Children's Shelter Holiday

Taking advantage of being out of school on a Monday holiday, we took some of the children from the Grace Baptist Shelter on a boat ride of the Odessa Harbor, to lunch at a Ukrainian cafeteria and then on to ice skating for the older children. Here are some pictures of the day.

These children are our newest "family". The eldest girl, Melanie, is the daughter of the Grace Church houseparents for the other five children. They range in age from 2 to 6. They were sent to us from a regional orphanage. In the background you can see the loading gantries in the Port of Odessa. The sculpture behind them depicts a mother and child watching the Black Sea for the return of her sailor husband.

John Proctor with Sasha, Dima (front) and Bogdan on the boat. Apartment buildings of downtown Odessa in background. The boys had a great time going from level to level on the boat watching the waves with Sasha in hot pursuit to keep them from going overboard.

Peter Dovbeya, Shelter Director and one of three house "fathers" holding Kolya. This little boy, now almost 5, did not speak for the first three years of his life. Through work at the Shelter and then with his adoptive parents (who also adopted his two older brothers and older sister), he now jabbers all the time. He is a loving child. His adoptive Father is in the background of the picture.

Rodick, 16, has been with us since he was six years old. He is helping to drive the van for Peter. He is such a great young man. Our prayer is that funds will be found to provide scholarships for the boys who wish to continue their education after high school. We also pray for the completion of the Transition House where the kids can go when they become 18. By Ukrainian law, they must leave the Church Shelter at that time. Some of them continue to work at the church which gives them a little extra time. Some of the are conscripted into the Army if they are not continuing school. Statistics for the girls is not as good. 70% will have a baby by the time they are 19, most leaving government orphanages will become prostitues if no one helps them find their way in life.

I am sorry but I cannot remember this little girl's name. She is almost 3 with curly blonde hair and blue eyes. She came to the Grace Shelter a year ago from a state agency. Her backpack was a little fuzzy dog that she kept pulling around and petting all the time. We can't tell you how well behaved these children were on the boat. It was a thrill to be with them even if it was a tad cold!

Three of our older girls on the boat ride. From left to right are Natasha, Victoria and Violetta. They will be leaving us within another 2 years so we are truly anxious to get the Tranistion House completed for them to live in with Peter and Lydia as houseparents. In the background between Vicka and Violetta is the profile of Alexie who purchases the food for the Shelter Kitchen and the Black Sea Camp.

Vanya (Ehvahn/John) resting from ice skating. This young boy, age 12, has a wonderful singing voice. Music lessons are an added value for the children when money can be found. Vanya sings in the church children's choir and does many of the solos for the group.

An attempt to get at least half of the group quiet on the ice without sliding all over each other. In the middle of the front row is Svetlana, who has worked at the Grace Church Shelter since it began. Her two daughters are on the second row to her right behind Bogdan, who appears to be biting her elbow but was actually trying to hold her upright!

Vova, Sasha and Bogdan race by the camera. Vova and Sasha are older brothers to little Kolya shown in the picture with Peter. (He's the little boy who didn't speak for three years.) These children endured much before being "rescued" by the Grace ministry. Bogdan is the little boy who was sold to the gypsies by his mother in exchange for drugs. A woman from Grace learned of this and brought him to the Shelter to save his life. He was 7 at the time.

This is Dennis. He is 16 now. When we first saw him he was six and so small he didn't even come over the top of the kitchen table. He had lost his 2 front teeth and had ears like barn doors. We fell in love with him when he came up to recite his Bible memory verses for us. Soon he'll have to leave the Shelter and find his way in life if funds cannot be found to complete the Transition House within the next 16 months.

Natasha teaching Vicka to skate on her own. Most of the kids caught on quickly having skated on the streets or on rollerblades. We had no accidents, but some sore body parts when the day was over.