Short Break From Our Normal Routine

6 days down and 4 to go in our 10-day waiting period!

On Tuesday, went had to go to the Notary in Lutugino (the town where the Children's Home is located) to get some paperwork notarized for Yan's birth certificate or passport or both. Not sure exactly, but we got what the team said we needed. This made us late for our visit with Yan. When we finally got to the Children's Home, Yan and his "groupa"were offsite visiting one of the kids in his group who was admitted to the hospital (not sure why). While waiting in the play ground for Yan to return, we ran into the Director and had the opportunity to meet with her to discuss the completion of Yan's blood work and pictures for his passport. At the end of the meeting, The Director invited the three of us to attend a show put on by 16 of the 3rd graders. Two women from a local pharmacy that supports the Children's Home with medicine and supplies were visiting, and the Children's Home was putting on a small show for the women to thank them for their support. So there we were, the three of us, the Director and the two women from the pharmacy enjoying a 45 minute show by the kids that included songs, dance and a couple short skits. It was really well done. The kids wore traditional Ukrainian costumes and really got into it. We felt like we got the real VIP treatment and Yan really seemed to enjoy it. So Tuesday ended up being a very productive and enjoyable afternoon/evening.

On Wednesday, we went to the Children's Home early in the morning to sit in on a few of Yan's classess. It was a great opportunity to see how things work and see how/what Yan does in classes. Needless to say, we were a huge distraction for the 10 kids in the class. The teacher managed to keep them focused as best as possible. The kids have uniforms that they wear similar to Catholic or private schools. We included a picture of Yan in his uniform below. We brought treats for all of the kids and Yan gave them out during the break. He was "the man"as he handed out the party-size packages of gummie bears and the kids were thrilled. The Director (who also teaches lessons to the older kids) then gave us a tour of the facility. We learned that the Children's Home has been in operation at this location for 19 years. At the present time there are 235 kids living in the home ranging from 6 - 18 years old. They all follow a 7-day schedule that runs from 7:00 am - 9:00 pm at night. In addition to being responsible for the murals and artwork throughout the facility, the kids also handle 90% of the upkeep and maintainance. They clean, paint, garden and repair most everything on the grounds with the exception of major mechanical issues. It is not uncommon to see some kids in the play ground playing dodge ball while others are gardening or painting some of the equipment on the playground. You can see that everyone (Director, staff and kids) take a lot of pride in their home.

Last night we ventured out into Luhans'k for dinner (we usually stay in the hotel). We found a cool cafe with an outdoor 2nd story patio. The weather was great and we had a nice night. Afterwards, we walked to an ice cream stand. I ordered 2 chocolate cones and got 2 double espressos. I finally managed to get one vanilla milkshake for Karen and I drank an espresso. The weather is back up into the 70's and it is sunny. Today we go back to our late afternoon visits with Yan. We did get the address of the Children's Home from the Director, but it was in Russian. Our translater said she would give it to us in English this afternoon and we will pass it along in case you are interested in sending care packages. K&M

Here is the room where we watched the show. The pink curtain at the end of the room serves as the stage.

Yan in his school uniform

Some of the artwork done by the kids in the home