Vlaud & Ura

Vlaud and Ura....

Three years ago these two boys stole my heart when I went over to Ukraine w/ some friends to live in an orphanage in Pravda, Ukraine. Those trips are always bittersweet in the sense that we're only there for a month (mind you in very tight quarters amongst the kids, though!) with the objective to find a niche somewhere where we can make a difference in the lives of kids who are forgotten about and worthless to their society. That summer I was assigned to a small group of kids who were about to "graduate" from the orphanage (really this just means they are about to age-out, will be kicked to the streets and no longer supported by the government and deemed even more worthless than before by society).

So my objective that summer? Share the love of God with them in every form I knew feasible until I was literally exhausted. I have never felt such spiritual exhaustion as I did that trip. I've been to Ukraine on several of these trips to various places and once to Africa where I also met absolutely precious people, but this trip was unique in the sense that the language barrier that usually exists was demolished as an answer to prayer in the most unique ways. Without going into details, it literally didn't exist which opened up massive opportunities to be true and real about Jesus Christ with thirsty kids. It was truly a beautiful experience that humbled me in ways I never imagined.

These two boys in particular would stay up many nights for long hours of discussions as to why such a gracious God (if He indeed was who we said He was) would allow such awful events to take place in their lives? How could they trust anyone but themselves at this point, after all that had happened to them? These many nights were spent with them telling me their stories and me trying to understand as best I could, though our realities were obviously different, but nonetheless a bond was formed...it was hard to leave each of those kids that summer, but these two tugged at my heart. On these kinds of trips, you leave promising to keep in touch, but that never really pans out as you imagined. Especially with these boys, because after that summer, "aging-out" of the orphanage and all, their futures were uncertain and even they were fearful of and had no clue where they would live. So addresses were worthless. But I gave them mine, encouraging them to contact me once they got settled.

So why 3 years later writing a blog about these two kids? Because through the grace and providence of God, I have been able to consistently keep in touch with Ura (one in long sleeves). Vlaud was a different story, though. Years went by with no word from him...until about a few months ago when I get a phone call from my friend melissa who was in Ukraine doing some work. she said "hey I have someone here who wants to talk to you..." Sure enough she had run into Vlaud. Since then Vlaud and I have been able to keep in touch weekly through emails (thanks to Jenya who translates them all for me!!!), and here recently, God has really opened up some doors as Vlaud has shared his recent struggles from being out of the orphanage and trying to survive. He's posed many curiosities about God and his love for him and is in a state of searching from serious answers.

And back to Ura, like I said I have actually kept in touch w/ him for the past three years (again, thanks to Jenya and her phone calls to him and delivering of packages and translation!). However, recently Ura got caught stealing shoes for winter because he had none and the police threw him in jail (Ukrainian jails are terrible conditions and this crime did not warrant jail time, only because he was an orphan and they don't like to mess with orphans). So now Ura, who was trying to finish up some trade school and make a life for himself, is sitting in a jail somewhere in Ukraine.

That was in February, and here just the other day, Jenya emails me from Ukraine telling me that Ura called her from jail and wanted her to pass a message along to me that he has been seriously thinking about some things while there and wants to talk with us about them. Of course his message was for all of us to meet up in Kiev when he is released so we can discuss this stuff (ha. it's just that simple)! From some of our recent conversations, I know this has to do with his soul searching for a Savior.

So I write all this in awe about how God can work. We don't even speak the same languages and for whatever reason, God has decided to still have me involved in these kids lives. The inner workings of God and how he can teach and mold are limitless...it's truly beautiful.

This girl Jenya I speak of is one of the biggest blessings I've experienced in my life! She was our translator the 1st two years I went to Ukraine and we've kept in touch ever since. Her love for Christ and these kids i radiating. Gosh I love that girl.

Anyway, so pray for Ura and Vlaud. Pray that their hearts be open to God's grace and love.

One thing Vlaud emailed me the other day was how there's a saying among kids like him "Believe in God, but only rely on yourself."

I pray that he can see God as bigger than something just to "believe in".