Hello My Dear Friends and Family,
I hope and trust you are doing well and enjoying the wonderful spring weather. The days here in St. Petersburg are already beginning to be longer with the sun rising at 6:45 and setting at 9:30 in the evening. In the summer they have what is call “white nights”. It never gets truly dark and is dusk for only a couple hours a night. The sun has been shining every day and it looks so beautiful and warm, however, it is still very cold.
The last two weeks have flown by I’ve had to pull out my notebook again to see what all happened in order to write this. Lena returned a week ago today, Saturday. It has been wonderful having her back! Not only her great personality but her help with the kids in our room! I believe in my last e-mail I had told you of a lady that came to our room who I was training. She would be considered an ‘overseer of sorts’ and another set of hands in the room. All the other rooms have one but Lena and I did not prior to her coming. However, this week they moved her to another room that has less children and children that are higher functioning so for us it is very frustrating. This lady really fell in love with our children and is so sweet, she had no say in the matter—Kind of the Russian way, you show up to work and guess what, you are now in a new room with different children, other volunteers..She was also very frustrated. I had also mentioned a meeting pertaining to one of my girls ( Polina) who we were suppose to start being fed via spoon instead of being fed by a NG tube. It’s sad that throughout the country some orphanages for disabled and babies feed them through their noses because its faster and they don’t have time to spoon feed everyone… The meeting about Polina took place 4 weeks ago and only this week did the nurses,teacher, and doctor finally allow her to be fed with a spoon. Little Polina is making great process though!! She doesn’t like to be out of her bed, she is blind and cannot set up without help. Her sense of security is being on her back with her hands behind her head and lying in her bed. Yesterday I took her outside for 30 whole minutes all bundled up in winter clothing before she started to cry. Once returning back to our room I then put her in her chair for another 30 minutes without any tears! This may seem silly but it fills me with such joy to see this kind of process with her. I am also trying to teach her to brush her teeth. Some days she will hold the tooth brush while it is in her mouth for 15 seconds and other days it’s a head throwing, screaming match. But we take one day at a time with each child and teaching them things..
Another one of my kids that makes me smile is Sasha, he is our down syndrome guy who I just love. He has the cutest little hands and smile. He like most of the children did not have any early intervention which now that he is 13 makes teaching things a very slow process. He started to learn to walk only this year! There are some other DS that are even older and smaller in size then Sasha who are also just learning to walk. Sasha loves to hit anything and everything with his hands. Since I’ve been here I have been trying to break this habit of his..I don’t think it will ever be broken because
so many people think it’s cute and encourage him. But every time he hits me I’ve been taking his hands and telling him no while rubbing them and telling him to be genital. He does understand and responds too many things so I knew with consistently he might be able to break this habit. Well almost every day this week with me he would not hit..Instead of hitting my leg or backside like usual he is now leaning his head against either the my leg, side, or backside!! I am so proud of him!!
I had also mentioned in the last e-mail that one of my boys was not getting enough to eat. Starting last week the Doctors decided that every child in our room for lunch has to have a bowl of soup and then their other food. For Valdik who had not been receiving enough to eat this is great, for some of the other children this is not so great because they fill up on
their ‘soup’ ( which is more broth then anything) and they will not eat their other food..The doctor believes that if a child eats soup first and then their cold meal and warm drink they will not get sick…. At least Valdik is getting more in his tummy and has been in a better mood because of it!
I could talk about each one of my kids and tell you how some are processing and others are taking some steps back.. For today we will leave it with just Sasha and Polina. My little girl Vika has been sick the last 2 weeks with some serious diarrhea, she is already so thin and tiny and I’m afraid she is starting to lose more weight if that is possible, so please keep her in your prayers. Kristina who went to the hospital two weeks ago is still gone. So pray for healing and comfort for her. Really comfort of pain for all the children. They get medicated for some of their pain but it is given randomly. There is a lot of tension among the Russian staff and the German volunteers at the orphanage right now so prayers for decreased tension would be greatly appreciated.
Ministry outside of Pavlosk:
I was asked to teach English to children at a school here in St. Petersburg, I have not yet decided what to do. Prayer for wisdom if I should take on another thing.
Global grounds café English has been going great. The C&MA team here is leaving in two weeks for Turkey for a conference so I have been asked to lead the English club nights for two Wednesdays.. Yikes!!
The alpha course I have been taking the Germans and French volunteers to is just about over. It has been really wonderful for those attending and for those I’ve been taking are asking some great questions and I see hearts softening and seeds being planted.We have two more weeks so prayer for some watering of the seeds – this week I lead the discussions at one of the tables.
I meet a few Russian girls ( ages 12,15,15,16) at the mall two weeks ago after church. I gave them my phone number and have been talking to Liza one of the girls throughout the week. I invited them to church tomorrow and praying for their
hearts! We are having a special service geared towards children so I’m really hoping they decided to come. At church the children leaders are wanting to start a youth group and some planning has begun; they have asked if I would take part in getting it off the ground until I leave. So please keep those four girls from the mall in your prayers and the start of a youth group in Hope church. We are looking at taking the teens on a small retreat the first week of June.I am very excited and feel honored they have asked me to help. I miss my teens from newlife youth group!
Please continue to pray for my spirit. The last few weeks have been very tiring and honestly I have been exhausted. People keep saying “ Katya, you look tired, you want to sleep?” I did take one day off this past week from the orphanage to sleep in and get some much needed stuff done. Today the lord has blessed me with another “lazy” day which I have been so thankful for. People here have mentioned that I had a light and brightness and I don’t want that to fade. The Lord has me here for another 3 months which I am so thankful for, and I want to make the most of the time I have to minister and reach people with his love.
It is so hard to imagine that I would be returning back to the states in just 3 days had the Lord not opened the doors for me to extend my stay! I feel so humbled and honored! Thank you for the prayers and support that have also made it possible for me to stay! I changed my airline tickets yesterday and will be returning to the U.S.A July 29th! I am looking forward to seeing all of you as I miss you so much!!
I cannot thank you enough for the love, support, encouragement, and strength you all give me! Please let me know how I can be uplifting you in prayer!
God Bless you!! Much love from Russia!
