February 6 - Zhurane Sanitorium visit

Thanks so much for taking the time to read these accounts of what God is doing in Ukraine. I hope you are encouraged in your own walk with God and inspired to use the incredible gifts and talents you have to serve Him and others more.

We approached the Zhurane Sanatorium School on a muddy road. It was warmer on Feb 6Th and the snow had melted leaving plenty of sticky, slippery mud to navigate. As the bus pulled up next to the building, little faces appeared from lace curtained windows with smiles and waves of excitement.

There were a number of buildings in the complex which housed 95 children recovering from lung diseases like TB, asthma, pneumonia, etc. Again, there were kids who had been here for years because there just aren't enough places to put all the miss placed children who have no families or functioning parents.

The director wanted us to see their new building under construction so we walked a muddy, icy path about 100 yards to see the new facility. It was two stories with nice ceramic tile floors, modern bathrooms and fixtures and brightly painted rooms. The building was about 95% finished but they ran out of funds for furnishings and finish details. Some of the finishings inside were recycled from old buildings like the banisters on the stairways. Our team took up an offering on the bus and raised enough to buy some much needed beds and mattresses for the new building. Just about every mattress you see in State run facilities looks 40 or 50 years old, urine stained and is about 2 inches thick.

All of the kids were assembled in an auditorium so we did a large group presentation to them with lots of singing, games and of course testimonies and a Gospel presentation. I am always amazed at how long a group of kids starting at age 6 - 17 can sit still and listen intently. After our presentation we handed out backpacks with Carepacks inside of them and teddy bears! I went around with my roll of smiley heart stickers to place one on each child. A smile and a smile sticker communicates volumes to a hurting child.

Over on the side of the room were the older teen girls. They were huddled together in groups watching every move we made. Their shy smiles invited the ladies over for conversations. I got the pictures of my family, grabbed my interpreter and went to talk to three girls at the end of the row. They were 14, 15 and 16 years old. The two younger ones had recently lost their mothers and the older one had lost her father. The 14 year old said her father is an alcoholic and is very mean. She is forced to live at the sanatorium because there is no place else to go. She began to cry as she was telling me her story so I reached out, put my arms around her and pulled her close to my chest. She sobbed and the other two girls were also in tears. I loved on each one of them and encouraged them to read their Bible for comfort from our wonderful Father in Heaven. I told them God knew their circumstances and had not forgotten them.

As this was going on, a 17 year old girl came over for a hug. She was an orphan and told me not to cry (yes I was in tears too) for them. It made me even sadder because her heart had become so cold. I told her my heart was sad for her and encouraged her to read her Bible for comfort from the Father. These kids often turn their emotions off just to survive. There are hundreds of thousands of these children all over the former Soviet Union. It makes one wonder what will happen to this generation if they are not nurtured and given an understanding of who they are in God's eyes. I pray that the seeds planed here will take root and grow in their hearts to mature them emotionally and spiritually.

Dr Jean Thur, my dear friend, was allowed to go in to see the really sick kids and give them gifts. They were the ones who were peeking through the curtains when the bus pulled up along side the building. As usual, she had a wonderful time playing with all of them and bringing some joy to their dismal existence. Jean is a pediatrician.

As we prepared to drive away, the kids in the "sick" building lifted up the curtains to see us. They were holding their teddy bears, smiling, laughing and waving goodbye to us. It is always rewarding to bring a smile to a child's face.

Have you ever considered coming on one of our trips? Maybe you think you don't have any special talents or abilities. Do you know how to give a hug, smile, hold someones hand or be an encouragement to someone in pain? Then you qualify! Think about it and see if God might be calling you to make a difference in someone life, you will never be the same! You can email me back for more information or go to www.gainusa.org for a list of trips available in the future.

With smiles and hugs,
Dasha