From Here to There, Part III

Our bus pulled up to the orphanage in the town of Lakinsk, about three hours due east of Moscow. It had been a wonderful day as we had already visited two preschool orphanages, meeting little children between the ages of 3 and 6. There had been a lot of photo opportunities and warm memories of cute, cute little kids.

Of course we were running a couple hours late and didn’t have a good way to communicate that to the Lakinsk Orphanage. As we arrived at the tattered building with its peeling paint and kids everywhere, my first thought was, “What the heck have I gotten us into?” These weren’t the same little kids, but older, tougher orphans who were closely checking out this group of 28 Americans who had wandered into their space.

There was no time to be overly worried as the director of the orphanage, Yelena Kharatinova, welcomed us with her infectious smile and enthusiasm. Quickly she conferred with our interpreters Katya and Jenya and explained that since we were late, our meal was getting cold and we needed to eat right away. Although we had just been fed at the previous orphanage and weren’t at all hungry, we politely ate what was placed before us.

And then it was time for introductions. Rather than the typical introduction in the director’s office, we were escorted into their “auditorium” for a most festive, fantastic program put on by the orphans. To say we were crammed into our seats would be an understatement. At the time, Lakinsk had the capacity for 50 orphans, and the day we were there, 74 kids were housed there. As we were leaving later that day, two more boys were being admitted. That was a sad, memorable sight.

On a happier note, the program directed by Galina, the dance instructor, was amazing. She had prepared the kids with what was obviously a great deal of discipline and patience. Younger children danced. Older kids sang and danced. All the costumes had been made by the kids under the supervision of their sewing teacher, Zoya. The music was upbeat and fun—just like the orphanage. The stars of the show were three young ladies, Natasha, Ira and Galina, who sang and danced. Each one was beautiful and charming. By the end of the program we were all pulled into the dancing.

And yet beneath the joy of the day, there was a concern shared by many on that trip. Beautiful and talented Natasha, Ira and Galina were going to be at Lakinsk Orphanage for only four more months. And then what? Where would they go? Who would protect them? Who might take advantage of them?

As we prepared to leave, the orphanage director, Yelena, expressed her gratitude with a meaningful gift. That always impresses me about Russians, their generosity. She pulled me aside and shared how significant it had been for “her kids” to have us visit them and to give them My First Bibles. Then she pulled out an old Russian key on a worn-out shoestring. “Here is the key to our orphanage, George, you are always welcome to return.” Neither of us knew it that day, but I would return many, many times!

Although it was a great visit, as we loaded the bus to leave, the mood was somber. It’s amazing how quickly emotional ties are made with orphans. Almost all eyes were tear-filled. I knew that almost everyone had the same question I was overwhelmed with: “And then what?” Vic Dourte and his wife Lois asked if we could go to the back of the bus to have a more private discussion. Vic had traveled internationally on a number of missions trips. He was right to the point. “George, I’ve traveled to quite a few countries, and many of them had much worse conditions than what I’ve experienced here. But my heart has been broken, and I’ve not been able to sleep on this trip.” Tears flowed as he continued, “It seems to me that the future for these orphans after they leave their orphanage is hopeless. Something has to be done for them, and I think you are to do something about it.”

Whew! What could I say? Just the previous week I had sensed God was asking me to do something for older orphans. Now Vic was telling me the same. I was grateful that others were seeing what I was seeing; perhaps I wasn’t just imagining things. On the other hand, it was frightening to consider the ramifications of taking on a new task for which I was so unprepared. 

The key Yelena gave me as a gift that day? I still have it. It serves as a reminder that as we serve the Lord with open hearts, He will provide the key to touching hearts.

**This is the third of a four part series on why I started working with orphans and why I continue to do so. You can read the first post here and the second one here if have not yet.