So our contacts here in the Ukraine, Andrew and Jenny, have a lot of contact with orphans and they appear well acquainted with how things work here. As most of you know, when I was in the states I worked with foster kids who were removed from their parent’s home for abuse or neglect. Many had disturbing, heart wrenching stories. And praise God, some had stories that manifested hope. Whether it was intentional or not, I worked with parents who were unable to care for their children. I witnessed people who probably should not be able to have children and yet they would constantly get pregnant with no problems. Sometimes it appears to be a vicious cycle because the very children I would try and help, would end up having similar problems with their own children.
What helped me through is faith and the fact that I knew we cannot change their past, but we can look ahead to the future and help inspire kids to take a better path, to seek God and find his plan for them.
So I left that job to come here, and I found myself front and center of what I used to do at home, and furthermore, at home I had the power to terminate a parents rights or take children away from a situation that is unsafe, and when we were told of these horrific stories, I felt powerless. How is it possible that no one cares for these children here? That they can sit and suffer in a hospital because no one has time to take care of them or love them. I heard stories of children having to wait around for their paperwork to be completed, and within that time if their parents came back they can just take them. How can children wait around for two full years in hopes that parents who abandoned them will come back, and even if they don’t they could be there even longer because they are not even registered for adoption yet because they are forgotten kids that no one has time for? Social services does not register them, and adoptions don’t take place for reasons beyond my level of understanding, especially coming from a job where permanence for children was top priority. After ninety days in Michigan you can legally terminate parental rights if you have made diligent efforts to find them and they have not come forward. Then they are made available for adoption.
For me, I came from a situation where I understood what is okay and whats not okay in the eyes of the court system. In the Ukraine- what’s okay if very different than the states so I was extra sad for these kids. Here’s what I came to understand: If a situation for a child is severe enough to warrant system involvement than they will more than likely terminate the parental rights and the child will become an orphan. If a child is dumped onto them, they will try and find a home for them and if they cannot they hopefully find a way to make him or her an orphan. But if there is a family member willing to house the child, whether they are appropriate or not, they will place them there so they do not have to pay for them to be an orphan. They place kids back in homes where they have been abused or abandoned.
Can you imagine a child being dropped off at a hospital by a parent who does not want them and then within two years they can just come back at any time to pick them up? This is allowed to happen because there is so many children left and abandoned, and if mom or dad sobers up enough to want to parent their kids for however long they decide and they get zero rebuke, punishment or questions asked.
The hospital is a dumping ground for kids up to age 18. If a child is taken here and there is no place to put them, namely because they do not have foster homes, they are placed in the hospital in one of these holding rooms. The only other option for them is in the juvenile detention center-kids who are just left by their parents sent to jail…ugh not a good option either. Foster kids or orphans always get the shaft- here you have to pay for your medical supplies (this blew me away) like gloves, sutures for your operations. Then you get to the hospital and the doctor says (so I’m told) “do you want me to operate on you, or do you want me to do a good job?” Extra money goes a long way here and social service kids have none, so they often get treated by students instead of real doctors.
So as I was thinking about this more and reading this over… although this is how I feel, it is so arrogant. Powerless… all our power comes from God, all our authority comes from God. I have no power over these situations and I need to come to a place where I can be thankful for that, because God has the power, His power is worth far more than I can provide. So I thank God for what He is going to do in these children’s lives. He has not forgotten them, He has time for them, He cares for them, and His children never leave the palm of His ever giving hand.
That does not mean we are off the hook for praying for them, because we are not. God called me here for a reason, He called me away from my old job for a reason. Even if I cannot see the fruits of what I’m doing, I know God is working and I can feel blessed to have the opportunity to listen to Him, be obedient and meet these wonderful children.
There are children in the village I am staying at that do not have a school to go to because they did not have the funding to keep it open. They do not have transportation to the next village over and it’s a six mile walk. The snow gets to be 3 feet high. Most cannot read. What a blessing it would be for them to have a teacher come into the village if only for a week, or better yet their summer to teach them basic reading or for someone to donate money to reopen the school. School is not something to be taken for granted because not everyone in this world gets the opportunity to learn basic skills or learn about God. They deserve it, they are worthy of it.
What a blessing it was for those children to receive a bear because someone felt compelled to donate $5 to a worthy cause. What a blessing it is to have people motivated to change lives because they are willing to allow Christ to be in them and work for them, without Him we are powerless and cannot do anything. I know I’ve written that before but it’s true and it what is helping me get through some tough days.
Ugh.. so just a little venting..I know God has His hand on these children- but I thought I would share some of my thoughts with you!
I miss you Mom and Dad! And I feel very blessed to have you!
<3
