional Russian song. When I worked at KidsFirst Adoption, I learned this song to perform at the Foundation's annual fundraising dinner. It is patriotic, from The Great Patriotic War (also known as World War II), about a girl waiting for her love to return from battle. This is the only Russian folk song I know, and it came in handy at Sovietsk.

We visited Dolbiylova, a beautiful, remote village home to Galina & Vladimir, two supporters of Sovietsk orphanage. (More to come on this later--we could never explain our day at Dolbiylova in one sitting.) After our second feast that day, Ben was whisked off for some Russian diplomacy with Vladimir, and I remained with the women. "Let's sing!" said Natasha, one of our hosts, and I was glad to know one song--Katyusha. We sang loud and laughed and enjoyed each other. Little moments like these gave us a chance to show the people that we are truly invested in their culture, their lives, and the children. As the feast ended, Natasha declared that American people are really no different than Russian people. She wished the governments and diplomats could join us for dinner and see how we get along. I couldn't agree more.

Here we are after our first feast at the river in Dolbiylova: Ben, Me, Galina, & Vladimir.

Katyusha

I first met Katya in March 2007, when we spent about 2 hours at Sovietsk during a tour of Kirov orphanages. She had just come to the orphanage a few months earlier. She didn't talk. She didn't smile. But she stuck by my side, and when it was time for us to leave, she ran looking for me.

I promised I would write to her, and I did. When we became sponsorship coordinators for Sovietsk, I immediately searched for Katya's profile. I became her sponsor, and we write to each other regularly. She sends me pictures she draws and tells me about her interests--gymnastics, boxing, school, or the orphanage animals. Her letters are a bit reserved, but always a little bit funny--full of spunk.

When we arrived at Soviestk in August, I met a different Katya. The caregivers told her I would be coming to see her, and she was watching for the bus to arrive. When she saw us, she snuck over to our group and hid behind a caregiver until I saw her and called her name. That was the last time I saw a shy Katya! She ran over, gave me a huge hug, and was joined at my hip from that point on. It was such a joy to hear her laugh, to see her smile, to watch her confidence and adventurousness throughout the week.

Katya wasn't staying at Sovietsk when we were there. She spent the summer at a caregiver's home within walking distance from the orphanage. Every morning, our bedroom door would fly open, and there was Katya! She brought me fresh milk--still warm--and berries from the home she was visiting. She played guitar and volleyball and introduced me to the cats and helped me find mushrooms and showed me how to flip blini and laughed at my horrible pronunciation of the Russian ы vowel. At dinner time every day, it was hard to send her home.

I was so amazed to see what a different girl Katya had become in the last year and a half. I am not naive when it comes to children living in institutions, though. The survival skills these children develop are quite sophisticated--if a child has the resilience to capitalize on her strengths, she will use that to her advantage in an institution. It is easier to be gregarious than it is to be vulnerable. Befriending the adults in the room has its advantages, and I have seen her exert her 'leadership skills' over the other children. As the director put it, Katya is 'complicated.'

Katya is 10 years old, a point when girls start learning how to be young women. This is yet another crucial time when a girl needs a mother.

Katya got a letter from her mother while I was visiting. I gently asked her what she thought about this, but she didn't say much. As the week went on, I wondered . . . . I'm 28, and Katya is 10. I wonder if I am her mother's age.

I wonder if I am anything like her mother.

Katya has so many wonderful qualities: she is hilarious, smart as a whip, a natural leader, brave, beautiful, strong, and kind. But even bright and spunky and clever girls need a mother.

Good News from Kirov Grads

After children graduate from the orphanages in Russia (anywhere between ages 14-18), many of them go to technical school. This is usually nothing like a tech school you might see here. They can be horrible, disheartening places--unsafe dorms, abusive peers and teachers, sub par education, simply a continuation of the loneliness and discouragement of life as an orphaned child.

But, for all the awful stories out there, there are stories of hope and promise as well. In Kirov region, home to Sovietsk orphanage, Children's HopeChest is engaging with the children at the tech schools. Lives are changing. Read more about it at Ben's brother Daniel's blog:

danieljclark.com


Dan works for Children's HopeChest and has the privilege of finding more supporters for programs like these. One unique feature of HopeChest programs is that they seek to maintain ties with our kids until they are at least 23--well into their young adult lives, in Russian terms. Now that Sovietsk has supporters, the future is much brighter for the children there. We hope and pray that the relationships we are building now at Sovietsk will continue to bring joy and hope as our children go out and face the world.

My first time meeting Sergey in person

I had been writing to Sergey for a while before I actually met him in person. The photo I had of him was really outdated so I hardly recognized him at first--he grew probably six inches and thinned out quite a bit since the photograph was taken. But the personality profile I received from Hopechest describing Sergey was spot on: he's a shy boy and he likes to look after the animals, especially his cats. The conversation did not flow freely, as it did between Sarah and her Russian friend, Katya. To say the conversation was stilted and a bit strained might be an overstatement, but just barely. I asked him several questions: how old are you now? what year are you in school? how'd you get that huge bandage on your toe (a bicycle mishap)? He gave me one or two word answers and barely made eye contact. Being a shy manchild myself I could see that he was having a hard time and it was taking every bit of chutzpah he had to sit there and talk to me. But he knew I had come there to see him--the caregivers had told him so. I could sense that his reticence wasn't because he thought I was a dorky old guy but because he was and is painfully shy and quite accustomed to disappointment. He was planning to spend the summer with his mom, but she fell off the proverbial bandwagon shortly before he was to visit her. So it's understandable that he wasn't too sure about me. But I think he was starting to get the point that I was trying to communicate to him in my letters--I want to be your friend.

Welcome, One and All

We're home!


After a whirlwind of a week at the orphanage in Sovietsk, Russia, we are home and happy. Yes, we came home to Indianapolis thoroughly spent, glad for our own beds and showers and family. But more importantly, we have discovered our home away from home and a new kind of family at the orphanage in Sovietsk.


We cannot begin to explain the magnitude of hospitalty and warmth we received from the people at Sovietsk. We were nothing more than ambassadors, bringing your care and love in our smiles and hugs. If only we could find a way to share even a measure of that love with all of you . . .


There are so many of you, Sovietsk Supporters, from different arenas, different walks of life. We needed a way to bring all of you to one place. So, here we are.

Through this blog, we plan to introduce you to each of the wonderful children of Sovietsk. Through photos and stories from our trip, we will share how our sponsors are changing lives. As needs and changes arrive at Sovietsk, we will keep you informed.

There are so many wonderful things happening at Sovietsk. Galina, the director, and her staff are unlike any other orphanage personnel we have ever met. They put their hearts and souls into the lives of these children, and it is more than evident.


Our story will unfold over time, and we hope you join us along the way. Please, please, please subscribe, ask questions, leave comments, link us, send us your info so we can link to you. The more people who meet these children, who hear their stories, who begin to glimpse their worlds, then the more of an impact we can have together.

From the bottom of our hearts, we thank you for your love for these kids. One of my friends said it very well: "This has to be the most rewarding experience of your life so far." Rewarding, overwhelming, humbling, exciting, heartbreaking, and just so inspiring. We invite you to share this experience with us.

Benjamin, Seryozha (age 14, sponsored by Ben), Sarah, and Katya (age 10, sponsored by Sarah)