Stories from the Spring Trip to Ukraine

Today, Taryn is winding up her last days in Ukraine on behalf of Grace to Ukraine.  She and her small team have visited all the orphanages where we serve.  They have also made time for outreach to individuals and families in a variety of difficult situations.  Every trip to Ukraine brings back hosts of stories of despair as well as encouragement.  Today I  want to share with you one of the more encouraging stories.

For well over a year, Grace to Ukraine has been providing Jesus Storybook Bibles to the orphaned and poor in Ukraine.  When someone purchases an English version of the bible from us for $20, we give  a Russian version  to a child in Ukraine.  One of our partners in Ukraine is a young woman by the name of Lori Jackson.  Lori delivers our diapers each month to the special needs orphanage, among many other things.  She always takes a Jesus Storybook Bible with her. Some would question if the children there understand these stories.  But today, I received this wonderful message from her about her time at the special needs orphanage with Taryn:

 Suzette, let me tell you...we were all in the room there at the special needs orphanage, and you know how chaotic (in a good way) it can get in there, but I'm playing ball with one kid, interpreting across the room for Taryn for another kid, trying to listen to the conversation Terry and Anton are having behind me all at the same time. Next to me on the floor is the Jesus Story Book Bible, and one of the little boys scoots up beside me, opens it, pushes it towards me, points at the picture on the title page of Jesus surrounded by children and says "Jesus." 

I stopped worrying about what Anton and Terry were talking about, I told Taryn what had just happened, I threw the ball to one of the other kids and turned to Danya and said "you want to read about Jesus?" and with the biggest smile on his face he nodded his head and said "DA!"

When I'm there I mostly play. I always take the Bible, and spend maybe five minuets out of my two hours actually sharing it's stories with the kids and even that is a minute here and a minute there with whichever kid has brought it over and sat next to me for as long as their attention will hold them, then it's onto the next thing. 

With Danya today, it was the same, we didn't spend long looking at the pictures or talking about who God is, but what a gift for me to see that He KNOWS what's important. Mostly you just want them to know that they are LOVED, but you wonder how much they understand. Today  I asked Danya who Jesus loves and he said "me." I asked him if Jesus loved me. He said yes. I asked who else He loved and he said "everyone." 

Oh me of little faith.

What a gift today to get a glimpse of what He is doing! So thankful for those who came before me and for every person who has held a child there and told them that they are loved.

Glory to God.

No Turning Back

Ukraine.  If you have turned on your TV lately, you have heard about this little country, about the size of Texas, situated between Russia and Europe.  I love Ukraine.  More than half of my family is made up of Ukrainians.  Out of 10 Davie children, 6 of them began their lives in Ukraine.  We have family and friends there.   We travel there several times a year.  In fact, I just returned from there 3 days before Christmas with our three newest children. 

The protests in Kyiv were still in their infancy when were there.  We visited Maidan and I was moved by the peaceful nature of those in attendance; inspired by their patriotism and respect.  All of my children speak Russian as do most people that we know in Ukraine.  In all my visits there, this one included, I never felt any prejudice or ill will toward Russian speakers or even Russians for that matter.  No. The people of Ukraine simply wanted to escape the oppression and corruption of their own government. 

That is why today I shake my head in disbelief that there is a real threat of a Russian invasion of Ukraine, especially in far east Ukraine on the Russian border, where 5 of my children are from.  Daily we read the news reports and talk to friends and family there.  They are all OK; but some of them believe the Russian propaganda that says the US is to blame for everything.  My children don’t understand the politics of it all; they ask if they will still be Ukrainian if their country is taken over by Russia.  They  wonder if Ukraine will become “a part of Europe” or cease to exist. 

I am very thankful that I got all of my children out of Ukraine before this crisis.  However, my heart breaks for the orphaned children I know that remain there.  I am President of an organization called Grace to Ukraine.  Each summer we bring orphaned Ukrainian children to Alabama to introduce them to a new culture, a new language, a new way of thinking.  We introduce them to hope.  We then visit these children in Ukraine, taking them winter coats, hats and socks.  We also provide a monthly supply of disposable diapers to a special needs orphanage in east Ukraine.  We have been doing this for over a year and the quality of life there has greatly improved just by this simple gesture.    These are innocent children.  Orphaned through no fault of their own.  And now caught up in a political struggle they don’t understand.  One that will either pull them westward toward more help and more hope; or eastward toward a country that has halted adoptions and is renown for its substandard care of the orphaned. 

Often people ask me and my husband, Gabe, why we chose Ukraine. I like to respond to this question by asking “why not Ukraine?”  We are licensed foster care parents.  We have adopted a child domestically.  We have helped build orphanages in Haiti and supported the care of the poor and orphaned in Uganda.  But God, through a series of circumstances,   gave us children from Ukraine.  We would not have rejected them based upon their nationality and we will not now turn our backs on their home country and the people we love that are still there. 

Likewise, Grace to Ukraine, cannot turn back from its mission there.  In fact, our mission there has become all the more urgent.  Ukraine is in financial ruin; robbed by its own elected officials.  Services to the poor, already a low priority, will suffer even more.  As long as we are allowed to do so, we will go; we will help; we will endeavor to bring hope and love to children whom society has ridiculed and shunned.  We plan to bring 10 orphaned children to Alabama the first three weeks of June and we look to our neighbors to help feed them, clothe them, and expose them to Alabama culture.  If God closes that door due to the political situation, we will look for new ways to help. 

We have been blessed in such a way, that the question boils down to one of “why would we not help the children of Ukraine?” And even “why would we not add to our family when we can?”  But in telling our story, I don’t want to bring attention to what we have done.  Rather, I hope to inspire you to begin to look at your world through different eyes.  Perhaps you are not called to go to Ukraine.  But there are 195 other countries in this world.  Many with impoverished and orphaned children. Some estimates say there are as many as 143 million.  You can’t help them all; but maybe you can help one.  Grace to  Ukraine is one avenue.  There are many, many others.  I welcome the opportunity to speak to churches and civic groups about  the various ways to get involved with orphan care and can be reached through our website, www.gracetoukraine.net.

I can only do so much

One of the down sides of ministry is that you have to accept that you can only do so much.  I mean like when 2 other women and I take a trip to Ukraine for 10 days, we simply cannot talk to every individual child in each orphanage that we visit.  I wish we could but it is simply impossible.

Having said that, however, I do believe that God places certain people before you whom he has planned that you touch.  God did that with Vova.  You see, I had visited the orphanage in Shotova twice.  I had hosted groups of children from there twice.  And I had never noticed Vova.  I met him briefly last summer when I visited the camp where he was spending the summer.  I knew that I wanted to host him because he was a friend of our son-to-be but we didn’t really talk or establish a repoire, he was just "there". 

Then one day in early October, I really noticed him.  My husband and I had gone to initiate the adoption of Lewis, Bella and Sam.  We were at Vova’s orphanage.  He was quiet, kept to himself;  he certainly did not talk to me.  And so I didn’t notice his smile.  Or his beautiful eyes.  Or his sense of humor.  But what I did notice one day was his feet.  It was cold.  Snowing.  And Vova was wearing flip flops.  With no socks.  And so I simply asked him, “If I buy you some shoes, will you wear them?  Its cold.”  Yes, he replied.

The next day I took him some shoes.  He quietly took them from me and said thank you.  And that was that.  Or so I thought.

The next day, I arrived at the orphanage to visit.  And a 14 year old boy ran, smiling and laughing, into my arms.  He told me hi and showed me his shoes.  He was dressed in blue jeans and a nice shirt instead of the shorts he had been wearing.  His eyes were no longer downcast and I noticed how beautiful they were.  Could this be Vova?  Suffice it to say, he was not the same child as the day before.

What had happened to Vova?  Here is what I think.  Somebody loved Vova.  He was not changed because he now had new shoes.  He wasn’t hoping for more stuff.  No, Vova suddenly knew that someone cared about him.  Someone cared that his feet were cold.  Someone took the time to notice.  Someone brought him shoes.  And so he opened the door of his heart and invited me to come in.     

After that, Vova became my constant companion at the orphanage.  We played battleship and he taught me the Russian words for hit and miss.  He hugged me when I arrived and held the door open for me. And he has been my constant companion since we arrived to complete our adoption.  I told him yesterday that he was such a good boy.  He said "no, I am not."  Yes, you are Vova.  Maybe no one has ever told you that.  But you are.  And you are beautiful.  Created in the image of a beautiful God.

There are so many other “Vovas” in the orphanage.  Children for whom no one has ever cared.  Children who have never heard, “you are such a good boy”.  Children whose expressions and downcast eyes simply reflect the shoes that they are wearing, or the lack thereof.

I cannot reach them all.  Grace to Ukraine cannot reach them all.  But we can reach Vova.  Grace to Ukraine will host Vova in Alabama in the summer of 2014.  He has a 16 year old sister who lives at another orphanage and I am going to try to bring her too.  They will hear the gospel.  They will learn many new and wonderful things about life.  And I want Vova and his sister to find a family.  I say over and over that adoption is not the point of Grace to Ukraine.  But I want Vova and his sister to find a family. 

The happiness I am relishing in at the moment, taking my kids away from the orphanage in 6 days, is infused with a deep sadness  for those that must be left behind.  There are others who have touched me deeply.  Some we have already hosted and who still have not been adopted.  Some we plan to host next summer.  I long for each of them to find families as well.  I will pray and ask God to rescue them as he rescued Lewis, Bella and Sam Davie.  It is overwhelming at times.  I start to cry but then I decide it is better to blog.  Better to visit.  Better to buy candy and shoes.   Anything but cry.  

I can only do so much.  But what I can do, I WILL.  Will you?

So Very Close

It is National Adoption Awareness Month.  So I want to talk about adoption.  Specifically today about a 14 year old girl named Liza whom I have never met.  Here is her story, with names changed, because of the delicate situation:

Liza came to America once with another hosting program.  Her host family loved her.   The mom, Ann, said:, “she was the best kid I ever met. She's quiet, unassuming, she tends to stay close to the family when in party type circumstances, she's willing to bond; she really watches what you do and then anticipates your needs, she's great with little ones, idolizes teenagers, is kind, not selfish, likes poetry and mermaids;  she has learned quite a good bit of English in her desire to communicate with us, shows willingness to go to school and learn; can phonetically sound out our alphabet; she is willing to please and be happy, isn't into boys; she's bright, honest, intelligent, helps with chores, isn't a smart alek kind of kid.”

Sounds like a child a family would love to adopt right?  The host family thought so, too, and began the process to bring Liza home.  Their dossier was approved by the SDA in Ukraine and they traveled to Ukraine to adopt her.  They had a successful SDA appointment; they got their referral and traveled to her region and reunited with her. She has a brother who has already aged out and he wrote his consent to her being adopted.   All the paperwork in the region was accomplished and sent back to the SDA in Kyiv for approval before court.  The girl was ecstatic.  She wrote Ann: " thank u for saving me, can u believe the people who give me life do not care if I live or die".

But then the unthinkable happened.  The SDA said no.  The family was not allowed to go forward with the adoption.  This had nothing to do with Liza.  There was an issue with the family’s paperwork.   The assistant director was given the task of informing Liza why her new family would not be back.  Apparently she blamed Liza for it and now Liza is blaming herself.  Ann talked to Liza; she is depressed and is desperate to get out. 

The family’s initial reaction was not uncommon.  “Maybe someone will adopt her and bring her home to us.”  But they knew this was not the right thing to do.  Home now for several weeks, Ann said to me “We are all still standing here like someone died of a sudden heart attack.”  Yet, even in her pain, this mom knows what is best for this child:  “I would love it if another family adopted her; anything, just that she's out of there.  Its like she’s drowning.  I don’t care WHO saves her.”

And so I pose this question to you, reader:  Could you be the one called to save Liza?  Will you pray and ask God if he would want to use you to help bind up the wounds inflicted upon this 14 year old girl?  She was so close to being rescued.  So. Very.  Close.  I pray that she will get another chance. 

God is at Work Part 2

 I want to give you an update on some of the children we hosted last year.  As many of you know, my family met Lena when we hosted her in 2012.  We hosted her brother, Sasha, in 2013, and later met their older brother, Alosha.  We have court on November 28th and will make these 3 a permanent part of the Davie family.  But there are others as well.

The Laws are a family from Colorado.  They were working with Lifeline, an agency here in Birmingham to adopt from Ukraine.  Lifeline suggested they come down to visit during our hosting program in July.  They did and felt drawn to 2 children in particular.  They returned home in September with Sergey and Kristina. Thank you, Lord, for leading the Laws to these 2 precious children.

While the children were passing through Kyiv on their way to Alabama last summer they stayed at the home of the Malones, missionaries to Ukraine, and adoptive parents themselves.  A family was staying with the Malones in October who was about to go the SDA for a blind referral.  The Malones remembered Tanya and Yura, whom we had hosted,  and told the Higbies about them.  This family also “happened” to be friends with the Laws.  (see paragraph number one).  The Higbies just had court this week, giving Tanya and Yura a Mama and Papa.  Are you loving how God weaves His way in and through His people?  Well, there’s more.

In March, I met Kostya; about to turn 16.  I decided to add him to our hosting list at the last minute and blogged about it.  The Torvinens read the blog.  And they recognized him.  In fact, Brandy had Kostya’s picture taped to her computer so she could be reminded to pray for him.  She had first read about him through another hosting organization.  The Torvinens came to Alabama and met Kostya.  They filed their paperwork before his 16^th birthday, as is required.  And they have an appointment  November 26^th to begin the adoption process of Kostya in Ukraine. 

God is at work.  He uses hosting programs, blogs, facebook, random meetings, and He glorifies Himself in them.  He has a special love for the orphan.  He gives us, His Bride, the amazing opportunity to be a vessel of that love.  Sometimes I feel  like a spectator; or, at best, a participant carried along on a wave over which I have no control.  I would encourage every reader of this blog, every supporter of GtU, every follower of Christ, to open your eyes.  Behold your God at work around you.  As my pastor, David Platt, often says, give God a blank check with no strings attached and see what He leads you to do.  Whatever it is, you can be assured, that it is God Himself who goes before you and He will accomplish all that He purposes to accomplish.  God is at work.  Won't you join him?

Due Season

Thursday, Anton took me and Taryn to the original Camp Druzhba (Druzhba is the Russian word for Friendship).  Right now we are having camp at the orphanage because the scope of having it at the official camp was larger than GtU can manage at the moment.  Having gone there yesterday, however, I am so motivated to move the camp back to its original location. We are putting together a video about camp and its importance to this region.  We interviewed Anton while at the camp site and toured the new dorms.  Many improvements have been made.  What was sad, however, was that when the last missionary who was leading camp left Ukraine, the coal mine, who owns the camp site, took down all signs of previous Christian influence.  The stage painting of Jesus welcoming little children had been replaced with a painting of a lion and a turtle.  The sign outside the gate touting Camp Druzhba as a Christian camp for children had been taken down. 

Fortunately, however, Christianity is not about signs and paintings.  The evidences of Christian influence at Camp Druzhba continue in more profound and meaningful ways.  Anton, himself, attended camp there; became a Christ follower through translating and is now the camp organizer.  Many of our interpreters here now attended Camp Druzhba over the years; learned English; heard the gospel and are now following Christ and sharing the gospel with the next generation of children.  Many of our campers are here because they have attended previously or they heard about us over the years.  Since 1998, seeds of the gospel have been planted at Camp Druzhba and we are privileged to see the fruit.  This encourages me greatly and I can tell you that GtU is not about to leave this place.  Certainly, if God were to call us to go elsewhere, we would be obedient.  But right now, we are firmly planted here and will do all we can, by God’s grace, to continue to water the seeds planted over the years.

God continues to move here.  Children are hungry to know the Word.  Relationships have been built over the years that we must continue to nourish.  We see kids everyday that we met 6, 7, or 8 years ago.  The community benefits financially as well as spiritually from our presence here.  We have been on TV, and we try to take advantage of that notoriety, all for the glory of God.  The people here are entrenched in legalism and superstition.  Most cannot begin to comprehend the grace of God that saves them and keeps them.  But then again, neither did I for many years.  Please pray for these people.  These children.  For GtU and its team to have wisdom, discernment and perseverance.  We hear stories daily from orphans and other children that are gut wrenching.  The weight of it all can be staggering as we try to accept that we cannot fix every problem or save every child.  We must simply be obedient to God’s call to be here; to share the Gospel, and trust that He is doing things we cannot yet see.  Just like those before us.  

God is at Work

We are only in the third day of the second Bible camp, but already we see God at work.  Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words.  But in this instance, the pictures cannot begin to convey what is going on in the hearts of our campers and workers. 

This morning, the older girls’ 45 minute Bible Study, last over an hour.  The girl’s were asking questions about sin, the Holy Spirit, how to hear from God.  Yesterday these same girls listened intently as Alexandra told them they were made in the image of God and they explored ways in which that should effect how they live.  Alexandra said it was obvious they had not heard these things before.

Each night, the Bible study leaders go to the children’s dorms right before bedtime, to pray and have a short devotional.  Last night, the older boys were still talking after an hour.  They, too, had serious spiritual questions.  One wanted to know why our beliefs were so different from the beliefs of many professing Christians in their village and why our beliefs seemed “better”.  Kyle and Blaine patiently shared with them into the night, opening the Scriptures and praying for wisdom and discernment.

One 14 year old boy who goes to school in Lugansk explained to me that he got many invitations to summer camps but he chooses to come this camp.  He and his twin brother started attending when the camp was lead by Shane and Marilyn Duke.  He has a hunger for the word and is eager to share it with others.

Dorm parents are asking questions, moving from skepticism to real interest.  Team members and interpreters sit in the hallway of our dorm at all hours of the day and night, reading the Word and sharing their testimonies.  Prayer requests are moving from the simple “pray that I play soccer better” to the more serious “pray that I can share my faith in school”. 

Each of us on this team has come to Ukraine believing this is where God called us to be this summer.  Our team members are young adults, 19-21, except for me and Taryn.  We each raised our own support to get here.  We are from different churches, different cities and states; no one church or organization has sent us.  We are doing nothing grand; nothing fancy.  We are simply here, the Body of Christ, brought together by a common desire to share the Gospel in a place that is “white for harvest”.  God is doing a work, often times in spite of us.  Please pray with us and for us, that the Gospel seeds that we are planting will bear fruit and that the Glory of our God will spread though the village of Belaroschenska, Ukraine and beyond.