I wonder how many people can say they spent their spring break in Nagydobrony, Ukraine? This is a small village of about 6000 people just across the border from Hungary, which still keeps Hungarian time (Ukraine is one hour later than Hungary) and where everyone still speaks Hungarian! There is where the orphanage is located that I first visited with other missionary friends in February.
Irgalmas Samaritanus Gyermekotthon was started by the Danish Reformed Church and has been in existence for over 10 years. It houses 67 girls from ages 4-21, most of whom are handicapped in some way. However, there are a handful of girls who are "perfectly normal" but who have no families at all or who are from extremely abusive homes. I wanted to return to visit a little girl there who captured my heart in February....Valentina.
My 3 days there were full of laughter, playing soccer, holding little girls' hands, giving hugs, hearing "I love you, Arden! Please don't go! Please take me with you!", playing guitar and singing, walking, walking, and walking everywhere, celebrating Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday, and taking in everything I could about life in this little corner of the world.
As God would have it, "my" little girl, Valentina, celebrated her 14th birthday while I was there, so I got to take her out on a special "date" to the local (and only) ice cream shop in town! She was thrilled to eat 4 scoops of ice cream, chips, drink a coke and get a lollipop for later. Walking the one kilometer to and from the ice cream shop was pure joy for both of us.
In addition, I fell in love with another little one, Zsuzsa, (Susan) who is 12, and a real sweetheart! She is excellent in learning English words and has great pronunciation! Valentina and Zsuzsa accompanied me to the train station to say goodbye when I left on Sunday afternoon. Please pray for these little girls, and all the girls in this orphanage...they all need to know the LIVING GOD and allow Him to transform their little orphaned hearts into hearts that KNOW AND BELIEVE they are deeply loved and accepted by the God who lived, died and rose again for them!
1 comment:
The orphanage was not rejected through the Danish Reformed Church, but through the Dutch diaconal organisation Foundation Hulp Oost-Europa (www.hulpoosteuropa.nl) and another Dutch organisation.
Post a Comment