Help Lonya Hear!

A sweet young man at Sovietsk Orphanage named Lonya (short for Leonid) is in need of a new hearing aid. You can read more about Lonya here: sovietsksupporters.blogspot.com/2010/11/meet-lonya.html. He is 9 years old and  growing up quickly.

Lonya is currently sharing a hearing aid and can only use it part time, so he is missing out on important school work. It's impacting his speech progress as well. We have also been working to get him more financial support for therapies, which is a work in progress.

We only need $1,250 to cover the cost of the hearing aids. Fortunately we have found a local sponsor for half of Lonya's hearing aid. Will you consider chipping in to help Lonya?

If you would like to give a tax-deductible donation to the fund online, please follow the steps below:

1.       Go to www.hopechest.org
2.       Click on the orange “Give” button (on the rightside of screen)
3.       Click “Designated/Sponsorship: One Time Gift” & type the amount you would like to give in box below
4.       Enter the orphanage number in “Reference Number”: RU0506000
5.       Enter in the “Notes Field”: Medical
6.       Then have the donor complete their contact & payment information.

Thank you so much for your care and love for these precious children, including little Lonya. Any amount you can give is appreciated. We are looking forward to sharing with you when Lonya receives his new hearing aids and is back to work!

Item Drive Update

Hi, all!

Still collecting for the item drive . . . we have until the end of this week to collect items so we can get them to Russia with the next travelers. We still need . . .

-13 girls' winter hats
-11 boys' winter hats
-4 pair girls' winter gloves
-7 pair boys' winter gloves
-6 simple girls' toys (toy jewelry, small (!) stuffed animal or doll, etc . . . . something equivalent to a toy car)
-$$$ for shipping (Money can go directly to Children's HopeChest marked Soviestk fund or we can collect any contributions)

And, of course, LETTERS!!!

Send me a note or leave a comment if you are interested. And thanks to my awesome dentist, Bailey & Wright Dentistry, for the toothbrushes!

Item Drive!

Usually, when we travel, we have a lot of fun collecting items to bring with us and share with the kiddos. It's especially fun to give each little one their own special gift.

Usually, when we aren't traveling, we collect $ for projects as finding a way to get items to Russia gets pretty hairy (and expensive).

Since we are not sure when our next trip is, we have a few items to send. Last Christmas, Bethlehem collected birthday presents at the Birthday Party for Jesus, and we FINALLY have a way to get everything to Russia!

We would love to round it out a bit, to be sure every child has something special. We'd love your help! Now through August 17, we are collecting the following:

-10 pairs of girls' socks
-10 pairs of boys' socks
-13 girls' winter hats
-11 boys' winter hats
-4 pair girls' winter gloves
-7 pair boys' winter gloves
-20 toothbrushes
-6 simple girls' toys (toy jewelry, small (!) stuffed animal or doll, etc . . . . something equivalent to a toy car)
-$$$ for shipping (Money can go directly to Children's HopeChest marked Soviestk fund or we can collect any contributions)

We will be sending all kinds of fun toys, school supplies, and a few odd items here and there.

We also have a young man fighting major illness--lupus, to be precise--and we are waiting on some information  concerning his ongoing financial need to manage his disease. We have some great kids graduating as well, and we are glad to collect funds for graduation gifts for them.

And of course, LETTERS!

More info to come! Thank you for sharing your love!

It's time to send more letters!

It's time once again for our annual letter drive.  We won't be able to visit Sovietsk this year ourselves, but another group of sponsors is visiting Kirov region later this month and will be able to hand deliver letters for us.  If you would like to take this opportunity to start a pen pal relationship with a friend across the ocean, now is the time.  Or if you already have a pen pal or are a sponsor, don't miss this chance to send something to your friend at Sovietsk.  If you'd like to send a letter please let us know via e-mail and we can make sure the letters get there.  The deadline to have letters to us is August 17th. 

We also want to say thanks to everyone who contributed to the graduation gifts.  But if you haven't contributed yet, don't worry because it's not too late.  Just send us an e-mail and we'll let you know how.

A Visit to Moscow

Two weeks ago today, St. Basil's Cathedral turned 450 years old.  This beautiful monument to medieval Russia and Tsar Ivan the Terrible is a Russian Orthodox church built at Ivan's behest to celebrate a military victory.  It's really quite a breathtaking and unique structure and no matter how many times I've visited Red Square, I cannot stop myself from taking a bunch of pictures of it.

                                                               Here's a photo I took of St. Basil's on our trip last fall. 
                                                              It was the first time we've been to Red Square at night.

This summer, some of the kids and staff from the orphanage had a chance to travel to Moscow to visit St. Basil's and see other sites.  They got to see a ballet at the Bolshoi Theater, visit some animals at the zoo, tour the city by boat along the Moscow River, and eat at a fancy restaurant.  Not to mention the train ride from Kirov to Moscow, which is really a lot more fun than it sounds.  When I heard about the trip the kids took to Moscow I was so happy for them and felt very grateful for the great staff of caregivers at the orphanage. 

Here's a photo of the kids in Red Square this summer.

In the background is one of the walls of the Kremlin.

I would be remiss if I didn't make another plug for writing letters to the kids.  I can't emphasize enough just how important these letters are and how very, very easy it is to do.  Let us know if you'd like a transatlantic pen pal.  And we're still trying to raise money to buy gifts for the orphanage graduates.  See previous posts for details. 

Graduation Gifts

When people graduate in the US, it is usually a celebration. Accomplishment! Moving forward in the world, on to the next big thing. A day to celebrate with family and friends.

For young people graduating from school who are a part of the orphanage system in Russia, it can be a day of uncertainty, even fear. Of course, it is time to celebrate all the hard work that brought them to that point. But they will also leave everything they've known and venture into the world, on their own. Some tech schools provide opportunity, while others are all too familiar places of oppression and despair. The stigma of orphanhood can follow them, and they may or may not learn the skills they need to be successful in the world.

Part of our work in Russia is in hope of easing the anxiety of that graduation. We hope our youth stay connected with people who care about them, and we hope they plug in to other Fund Nadezhda programs, like the Ministry Center they are opening soon in Kirov to support these young graduates.

We also want to celebrate these young people and who they have become. We are sending the graduates a special note, and we hope to raise enough funds for each of them to have a high quality tea kettle. In Russia, tea is very important! They use electric kettles, and every proper adult in Russia knows to serve tea to important guests.

It will cost $695 to purchase quality tea kettles and sponsor a celebration for 8 wonderful grads at Sovietsk. Could you contribute? If 10 families gave $70, we would have it in no time! We are working quickly to raise the funds, as the children are leaving July 31. If you are interested in contributing, please comment below or send me an email. Or, log on to http://www.hopechest.org/, click give, and enter your amount into designated gifts. Please list Sovietsk Graduate Gifts in the notes to ensure the money gets to our grads.

And for your consideration, here are the young men and women we are celebrating this year, all leaving the 9th grade:

Ivan, age 16, Sergey, age 16, Tolya, age 16, and Maxim, age 17, will study to be electricians.

Lida, age 17, and Sasha, age 16, will study to become facing workers.
Nadya, age 18, will study to be a mail operator.

One young lady, 16-year-old Masha, will move on to 10th grade.

We wish these young people all the best. We know that Lida and Tolya had dreams of teaching PE or working in sports, and that Nadya dreamed of being a train attendant and traveling the country. Dreams change, and we know that reality often imposes itself on our hopes. We also know that no matter what profession these young people find, they are valuable and capable of the best humanity has to offer. Please join us in hoping and praying for the best for these young men and women.

Bikes and Skis

I'll be the first to say that it has been TOUGH keeping up with Sovietsk the last half of 2010. Thanks for sticking with us. A new year brings a new opportunity to work even harder for these kiddos!
While we saw a decline in sponsorship (which we are working hard to reverse) and giving, we have also engaged some new, enthusiastic donors (for whom we are so grateful!).

One gentlemen, who has been like family for years upon years, has taken it to heart to provide bikes for all of the kids of Sovietsk. He heard how the bikes help kids get to school, get out in the community, and even get to work in some cases. This was important to him, but even more important was the idea that kids just need to be kids. He believes that kids deserve to play, to experience the freedom of zipping around on a bicycle. So he is working hard at funding bikes for all the kids!

To go a step further, in Russia, bikes work about half the year. The orphanage staff has asked him to consider skis as another option, since cross-country skis are not only useful transportation, but will allow the children to compete with other children throughout the winter.


The donor's response? Skis, bikes, wagons, whatever makes the children feel loved.

Can you help us out? We've purchased bikes and skis before, but not enough for the entire orphanage. And when we're talking 34 kids, ages 7-18, there is a lot of need to make sure every child gets a chance.

We're waiting to hear just how much we need to raise to cover all these kids. If you are interested, visit http://www.hopechest.org/ and click Give. Please enter "Sovietsk fund" or "Sovietsk Bikes and Skis" in the notes section.

Thank you for continuing to love our kids!

And Happy New Year!

Grandfather Frost!

While we've been focusing on stepping up sponsorship for our kids, we understand that $408 is a big commitment for many people. But because sponsorship funds are low, New Years funds are low for our kids this year. In Russia, New Years brings a party, gifts, and Grandfather Frost with Sneguruchka, his granddaughter snow princess. (Christmas is reserved for religious festivities.)

Would you please consider contributing towards New Years celebrations this year? You can donate either through the tab on the right, or at www.hopechest.org. (Click Give, then enter RU0506 Grandfather Frost in the notes.) Or, you can give Ben or I a check payable to Children's HopeChest. Remember, letters are always welcome!

Please remember the sting of winter is even colder for children who have been abandoned by their families. We want them to feel our warmth and love. We want to remind them that they are not alone, but they have friends around the world who think of them and care for them. Will you consider helping? Blessings to all of you!

What $20 Can Do

At Under the Sun cafe a few weeks back, a kind woman (with a pretty voice) contributed $20 towards the Sovietsk fund drive. She apologized, saying that was all she had. I responded, with gratitude, "Do you know what we can do with $20?" We can
-purchase gift bags for four children, OR
-purchase supplies for a fun (and therapeutic) activity, such as face painting, OR
-purchase items just for fun, like a movie or smores at the bonfire, OR
-supply a child with personal care products for the year, OR
-supply 2 children with cold weather gear, OR
-purchase much-needed school supplies, OR
-purchase a bus ticket for Seryozha to come back from his village to see us.

Any ideas what our top priority is?



In reality, we'll be able to do many of those things--possibly even all of those things--because of simple generosity of $5 here, $10 there. Every year, it seems we hit a point where we wonder if it will all come together. And every year, the small and large donations add up, and we are able to share generously with the children at Sovietsk.

We know things are tight financially for many people now--believe us, we know! But we also know that it feels good to give, and that small gifts make a big impact. Remember the woman who gave all she had?

Last year, in the emotional family talk that preceded this photo, Sergey shared one of his greatest fears about graduation was that he wouldn't be able to see us anymore. Thank you, kind donors, for helping to ease his fears.

New Friends and Supply Update

This morning, Ben and I visited Whiteland UMC at their Under the Sun Cafe to share about our kids at Sovietsk. We had a great time meeting new people and left very encouraged. Thank you Dennis, Ginger, Pastor Joe, and everyone who welcomed us so warmly!

At the church, a lovely woman donated a huge amount of top quality scrapbooking supplies. After sorting through them, I am even more moved by her generosity. THANK YOU! We are so excited to share these with the kids and help them begin their lifebooks, a big help in their journey to understand their identities.

The supply drive is well underway! We are still hoping for:
-33 stress balls (preferably with gel inside, and faces are great!)
-33 wooden massagers
-17 mini flashlights + batteries (though this may be taken care of!)
-16 jars of nail polish
-33 lip balms/lip glosses
-31 small photo albums
-31 gel pens
-28 stationary sets
-toy fruits and vegetables
-sugarless gum with xylitol

$1 stores and bargain bins are great places to find these items.

Cash always works as well. :) Thanks to those of you who have sent funds for programs and travel, and for others who have contributed funds toward the supply drive (so we can purchase items to fill the gaps).

In other exciting news, we are expecting to bring 4 laptops with us to leave at the orphange. We are so grateful!!

Finally, don't forget, letters are the best thing we can bring. We can always bring more of those. Thanks to everyone who is sending their love.

Big Fundraiser!!

With some craziness behind us and the trip fast approaching, we will be in high gear on fundraising, supply drives, and letter drives. First up, thanks to one of our lovely travelers, an Independence Day Block Party!



Ok, these kids won't be there. This is from last year's Potato Festival in Sovietsk. But we'll be thinking of them and hoping to raise lots of money!

SATURDAY, JULY 3, 5:00 PM
Dinner at 6:30 PM, Fireworks at 10:00PM
SOMMERWOOD AT NOBLESVILLE housing addition
Email me for driving directions.

The event features water slides, a bounce house, a climbing wall, face painting, caricatures, a Rock Band station, Fireworks, and LIVE Music!

REMEMBER TO BRING:
*Appetizer, side, or dessert to share (optional)
*Chairs/blankets and drinks for your family
*Kids’ towels and bathing suits for water slides
*Suggested donation of $20 per family
*Extra $$$ for tips and donations

Be ready to have a great time for a great cause!
Funds will go toward extracurricular programs such as sports and music, get-started gifts for the graduates, Vitamin D, and general support funds.
We hope to see you there!