Problems and solutions

I realized all my posts here lately have been of the fun times. We don't want to you to think everything runs as smooth as clockwork working with our "graduated orphan" students (basically in Ukraine this means young adults who are out of the orphanages). Our work with them is very rewarding at times, and very frustrating at others.

So here are a few stories...

 Luba, or Lovie, who left once and then came back a week later, has left again, I believe we are still waiting for her to return to pick up her stuff at the new group home (I think I heard she was coming last week, but I heard that a few times already, so far she is a no show), She left for a visit with her foster family she lived with before going to the plastering trade school she attended before coming here and was convinced that they need her. This happened a week or two after attending her grandmother's funeral (the grandmother she lived with as a child, Luba was removed from her home with her at five and put in an orphanage, she told Garry she was the only person in her life that loved her,)

Anton, who starred in the television news story after being here for just a week at the end of September, left for the weekend two weeks later to go to his home village, saying he needed to go talk to the police about a gas station robbery that he was suspected in around the time he was in the video. We were able to get him on the phone the next week, and he promised to come back after helping with a job there, but he didn't show. A week later, he was in love, he needed to straighten things out with a girl he'd left behind there, but he'd come the next week.

 Still no Anton, or his twin brother who wanted to come when he first arrived. It was disappointing to lose him, he was a very hard worker and very good student. He reminded everyone of our Max Boradin, who is studying in Canada now, because he'd rather work than do anything else, he skipped out on fun trips but came on the farm tour we went on.



Two weeks ago we thought we had a replacement for Anton at the boys house, an 18 year old boy living on the street for the last two years, whose parents were dead. Our Canadian friends in Zaporozhye had been feeding him off and on for the last year, and he showed up one night when we were at their apartment for our weekly Bible study. They talked to him during the next week and Garry and Masha interviewed him as a prospective student and he agreed to come to the village. He was going to come that night, but decided he needed to sell his cardboard and bottles he had collected for money, Garry would pick him up at our friends apartment the next morning, He was a no show, and our friends have not seen him since. Masha says she assured him we weren't a cult. Maybe one of the street people he hangs out with convinced him we were trying to harvest his organs. Some of the students the first year of the trade school, including our Max Boradin, told us people warned them about the possibility.

Last week Friday, one of the boys celebrated his birthday, and one of the girls offered to work his evening milking for him as a gift. Unfortunately, he now looks upon it as a bad thing, because he got into trouble. He is a very personable guy, and has made friends in the village who invited him to the bar, where they convinced him he should have some drinks for his 21st birthday. He had several, and showed up very sad and drunk at our door at 12:30 am as I was heading to bed, asking to talk to Garry. He had been turned out of the group home, so we sent him to bed in the spare room. Garry woke him up at 7 am the next day, and put him to work, We thought we'd have to keep him, but he apologized and was allowed back at the boys house Sunday evening.

 However,  he is still regretting his breaking of the rules as he has gotten Garry's new punishment for students in trouble, and has had one week of everyday 5 am shifts done with another to go. Two of the students, one girl and one guy had a week of working together every morning after a fist fight in August, and they are both better at getting along and working hard in school and the barns since.

It is amazing to see how much our students from last year have changed and grown up, becoming more responsible this year, even with the occasional setback.
 At one of our staff meetings this year we all talked about how much Karina has changed, she has blossomed with the security of living in our "family" she likes to say that Garry and I are the Papa and Momma and they are the kids. Last year when she came she was afraid of the cows and now you'd never guess it. She is a hard worker, both our girls from last year can do anything the boys can milking and feeding cows. We are hoping that most of the second year students will be able to move into jobs and society at the end of the year with a little help.

Update- I wrote this post in the morning and by evening, things change. Lovie was supposed to come today, but missed the early afternoon mini bus to the village. They told her she could stay overnight, but she didn't take the late bus. Maybe tomorrow...

Our friends saw Sasha(its a popular name, we have one student Sasha already), the guy who almost came today, apparently he couldn't find his birth certificate, when he went to pick it up ten days ago, so went to his home village to look for it. Anyway, apparently he will come out the village on Wednesday to stay. He has no passport, which all Ukrainians over 16 have as a ID document. One of our boys here lost his passport before he came it us and Maria has spent several days over the last year trying to get him a new one. The problem with his is the fact that he is from Berdannsk, in the eastern part of the country, and now they say they have to go there to get one, after they were supposed to be able to do it in Zaporosia.