Just Showing Up

I've learned over the past few years that one of the most important things I can do for the kids at Sovietsk Orphanage is to just show up. I have at times been unsure of how to relate to and connect with these kids I see for one week a year. But I tried something new on our latest trip. I decided to just be there and live in the moment. And most important, I learned to stop trying so hard to connect and just look them in the eye and give them a pat on the back. I think the same idea can be applied to writing letters to these kids. I hear a lot of people asking what to write about in these letters. I understand completely. But really there's not much to it. Just tell them what you did that day, or tell them about a good book you just read, or a movie you just watched. You get the idea. It's easy and it doesn't take long. It's really just a matter doing it.

For me?

A charming bit of Russian culture is the giving of gifts. I'm not talking about giving gifts at birthdays and Christmas. We've experienced the tradition of giving gifts to your host or visitor as a show of gratitude. One of the special things we like to do for the kids when we visit is to take each of them a gift bag that is all their own. We like to give them things that are fun but also useful. Flashlights, stress balls, gel pens, stationary, lip balm, sugarless chewing gum... you get the idea. The kids who have been there awhile aren't surprised when we give them out, but they're still grateful. But I have them most fun giving them out to the new kids who've never gotten one before. When I handed the gift to one of the new boys he looked at me with big eyes and a tiny voice and said, "minya?" or "for me?" And I replied with a hearty, "da!" It's rare for these kids to have something to call their very own. We're not trying to make them into greedy Americanized consumers. We just want them to feel a little bit special.

Yogis and Yoginis

One of our travelers, Katherine, is working toward her certification as a yoga teacher. We are so thrilled that she led two evenings of yoga practice for our children.

At first, it was tough to get everyone settled, with our rambunctious little boys who had never done yoga before. With some time, patience, and a few extra adults walking around the room, we settled into a lovely practice.

Two children in particular, Natasha and Sasha P, were amazingly connected and grounded. It doesn't surprise me at all that those children have spent the least time in the orphanage--they just arrived this summer.

Experiencing trauma, such as violence, abuse, or losing your family for any reason, changes the brain. So does being in an institution. Our children struggle with self-regulation. Many are overly sensitized and hypervigilant, with elevated heart rates and shortened breath. Others are under-responsive and lethargic. Yoga is a wonderfully therapeutic way to calm the mind and reconnect to the body. Yoga can connect people to their centers and help them find their power. Many people around the world have found yoga practice to be a healing experience, and the same can be true for our children!

One of my favorite parts of this trip was at the end of yoga practice, seeing a roomful of our children in savasana, completely relaxed and at peace. It was simply beautiful.

All People Yoga Center is working with Katherine to provide yoga mats, supports, and practice for our children at the orphanage. If you're interested in contributing, please leave a comment and we'll be in touch.

Meet Lonya

When we arrived at Sovietsk this year, one of the first questions new director Alexei asked was “How can we find more sponsors for the children?”

Sponsorship is the lifeblood of our collective work at Sovietsk. American friends connect one-on-one with children at the orphanage through letters, prayer, and financial support. For $34 a month (that’s $408 a year), the children receive financial assistance for educational and medical needs, regular visits from mentor Anya, and birthday and Christmas parties. While ideally sponsors stay connected to the children through their entire time at the orphanage, a minimum one-year sponsorship is encouraged. Sponsorship payments may be made monthly, quarterly, semi-annually, or yearly by check, credit card, or EFT. Sponsors are encouraged to write one letter, one page long, once a month. It’s a simple task with a HUGE impact!

In an effort to find sponsors for all 24 of the waiting children at Sovietsk, we are focusing on finding a sponsor for one child each month.



Meet Lonya. Lonya is 7 years old and came to the orphanage this year with his 16 year old brother Sasha, his 11 year old brother Armik, and his 6 year old sister Tamara. Lonya has 30% of his hearing. The doctors believe he had little hearing at birth, though there is some speculation he lost some at age 3 in an accident. After coming to the orphanage in May, Lonya received hearing aids for the first time in his life. Though at times he is overwhelmed, Lonya is a little sponge, soaking up language skills and sounds all the time! He is expert at communicating through animated gestures and is beginning to read lips and mimic sounds. He loves taking photographs and is purposeful and artistic when composing them. Lonya needs financial assistance to get picture cards and other visual materials to expand his language. Lonya will be attending a special school in town for children who have hearing impairment, and Lonya will continue to be evaluated by specialists to determine the best approach in treatment and education. Lonya is a sweet, loving boy who enjoys his siblings and playing games at the orphanage. Sponsorship can help him meet his full potential and show him that he is loved and cherished by a special someone half a world away.

If you are interested in sponsoring Lonya or any of the other children at Sovietsk Orphanage, please send me an email. We hope to hear from you!