As many of you know, I have a very special place in my heart for orphans and have felt called to serve them for about a decade. In 2006, my mom, Courtney, and I were supposed to travel to Russia to serve with Buckner, but due to the G-8 conference, the trip was canceled. I was devastated and ever since I have been searching for a chance to go to Russia and serve. This year, I received that chance. I applied for an internship with Buckner International and was offered the opportunity to serve in Russia for the month of June. So, at the end of May, I packed up my things, kissed Michael goodbye and started off an adventure to St. Petersburg.
In the months leading up to the trip, our team was told that we would be given information and direction from the director of Buckner-Russia once we got there. However, once we arrived, we realized that most of the daily details, save where were going to serve, were pretty much up to us. You see, Russia is in a bit of financial crisis right now- much like the rest of the world- and the crisis is directly affecting Buckner and their ability to operate effectively in Russia.
Up until two years ago, there were eight full-time employees for Buckner-Russia. These ministry team members were able to stay in direct contact with each of the orphanages affiliated with Buckner and provide services on a weekly basis to the staff and children. They did everything from Bible studies, to English clubs, to just stopping by and checking in on the daily goings-on.
Due to decreased funding, there are now only two full time employees for Buckner in Russia. As a result, they are no longer able to keep up with the orphanages with the same diligence. Consequently, much of the responsibility of providing Bible experiences and English exposure falls to volunteer groups and internship team members.
Lauren, Caryss, me, and Melissa at Peterhof
This is where my team and I came into the picture. We were given the challenge of providing Vacation Bible School experiences for the kids while helping Buckner maintain positive relationships with their orphanages. It’s paramount that we keep the orphanages well taken care of, so that they will be willing to work with Buckner.
During our stay, we visited a different orphanage each week- for a total of four, in addition to one hospital/orphan crisis center. Typically we would travel on a Monday, spend three full days with the kids, and then travel back on Friday. Two of the orphanages were village orphanages that house children specifically from the village in which it is located and the other two were city orphanages that we visited at camps in the country.
The Children's Home in Lapohinka
Camp for Children's Home #2
Culturally, there is a huge emphasis on children going to camps during the summer. It began back in the Soviet era and continues full-force today. The idea is that after the harsh months of winter, kids need a chance to get out in the summer air and run around. So, each summer, the government funds three-week camp experiences for the orphanages. Now, camp to me means structured daily activities like horseback riding and canoeing, but in Russia it literally means run around outside… all day… sometimes unsupervised… on ridiculously high, Soviet-era jungle gyms… even if you’re five. Therefore, a lot of our time with the kids was spent playing. We played tag; hide and go seek; duck, duck, goose (who knew “duck” was the same work in Russian and English); hopscotch; and football, as well as checkers, chess, and Phase 10. The kids crave someone to play with them individually but since the ratio of children to caretakers is often 10:1, it just doesn’t happen that often.
Slava was much better than me at ping pong
Although I hadn’t anticipated it, playtime was one of the best opportunities that we had to minister to the kids. The language barrier, short attention spans, and a lack of discipline led to rather short Bible classes, but when we were playing, we had the kids’ full attention and the opportunity to pray over them individually. They crave one-on-one attention and affection and that’s just what we were able to give them. Sometimes the only thing they wanted to do was walk around holding my hand or sit and play with my hair. What a blessing to be able to provide that love and attention, if even for a short time.
Veenyera loved doing my hair
There were numerous eye-opening experiences for me over in Russia, but the single greatest thing I realized was the need for prayer for the country, it’s people, and the evangelical leaders who are trying to impact their world for Christ. The Russian Orthodox Church makes it very challenging for Evangelical churches to thrive in Russia. They are constantly writing legislation that seeks to squash the work of the church and yet the power of the Spirit continues to move.
Though it’s illegal for Protestant groups to rent property in the city, they find locations to house their churches. Though they put out propaganda to vilify evangelicals, their membership continues to grow. The truth is that the Spirit is at work in Russia, but we must pray for their empowerment, we must provide funds where they cannot, and we must go and serve if we are able.
I am so very thankful to every person who made it possible for me to go and minister in Russia. Without your prayerful support I wouldn’t have had the chance to meet little kids like Kirill, Max, and Sasha. I wouldn’t have had the chance to learn about the challenges facing Russia and the pressing necessity to support Natasha and Ismail, our Buckner directors. And I wouldn’t be able to spread the word. Please continue to pray and support Russia, they need you.
Some of my favorite kiddos, all of whom spoke a little English:
My buddy, Max and I at Lapohinka Children's Home. He gave me the book Rufus the Red Kangaroo and asked me to exchange gifts with him "like real friends do." So, I gave him a bandana. He also picked me a sweet lilac bouquet.
Me and Sasha at Children's Home #2's camp. I taught her the English alphabet and she taught me the Russian alphabet.
Kirill and I at Tikhvin's Children Home. Within 20 minutes of meeting, he brought me his English reader so that he could read to me. His favorite English phrase is "What time is it?"
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2 comments:
Unknown said...
What an amazing experience you had. I am glad you were there to hug and love the children and pray for them
You were perfect for the trip!
love
Priscilla
Whitney said...
What an amazing experience. Thank you for sharing with us on the blog! I will pray for Russia and all your new friends today...so exciting to hear how God is working, even in a hard situation.