N&S DOMa

Friday, September 13, 2019

The Grand Opening of Stephen's Home

SEPTEMBER 6th, 2019

We invited local pastors, friends and those who worked at the construction site over the past 3 years. About 65 folks showed up and celebrated with us.

By opening I shared that "the building standing behind me was not constructed by any one person's hands, but through the vision and planning that the Lord placed on my heart years ago." And then He included all of those who were gathered that day to take part in the work He's started to love on and bless the young men who will call Stephen's Home their own.

Welcome to the Grand Opening of Stephen's Home!

our MC for the day, Nastia, did a fantastic job

I'd work with her again any day 😀

Sasha, my first project manager, returned

just in time, from the states with his wife to share in the celebration.

Andrew Kavetski translated for the day. He and his family

are long time friends now and continue to be a wonderful encouragement.

Paliv Smolikov, alongside a host of pastors, closed the first part of the day. As the regional director for the local churches and a board member for PROMISE, his wisdom and understanding brings great blessings and insight as we continue

down this path the Lord has set before us.

THEN the RIBBON CUTTING

It was a very winding day, so I had tied the red ribbon tightly so it would stay in place through the first part of the program. We'll I forgo that when Maxim and I went to untie the bow and found the knot, so the ribbon was cut, with very dull scissors.

take a look

THEN THE TOUR OF THE HOME

bedroom and baths for the guys who will live here

main hall and kitchen

therapy garden coming together

All cleaned up for the special day!

Our wonderful friend Ralph Wilson came from Chapelstreet Church in Geneva, IL

to work for two weeks, his third time to Ukraine, to put on a handicapped accessible deck and ramp with the assistance of Jack(Jennia), a local Christian and construction worker. They did a fantastic job!

AND THE BUFFET

which included lots of good sweets

mmmm...

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About

Loving on disable children in a small town, state run orphanage.

THEIR FUTURE

Most kids in Ukraine have to leave the orphanage at 18 years of age. A normal, healthy orphan has a rather bleak future if they don't have the encouragement of others. Most have few life skills and a poor education, and they are left to fend for themselves.

But for handicapped orphans, those labeled mentally disabled, their future is miserable. At 18 they are uprooted from the only home they have ever known, the orphanage, and sent to live in a psychological "internat" (government run institute) or an old-age home for the rest of their lives. They have no rights… no formal education and no understanding of life outside the orphanage. Desperate for freedom and longing to be loved, they are isolated from society.

Throughout their life in Ukraine, nothing for these disabled children comes easily. The world here is not handicap accessible. The stigma and cultural perspective remains in many people’s minds that these kids are not kids and need to be shut away. That is what has been done, having been placed in institutes they are not allowed to leave. The mentality of some who work in the homes is that the children don’t have feelings because they cannot respond or interact as a typical child. The children are not expected to live. That changes the whole outlook on care, feeding, nurturing, health, and every aspect of life.

But what about their hearts?

Necessities are covered by a small stipend from the local government for families who keep their disabled children in their homes. Many homes are single moms, and if she is at home with her disabled child, she cannot work to put food on the table or provide a roof over her family’s head. The government’s stipend does not begin to cover these needs. In many ways, out of a pure lack of resources, it is easier for the family to allow the government to provide, which means giving up their parental rights and letting someone else take care of their children.

The government will step in and remove a disabled child from the home if there is alcohol abuse, drug, and/or physical abuse. These addictions often result in the child having epilepsy. This is one of the biggest problems in the orphanage.

For all the children, no matter if their disability is physical, mental, or both, between 18 and 19 years of age, they will be moved to an asylum referred to as a psycho-neurological “internat” for adults or to a facility comparable in nature to an old folk’s homes.

This is the future for these young adults.

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Friday, September 13, 2019

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