Monday, July 26, 2010

Encouragement!

Just when we're starting to get discouraged by a few obstacles, we get these letters. We can't wait to get back and see our kids! Of course, these letters are for you too. Please write back and send letters with us--the children love to hear from you!


Kid’s Space…

Dear American Friends,

Thank you very much for your letters! We hope that this year Sarah, Ben, Jen, Katherine, Steve, Barb and maybe some other friends will visit us in our home. We are very busy now. We started to plant vegetables in our garden and shape up the flowerbeds near the orphanage. Soon the school year will be over. We all try to improve our results over previous years’ marks. Some of us will take the very difficult State Certificate Exam. We all are waiting for the summer break and hope to see you again! Love, Sasha I., Katya M., Yulya O.

Discipler’s Update…

Dear Friends,

May is a very busy month for the orphanage. The kids and the staff are busy gardening, building the greenhouse, and working hard. The children spend most of their time outdoors. The boys play basketball and football, and the girls enjoy swinging or playing hide and seek.

The children are happy because school will be over soon. Some of them will go to different camps while others will be taken to their families in Dolbilovo, and six children will enter various tech schools. Of course now they still have a lot to do. Some children, like Lida V. and Vova L. try to improve their results and finish school with good grades.

Almost all of the children are healthy. Arthur G. had the flu but was discharged from the hospital making Sonya, his sister, very happy. She visited him practically every day. Unfortunately Lena Z. was recently hospitalized with a high temperature. Katya M. and Nastya G. visit her and support her.

Not very long ago Oksana G. (last year graduate) visited the orphanage. It was a real event! The girls were so happy to see her. Lena M., Yulya O., and Nastya G. saw her off on the bus and then went home on foot. It’s nearly 3 km.

The children are waiting for the American group in summer or autumn. They are asking about the dates because even the graduates want to come and see Sarah and Ben.

From Ann Butorova


Caregiver’s Corner…

Dear Friends,

The staff and the caregiver send you best wishes from Sovietsk. We are having a nice time here. We are really busy! We are preparing for the summer period. As in previous years we work outdoors planting different vegetables and flowers. This year we held a competition in which each group drew a picture of the flowerbeds. Then we put them to a vote and choose the best one. Now we are completing this project. It’s beautiful! Last weekend we planted potatoes.

Our cultural life is also very rich. We had many events devoted to the celebration of the Victory in The Great Patriotic War. We made hand-made flowers, went to the parade, met with the veterans, gave them the cards and flowers, and had a great concert here.

We took part in two competitions: exhibition “May 9” for which we made origami tanks and planes, flowers, embroidered poppies and a wooden order) and exhibition “Together with the Master” for which we made hand-made dolls. We were awarded 2nd and 1st place prizes! We were very proud of our children.

We hope to meet with you again.
Thank you very much for everything you are doing for us.

From Angelika Nikolaevna

Director’s Notes…

Dear Friends,

These months were very rich in different events. We did a great job and were very pleased with our children. You know this generation of children does not understand the value and the price of victory because they didn’t see the difficulties of war. At least that’s what we thought. But our children were very attentive to the veterans. They said such warm words to them and were so thankful that we were thrilled to see their appreciation of the veterans and that they understood why we celebrate May 9 as a national holiday.

Now we are busy in the garden. We are trying to build a greenhouse. But we do not really have budget money for this. We really need it because we would like our children to eat fresh vegetables as long as possible. It is very healthy, you know.
Thanks to your sponsorship we are able to continue organizing box and football sections. We are also sending children to summer camps and resorts in different towns. Some of them will be taken by our volunteer families again. Our grads will take exams soon so please pray for their success. It is very sad to part with them, but life goes on. This month new children came to our orphanage: Nastyas and Stas. We will do everything for them as long as we can. Please pray for us. Together we’ll make life for these children better.

God bless you!

From Anisiya Pavlovna Vachreneva

Prayer Requests…

Please pray for our grads and the staff of Sovietsk orphanage and also for the children who are ill or in the hospital now.

From Ben & Sarah, please pray that we will continue to find the funds for just what the children need.

Blessings to each of you!

Saturday, July 17, 2010

Orphanage Hymn

The song below was written by one of the music tutors at Sovietsk Orphanage. It's a really sweet song that all the kids sang for us when we were there last year. The English translation is below. Maybe we'll be able to see along with them this time around.

1. Начиналась жизнь наша с трудностей
Нет, вины нашей не было в том
Он нас принял с любовью и нежностью
Детства причал, санаторный наш дом

Chorus:

Родной детский дом
Начало начал
Ты в жизни моей
Надежный причал
Родной детский дом
Пускай много лет
Горит в твоих окнах добрый свет

2. принесли мы поклон воспитателям
За богатую щедрость души
Мы пред вами в долгу неоплаченном
Будем помнить об этом всю жизнь

3. Мы встречаемся здесь с нашей юностью
Вспоминаем былые года
Все что дорого, все, что нам помнится
Сохраним в душе навсегда

1. We began our life with difficulties, through no fault of our own. We are accepted with love and tenderness in childhood security at our sanatorium house.

Chorus:
Native orphanage, beginning of the beginnings. You are the life of my safety, Native orphanage. Let there be many years. The good light burns in your windows.

2. We bow to educators for their rich generosity. We are in your debt and we will remember this our entire life.

3. We meet here with our youth and recall the years. All which is dear, let us remember in our souls forever.