The battle rages on! Today we go back to get Bogdan and bring him to hospital and get his check up and health signed off. It takes an hour and a half and we are back at the orphanage. Nadia does more business and comes out to say she has more bad news. The assistant director lady has arranged to have god mother and daughter come and visit. We later find out that I was the one who gave approval for this visit. Which was not the truth. Even though he has signed paper and verbally said yes, it is another attempt to have him change his mind. When they arrive what a battle raged on. 2 hours of heated conversations while Bagdon sat head bowed looking at the ground. They constantly try to change his mind. You could tell this was wearing him down. This language barrier is such a pain. In the states this would not have happened I would have stopped it and removed my son from this onslaught of harassment but instead we stood helplessly and watched as his chin started to quiver and tears roll down his cheek. Monique Jeremiah and I did have time to pray and do spiritual warfare until we had some peace that victory was ours. Slowly you could tell things were going better for us. The god daughter began to soften and realized this was best for Bogdan. I had showed her on my iPhone, Valeria telling her brother to say yes. I watched her as she began to melt and be converted. She began to work on her mother and then we began to show them pictures of family, home and America. We answered all their questions about our faith and family. I tell her I value family and appreciate her commitment to him and my children go to college and are given opportunity. I tell her that we go to church every Sunday and I pray for my family a half hour every day. Monique and I understand her commitment to the children's mother but she has been lied to and doesn't realize by letting him be adopted by us she is fulfilling her commitment to his mother to protect him. Then all of a sudden it was done and I think the godmother left in peace. It was brutal to say the least! Nadia said she will never forget us because of how tough our trip has been. She says she usually gets in and gets out and things go fast. I can tell she is fighting tooth and nail to get Bogdan out of this orphanage. I promise her lots of sugar and candy. That might help but I am not sure. We wait around as it rains, I play hacky sack with Jeremiah and wait some more for the orphanage to get the papers finalized and thre directors signature on his release. My tip for those who follow, STARBURST CANDY ;) you can give them one at a time, their individually wrapped and easy to pass out. The young kids love to run up and shake the funny fun American man's hand. So this time i shack there hands with a starburst hidden in my hand and that was a hit. Fortunately I had unwrapped two packs and stuffed my pocket because it didn't take long for the game to be discovered and I shook every girl and boys hand as they quickly stick the candy in their pockets and head off to lunch. Little did I know the director was there but I think we were sneaky enough to get away with it. I think he thought the kids were excited to see me only but I don't really care what he thinks. I bring smiles and hope by those little pieces of sugar. It's hard to leave today because they have wisked Bogdan away and the last we have seen of him was with the assistant director talking to him with his bat and baseball in hand and sadness and hurt in his face. We hope to see him but he is not with any of the other children going to lunch and so we get into taxi to see his sister. The rain is pouring as we get into the car and begin to close the doors and all of a sudden he is standing their smiling, soaked and saying good-bye to us. We drag him into our tiny car loving on him and giving him hugs and kisses. Our hearts are renewed and we drive off confident that even though the harassment will continue against him he is staying strong in the face of it all!
We have seen Valeria again and I will write about it latter but for now its been 15 hours of driving and battling for these guys. It's raining and lightening more spectacular than any storm I've seen on the front range in Colorado. Were beyond tired and long for some rest. All in all it's been another good day.
Ps: we have decided on their American names....
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
The battle rages on today!
Vision for the Children International (VFTCI) is a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to bringing hope to at risk children and their families. It is our belief that children need to have a vision for their futures. This cannot be fully accomplished without also providing hope and a future to parents, families and the communities they live in. Without this vital aspect of hope, a child, parent, family and community cannot begin to see past their present circumstances to be able to pursue a better future.
At VFTCI, we deliver ministry through a combination of indigenous local support, community, Christian leaders, government officials, US and International supporters and volunteers.
VFTCI believes in putting faith to action as expressed in Mathew 25:31-40. For many, it is impossible to see a future without first helping them through their current needs and circumstances.
Vision for the Children International is focused on preventative action. We are dedicated to breaking the cycles that a hopeless environment creates by providing opportunities for the creation of healthy families, education systems and communities.
To Learn more visit: www.VFTCI.org
It's June 14th and the battle has been won!
It's June 14th and the battle has been won but the war still rages on! Bogdan said YES and it is in writing and the Ukraine social worker has it in hand. What a hard day for bogdan, as he commited to us yesterday, he had his answer for us and he said yes! Once that happened peace fell on him and me! The weight he was caring just seemed to fall of him and he became a kid who must have felt freedom. Oppression is engrained into this place and their keeper has been trying all day to herd him away from us and they did. What they said is not clear but it appears to be more effort to pursuad him to say no. What a battle we are in. Nadia did battle for us and she said they keep trying to have him not get adopted by us. The assistant director absolutely does not want him to leave this place. When it all came down to the questions, bogdan answered decisively and wrote his letter. Once all done mama and papa held back our tears and mama hugged him proudly. I will always remember a little smile on his face which I interpreted as being proud of himself. We played more afterwards as Nadia did business. We left to see Valeria but I am concerned for his safety. These people don't seem to care for these children but only in there own self interests. I whisper prayers to God for his safety and leave Him in his care.
There is bad news involving one of the social workers leaving on holiday. I don't know exactly what's going on but it's sounds like we might be here for another two weeks before our court appearance and then the ten day waiting period.
There is bad news involving one of the social workers leaving on holiday. I don't know exactly what's going on but it's sounds like we might be here for another two weeks before our court appearance and then the ten day waiting period.
Vision for the Children International (VFTCI) is a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to bringing hope to at risk children and their families. It is our belief that children need to have a vision for their futures. This cannot be fully accomplished without also providing hope and a future to parents, families and the communities they live in. Without this vital aspect of hope, a child, parent, family and community cannot begin to see past their present circumstances to be able to pursue a better future.
At VFTCI, we deliver ministry through a combination of indigenous local support, community, Christian leaders, government officials, US and International supporters and volunteers.
VFTCI believes in putting faith to action as expressed in Mathew 25:31-40. For many, it is impossible to see a future without first helping them through their current needs and circumstances.
Vision for the Children International is focused on preventative action. We are dedicated to breaking the cycles that a hopeless environment creates by providing opportunities for the creation of healthy families, education systems and communities.
To Learn more visit: www.VFTCI.org
Today starts like the others....
Today started out just like the others and off we went to see Bogdan and Valeria. We picked up a little princess purse a cute frilly flowered red one. It's not the big purse she wants but we will find one later. Weather is warm and humid because of the brief rain through out the days. I like this way better than hot. We got a nerf like baseball bat and ball and played for a couple of hours intermittent with him taking pictures and us looking at scenery and exploring . We also brought a little plane that glides either by shooting it from a rubber band sling or by throwing it. He is all boy and a lot is communicated like boys do with grunts, yells and laughter. At an appropriate moment of resting and eating fruit, candy and juice, Nadia starts talking to Bogdan about getting a yes. We talked for an hour but could not get a yes just I will think about it. He knows it's a good thing and we are good people and will be good parents. I truly think he knows that but is dealing with lies. He is a good kid and I see signs of integrity and rightness in him. He is and will be a good kid. We just got to get him out of this %#€><*^•?! place and into an environment he can thrive in. I can honestly say between the four of us we could not do more in our efforts to get him passed his resistance. I have a lot of respect for his resistance because I know down in his heart and by his reactions that he wants to be our son. I see his resistance as a sign of integrity and strength of character and will. Cant wait to develop and mold that strength. He promised us an answer tomorrow. As we were leaving, our driver asked if he could walk Bogdan back to the door and talk with Him We said yes. He is known by the children and he pretty much repeated everything we had been saying but sometimes it's important to hear it from someone else. We were encouraged by his positive reactions to what Bogdan said to him. He told our driver that he thinks he will say yes. I really appreciate Vlad (taxi guy) stepping up like that. Nadia also said the director has warmed up to her and will encourage Bogdan to say yes. I don't care how it gets done but that it gets done!
Here police stand off the side of the roads (like our speed traps) with a white stick with black strips on it. If they wave the stick at you, you pull over and pay what they want for whatever you have been doing wrong. While going from one orphanage to the other we were waved at and our taxi guy got out. Naddia explained you have two choices go to court and pay 350 grn and waste who knows how long waiting or pay 150 grn on the spot and off you go. He paid and off we went. We are now driving to see Valeria and I look foward to seeing her run and skip. As we drive through this truly beautiful country with it's rolling hills, trees and green grass it brings me home and I long to see our snowcapped Rockies in the distance. Apparently, just like Colorado the sun will dry up the grass and things will turn brown as the summer progresses .
So I interrupt this flow with a couple of thoughts. Ladies get over your need for a clean white cool porcelain toilet if you plan to come here. So far, Monique has had to stand and squat over the most horrific out houses with a stench so bad you don't close the door for fear of passing out (no joke). She has had to do her business in the grass and trees and gotten very familiar with turkish toilets (squatting over hole in floor). Be prepared with toilet paper in purse and to pay for the privilege of using a toilet. Many bathrooms have sinks and soap (bar soap) but no way to dry your hands. Occasionally there is an electric hand dryer that is ridiculously under powered and you will give up and dry your hands on your ever present pants or with toilet paper. Jeremiah and I feel blessed as men because we can take care of business standing up. Another thing is that food is never hot enough here. It's alway luke warm! I long for hot food and seasoning. They have salt and pepper but the salt has lost a lot of it's flavor. I poured so much salt one time on my potatoes it was laughable. Its dark everywhere and if there are lights on its just the minimum you can get away with. For instance every apartment we have been in has had a chandelier type light with 6 plus bulbs and never more than two of those light bulbs work. Many lights just don't work at all. I suspect they don't even put lights in them. Hallways are never lit and streets can be very dark but not necessarily dangerous. It's just the way it is. One last thing for now, your shaken up every were you go! Train rides shake constantly, taxi rides shake you constantly with weaving and pot holes and roads that are never ever ever flat or straight! After we had taken the train to Donesk and taxi all day visiting our kids the world never stopped moving for us. You stand still but you feel like your moving up and down constantly because your equal librium is shot. Now there are exceptions to all these things but these are pretty common.
We just spent 3 hour with Valeria and what a different girl she was today. We came just as she was walking to have snacks so all she could do was wave at us. Me being me, I was not content to sit and behave and so off I went to see her eating. The babushkas in charge put up with the silly man sneaking a peak at his little girl. I went back to get Monique to come and take a look at her eating too but she all of a sudden jumped in surprise as Valeria ran and gave her a big hug from behind. We gave her gifts and she liked her cute little red princess purse but I almost think she liked the little puzzles we got her more. We put both of them together and mama combed her hair and put hair clips and head band in her hair. She was shy as usual but enjoyed her time watching Monique, Jeremiah and Nadiah draw pictures. I don't have skills in the drawing arena so I just watched Valeria, she is precious and I sense she wants to be free from her shyness but doesn't know how. I wanted to hear the word yes from her even though I knew she would. Nadia asked her the questions and she said she wanted to be adopted by us and after hearing the word dah (yes) I looked into her eyes and lovingly said spaciba (thank you) to her. She eventually wanted to play outside so off she went and picked the area and toys. There were many toys made of steel with at least an eight inch of layered paint all pealing and cracking. It would seem no one every thought to sand or strip 30 years of paint off. We played on old jungle gyms and slides and laughed at each other. She talked constantly to us in ruski and busted out of her shell. She got a football (soccer ball) and we played ball games for a long time. She played hard and she at times got bossy with me telling me were to stand and what to do and stop doing silly stuff. You don't have to know the language to understand these things. She is a very good girl but she has.... I wasn't going to say it but when Monique said it I said it. This girl has a lot of piss and vinegar in her or you might say grit! I told Monique that she needed it to survive through all she has and is going through. Personally I like seeing that in her because shes going to need it. Nadia continues to leave us longer and longer by ourselves with these guys. I am not sure if it's on purpose but I am beginning to see what a challenge we are up against with our language barriers. I begin to feel a bit of a panic inside and realize how scary this is going to be for these two kiddos in such a strange world and I can easily visualize Valeria having complete melt downs and panic attacks. I feel the need to escape for awhile and to leave and Monique said she could sense my internal panic and my fight or flight mechanism kicking in. We got what it takes but today I felt and saw the reality if it all and it was very scary. I felt it the moment I walked into her orphanage. A part of it is my own fear of lossing her to an unknown decision from Bogdan.
It's now eight pm and we are approaching the end of another 12 hour day of driving and visiting and persuading our children. I am sore, tired , sweaty and long for a shower and to just veg!
Here police stand off the side of the roads (like our speed traps) with a white stick with black strips on it. If they wave the stick at you, you pull over and pay what they want for whatever you have been doing wrong. While going from one orphanage to the other we were waved at and our taxi guy got out. Naddia explained you have two choices go to court and pay 350 grn and waste who knows how long waiting or pay 150 grn on the spot and off you go. He paid and off we went. We are now driving to see Valeria and I look foward to seeing her run and skip. As we drive through this truly beautiful country with it's rolling hills, trees and green grass it brings me home and I long to see our snowcapped Rockies in the distance. Apparently, just like Colorado the sun will dry up the grass and things will turn brown as the summer progresses .
So I interrupt this flow with a couple of thoughts. Ladies get over your need for a clean white cool porcelain toilet if you plan to come here. So far, Monique has had to stand and squat over the most horrific out houses with a stench so bad you don't close the door for fear of passing out (no joke). She has had to do her business in the grass and trees and gotten very familiar with turkish toilets (squatting over hole in floor). Be prepared with toilet paper in purse and to pay for the privilege of using a toilet. Many bathrooms have sinks and soap (bar soap) but no way to dry your hands. Occasionally there is an electric hand dryer that is ridiculously under powered and you will give up and dry your hands on your ever present pants or with toilet paper. Jeremiah and I feel blessed as men because we can take care of business standing up. Another thing is that food is never hot enough here. It's alway luke warm! I long for hot food and seasoning. They have salt and pepper but the salt has lost a lot of it's flavor. I poured so much salt one time on my potatoes it was laughable. Its dark everywhere and if there are lights on its just the minimum you can get away with. For instance every apartment we have been in has had a chandelier type light with 6 plus bulbs and never more than two of those light bulbs work. Many lights just don't work at all. I suspect they don't even put lights in them. Hallways are never lit and streets can be very dark but not necessarily dangerous. It's just the way it is. One last thing for now, your shaken up every were you go! Train rides shake constantly, taxi rides shake you constantly with weaving and pot holes and roads that are never ever ever flat or straight! After we had taken the train to Donesk and taxi all day visiting our kids the world never stopped moving for us. You stand still but you feel like your moving up and down constantly because your equal librium is shot. Now there are exceptions to all these things but these are pretty common.
We just spent 3 hour with Valeria and what a different girl she was today. We came just as she was walking to have snacks so all she could do was wave at us. Me being me, I was not content to sit and behave and so off I went to see her eating. The babushkas in charge put up with the silly man sneaking a peak at his little girl. I went back to get Monique to come and take a look at her eating too but she all of a sudden jumped in surprise as Valeria ran and gave her a big hug from behind. We gave her gifts and she liked her cute little red princess purse but I almost think she liked the little puzzles we got her more. We put both of them together and mama combed her hair and put hair clips and head band in her hair. She was shy as usual but enjoyed her time watching Monique, Jeremiah and Nadiah draw pictures. I don't have skills in the drawing arena so I just watched Valeria, she is precious and I sense she wants to be free from her shyness but doesn't know how. I wanted to hear the word yes from her even though I knew she would. Nadia asked her the questions and she said she wanted to be adopted by us and after hearing the word dah (yes) I looked into her eyes and lovingly said spaciba (thank you) to her. She eventually wanted to play outside so off she went and picked the area and toys. There were many toys made of steel with at least an eight inch of layered paint all pealing and cracking. It would seem no one every thought to sand or strip 30 years of paint off. We played on old jungle gyms and slides and laughed at each other. She talked constantly to us in ruski and busted out of her shell. She got a football (soccer ball) and we played ball games for a long time. She played hard and she at times got bossy with me telling me were to stand and what to do and stop doing silly stuff. You don't have to know the language to understand these things. She is a very good girl but she has.... I wasn't going to say it but when Monique said it I said it. This girl has a lot of piss and vinegar in her or you might say grit! I told Monique that she needed it to survive through all she has and is going through. Personally I like seeing that in her because shes going to need it. Nadia continues to leave us longer and longer by ourselves with these guys. I am not sure if it's on purpose but I am beginning to see what a challenge we are up against with our language barriers. I begin to feel a bit of a panic inside and realize how scary this is going to be for these two kiddos in such a strange world and I can easily visualize Valeria having complete melt downs and panic attacks. I feel the need to escape for awhile and to leave and Monique said she could sense my internal panic and my fight or flight mechanism kicking in. We got what it takes but today I felt and saw the reality if it all and it was very scary. I felt it the moment I walked into her orphanage. A part of it is my own fear of lossing her to an unknown decision from Bogdan.
It's now eight pm and we are approaching the end of another 12 hour day of driving and visiting and persuading our children. I am sore, tired , sweaty and long for a shower and to just veg!
Vision for the Children International (VFTCI) is a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to bringing hope to at risk children and their families. It is our belief that children need to have a vision for their futures. This cannot be fully accomplished without also providing hope and a future to parents, families and the communities they live in. Without this vital aspect of hope, a child, parent, family and community cannot begin to see past their present circumstances to be able to pursue a better future.
At VFTCI, we deliver ministry through a combination of indigenous local support, community, Christian leaders, government officials, US and International supporters and volunteers.
VFTCI believes in putting faith to action as expressed in Mathew 25:31-40. For many, it is impossible to see a future without first helping them through their current needs and circumstances.
Vision for the Children International is focused on preventative action. We are dedicated to breaking the cycles that a hopeless environment creates by providing opportunities for the creation of healthy families, education systems and communities.
To Learn more visit: www.VFTCI.org
I am fatigued today...
I am fatigued today from giving and receiving and love being taken from me. Being with bogdan this morning was physicly draining. We played football (soccer) until I couldn't play anymore. Bogdan is shy, scared and reserved. I don't know exactly what he is thinking or desiring. We get the impression he wants to be adopted but there is a feeling that others may be lying to him about adoption by a foreign family. We talked, ate snacks, showed our family pictures and gave him the gifts we bought him ( a small car and a firetruck). We then gave him our camera to shoot pics of friends and his room. Once that got started kids came out of the woodwork and Jeremiah and I played football til we were told we needed to go which was fortunate because I don't think I can keep up with all these guys. I am glad i brought moleskin for the blisters. Monique, meanwhile, was surrounded by girls and later she painted all of there fingers with nail polish. There is such a great need for love not necessarily in gifts but the kind that gets dirty and sweaty playing with them at there level. The girls need to know they are beautiful and special and they are needed. I feel so inadequate for this task and rely on God to give me direction and guidance. It does help that I am just a big kid at heart but there is so much need. The goal in this stage is for them to say yes to adoption. So far I am not sure we have a yes strong enough to last through this process.
We head off to see Valeria and we are overwhelmed by her longing to be loved by us. She definitely wants to be apart of our family. She gingerly gives us hugs but is excited to see us. Apparently everyone has told her she is special because she has been chosen to be adopted. We brought her gifts of a doll and a crayon sticker book apparently it's the nicest coloring book she has ever had. Cost us maybe a dollar US. So little to make someone so happy. We played on the floor and took crayons and colored a page together. Occasionally I would purposely rub her little arm lovingly and her face would brighten up and a smile would spread across her face. She longs to be special and be considered beautiful. We played with a 500 piece puzzle that I guess had only 300 which is why I couldn't find very many pieces that fit, at least that's what I tell myself. Valeria is amazing with puzzles. She see things differently and puts them together in ways I don't understand but it works perfectly for her. I dont know how to explain what i see but i am in awe. She is very smart and it is very obvious. I have felt loved and in love with her. She is all girl and loves to dress up and to look at herself in the mirror or in video and I love that about her. She runs and skips everywhere and is such a pleasure to watch. I long to fix her weak eye and to take her from this place and to heal her broken heart.
Nadia, in a very shrewd moment, decided to ask her if she would want to record something to her brother on my phone. Valeria said yes but she wanted to go to another room because she was too shy in front of us. She is so precious to watch on video as she lovingly tells her brother to say yes to being adopted by us because she likes us and wants to be adopted. I need to have the whole thing interpreted but that is the gist of the video but it was her own words. I asked if we could see her room and she said yes. She held our hands and brought us to her room. It's a cute efficient room with 10 tiny beds all perfectly made and tidy. Their caretaker told her to make her bed with her freshly cleaned obedding and she quickly did and stood erect at it's side as if for an inspection. She passed and off we went to look at pictures of her in an album and of her in a play. Meanwhile a little girl whom at first I thought was a little boy because of her butch hair cut, started showing me pictures of her as well. I wish I could have taken her and her little brother home as well. They longed for a father in their lives. Her younger blond haired brother came up to me and would not let me go. His arms locked around my neck and his little face rubbed against my unshaven face. Every kid instantly was fascinated with my bald head and rough face. Monique thinks it's because men don't visit much and it was strange to them. It was heart retching then and now to think of it and all it implies. Before I knew it Monique and I were mauled by little guys and girls all wanting to talk to us and be hugged. I showed them my phone and wow I could hardly keep my phone in hand as they wanted to see their friends in video format and to look and touch the pictures. Technology crosses all borders to these guys. I started picking them up two at a time and they laughed and laughed. Somewhere in this time, a little boy came up to Valeria and said, "Your man is very strong!" She said, " He is no man, he is my papa!". If my heart needed any more retching, her comment to the little boy threw it over the edge and it is forever lost. I fear her hearts loss if her brother says no and my heart forever will be at a loss as well. She later left the room and Nadia thinks she was jealous of all the other kids being with us and getting our attention. She said it is good, like when your dating and you play a little hard to get.
Donesk is not like Kiev and I don't enjoy it as much. It doesn't feel the same and I sense danger more here. I am never bored and there is so much to do. I feel spread thin as we have to win two kids hearts that live 200 km apart. When we are done visiting we are hunting for food and gifts they want from us. 12 hour days just visiting and driving between the two. After securing a yes from Bogdan we will have to visit them every other day because of the taxi fees are killing me. It is all worth it but I am concerned about running out of money and ending up stuck in Ukraine for ever!
We head off to see Valeria and we are overwhelmed by her longing to be loved by us. She definitely wants to be apart of our family. She gingerly gives us hugs but is excited to see us. Apparently everyone has told her she is special because she has been chosen to be adopted. We brought her gifts of a doll and a crayon sticker book apparently it's the nicest coloring book she has ever had. Cost us maybe a dollar US. So little to make someone so happy. We played on the floor and took crayons and colored a page together. Occasionally I would purposely rub her little arm lovingly and her face would brighten up and a smile would spread across her face. She longs to be special and be considered beautiful. We played with a 500 piece puzzle that I guess had only 300 which is why I couldn't find very many pieces that fit, at least that's what I tell myself. Valeria is amazing with puzzles. She see things differently and puts them together in ways I don't understand but it works perfectly for her. I dont know how to explain what i see but i am in awe. She is very smart and it is very obvious. I have felt loved and in love with her. She is all girl and loves to dress up and to look at herself in the mirror or in video and I love that about her. She runs and skips everywhere and is such a pleasure to watch. I long to fix her weak eye and to take her from this place and to heal her broken heart.
Nadia, in a very shrewd moment, decided to ask her if she would want to record something to her brother on my phone. Valeria said yes but she wanted to go to another room because she was too shy in front of us. She is so precious to watch on video as she lovingly tells her brother to say yes to being adopted by us because she likes us and wants to be adopted. I need to have the whole thing interpreted but that is the gist of the video but it was her own words. I asked if we could see her room and she said yes. She held our hands and brought us to her room. It's a cute efficient room with 10 tiny beds all perfectly made and tidy. Their caretaker told her to make her bed with her freshly cleaned obedding and she quickly did and stood erect at it's side as if for an inspection. She passed and off we went to look at pictures of her in an album and of her in a play. Meanwhile a little girl whom at first I thought was a little boy because of her butch hair cut, started showing me pictures of her as well. I wish I could have taken her and her little brother home as well. They longed for a father in their lives. Her younger blond haired brother came up to me and would not let me go. His arms locked around my neck and his little face rubbed against my unshaven face. Every kid instantly was fascinated with my bald head and rough face. Monique thinks it's because men don't visit much and it was strange to them. It was heart retching then and now to think of it and all it implies. Before I knew it Monique and I were mauled by little guys and girls all wanting to talk to us and be hugged. I showed them my phone and wow I could hardly keep my phone in hand as they wanted to see their friends in video format and to look and touch the pictures. Technology crosses all borders to these guys. I started picking them up two at a time and they laughed and laughed. Somewhere in this time, a little boy came up to Valeria and said, "Your man is very strong!" She said, " He is no man, he is my papa!". If my heart needed any more retching, her comment to the little boy threw it over the edge and it is forever lost. I fear her hearts loss if her brother says no and my heart forever will be at a loss as well. She later left the room and Nadia thinks she was jealous of all the other kids being with us and getting our attention. She said it is good, like when your dating and you play a little hard to get.
Donesk is not like Kiev and I don't enjoy it as much. It doesn't feel the same and I sense danger more here. I am never bored and there is so much to do. I feel spread thin as we have to win two kids hearts that live 200 km apart. When we are done visiting we are hunting for food and gifts they want from us. 12 hour days just visiting and driving between the two. After securing a yes from Bogdan we will have to visit them every other day because of the taxi fees are killing me. It is all worth it but I am concerned about running out of money and ending up stuck in Ukraine for ever!
Vision for the Children International (VFTCI) is a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to bringing hope to at risk children and their families. It is our belief that children need to have a vision for their futures. This cannot be fully accomplished without also providing hope and a future to parents, families and the communities they live in. Without this vital aspect of hope, a child, parent, family and community cannot begin to see past their present circumstances to be able to pursue a better future.
At VFTCI, we deliver ministry through a combination of indigenous local support, community, Christian leaders, government officials, US and International supporters and volunteers.
VFTCI believes in putting faith to action as expressed in Mathew 25:31-40. For many, it is impossible to see a future without first helping them through their current needs and circumstances.
Vision for the Children International is focused on preventative action. We are dedicated to breaking the cycles that a hopeless environment creates by providing opportunities for the creation of healthy families, education systems and communities.
To Learn more visit: www.VFTCI.org
We meet Bogdan and Valeriya today
Shake and bake.....
Here is another long winded post ;). But it's my therapy and way of journaling this event in my life.....
Today started out with me unable to sleep and getting up at 4am. Had three cups of via Starbucks coffee and worked on yesterday's blog. Its been a long day. I am now on upper berths of whats called a business class train car with Jeremiah writing blog. Business class is basically a car with 4 berths. Like everything it's a small area but efficient. It reminds me of camping as a kid in a volkswagen camper. There is no wifi on this train and I think it must have been made in the 1950's the conditions are amazing and surreal. It's laughable the condition of this train. I often think how American civilization would on the whole, handle the normal everyday living conditions of the Ukrainian people. I can tell you what, lawyers would go crazy in a place like this. Point in case, the doors on the elevators and the furnicular train should be lovingly called the human guilateen. I have never seen doors slam so fast and so hard in my life. In fact, I was trying to enter our apartment elevator at the last second and the elevator decided no more people allowed. One second longer and my hand would have been waving at me from the floor of the other side. On the other hand ( no pun intended ) the same door will decide not to close or reopen at all. Nothing is consistent except the inconsistent in this country. I digress though, we met Nadiya our facilitator who will be assisting us in Donesk. She is a delight and a great travel companion she understands our humor, which is a plus! We shall see how long she can stand us. About 430 pm today we received our two referrals for the orphanages we are traveling to. Grabbed our luggage and heaved them on taxi and through crowded train station. For those who follow, pack light cause ya going to have to haul it all over the country! Unless you are a world travelor there is nothing that can prepare you for ukrain it is a landscape of constant change and surprise. I often feel like I am in a world WWII movie and I am on a mission in a foreign land. I would say the best prep is to be patient, changeable, curious and willing to risk and make mistakes. Every turn has a surprise and even now the clickity clack of the shake and bake is lulling me to sleep......the night has past and were about an hour from our destination. I have heard so many stories of this phase in the adoption process of things going wrong that I find myself reserved as well as very anxious. What will it be like to meet them for the first time and will there be a connection from the beginning or will that happen in time. Will they say yes or will it be no?
Getting off the train was something else one mass of cars luggage, vans and people people and more people one big mass of us pushing and honking our way out.
He could only fit 2 bags in back and so one piece got to sit up front and watch the view while the four of us squeezed into the back seat. Thankfully we are all skinny and this wasn't too uncomfortable. We found our apartment and again they have a scary elevator but I am getting used to the rediculous small space and take the second one up with the luggage. The apartment is very nice but a little pricier than we were expecting. We are planning to negotiating or relocate closser to the kids or maybe find something in the country. Still up in the air, we need to find a map so i can get our bearings. Got taken for 200. American by taxi for all day driving and 120 km but I comfort myself that in America it would have been a lot worse for your own private chauffeur. The siblings have been split because of age and the fact that bogdan needs to go to school. The drive is fast and furious but it doesn't bother us in fact I feel quite at peace with this insane driving. We travel through beautiful countrysides and little villages and through towns all showing years lack and disrepair. There are slow signs of merging economic progress but things seem to take a long time. Funny thing in donesk everyone we buy from is trying to practice there English due to a ver big soccer game this year with lots if international visitors. One lady said in closing our transaction: thank you, hello ,goodbye, and your welcome all in one sentence she was very sweet and doing her best to communicate.
We met bogdan at his orphanage and I could not be happier. He is such a beautiful young man. He was so scared and never looked at us but in time he relaxed a little. He started coming alive after seeing pictures and playing with iPhone. We gave him a football (soccer ball), small car, and starburst candy. He let Monique put her arm around him and he gave me a real good hand shake which in this country is not something you give easily like Americans do. By the time we left his breathing was much more normal. I can tell he is a brave boy even though he was scared. He loves math and wants to be a fireman. He also said he likes the grey Lanos a Ukrainian made car that is everywhere here. my first thought I can afford this car when he starts to drive LOL. We are coming up to a three day holiday so we are rushing over to see his sister Valeria just in case the holiday delayed us til Tuesday. It sounds like we are going to be able to see bogdan again on Saturday he is going to be a goalie and he will teach me to play soccer. We want to buy him some little cars because he likes to collect them. We are off at 90 mph to see her (no kidding) in tiny little taxi.
First impressions of orphanage was horror at outside conditions but the second you entered in the place it was beautiful and full of warmth, color and fun a stark contrast to the orphange bogdan is living in a grey concrete stone cold environment. Apparently, as our facilitator said, rich people like to help the cute young kids and not the older ones. Thus the stark contrast between the two orphanages, makes you think. We talked for awhile to the directors assistant, nurse and social worker and in short she is healthy with some minor correctable issues. She is very shy but such a little princess. She is all girl and loves to dress up. We asked her questions, put puzzles together, with and walked outside and played on toys until it began to rain. She had a beautiful pink dress on and did not want to get it dirty. She wants juice, cookies, and a doll. This took awhile to get out of her but a necessary step for us to show we will do what we say and follow through with our commitments with her. I am overwhelmed with compassion for these two kids and realize how much God loves and cares for these two. Enough for him to send us half way around he world to find them and to present ourselves to them as a gift. All they need to do is say yes and they will become our children. A familiar sounding story. A simple yes can change there life and remove them from the awful conditions they will and live in.
Here is another long winded post ;). But it's my therapy and way of journaling this event in my life.....
Today started out with me unable to sleep and getting up at 4am. Had three cups of via Starbucks coffee and worked on yesterday's blog. Its been a long day. I am now on upper berths of whats called a business class train car with Jeremiah writing blog. Business class is basically a car with 4 berths. Like everything it's a small area but efficient. It reminds me of camping as a kid in a volkswagen camper. There is no wifi on this train and I think it must have been made in the 1950's the conditions are amazing and surreal. It's laughable the condition of this train. I often think how American civilization would on the whole, handle the normal everyday living conditions of the Ukrainian people. I can tell you what, lawyers would go crazy in a place like this. Point in case, the doors on the elevators and the furnicular train should be lovingly called the human guilateen. I have never seen doors slam so fast and so hard in my life. In fact, I was trying to enter our apartment elevator at the last second and the elevator decided no more people allowed. One second longer and my hand would have been waving at me from the floor of the other side. On the other hand ( no pun intended ) the same door will decide not to close or reopen at all. Nothing is consistent except the inconsistent in this country. I digress though, we met Nadiya our facilitator who will be assisting us in Donesk. She is a delight and a great travel companion she understands our humor, which is a plus! We shall see how long she can stand us. About 430 pm today we received our two referrals for the orphanages we are traveling to. Grabbed our luggage and heaved them on taxi and through crowded train station. For those who follow, pack light cause ya going to have to haul it all over the country! Unless you are a world travelor there is nothing that can prepare you for ukrain it is a landscape of constant change and surprise. I often feel like I am in a world WWII movie and I am on a mission in a foreign land. I would say the best prep is to be patient, changeable, curious and willing to risk and make mistakes. Every turn has a surprise and even now the clickity clack of the shake and bake is lulling me to sleep......the night has past and were about an hour from our destination. I have heard so many stories of this phase in the adoption process of things going wrong that I find myself reserved as well as very anxious. What will it be like to meet them for the first time and will there be a connection from the beginning or will that happen in time. Will they say yes or will it be no?
Getting off the train was something else one mass of cars luggage, vans and people people and more people one big mass of us pushing and honking our way out.
He could only fit 2 bags in back and so one piece got to sit up front and watch the view while the four of us squeezed into the back seat. Thankfully we are all skinny and this wasn't too uncomfortable. We found our apartment and again they have a scary elevator but I am getting used to the rediculous small space and take the second one up with the luggage. The apartment is very nice but a little pricier than we were expecting. We are planning to negotiating or relocate closser to the kids or maybe find something in the country. Still up in the air, we need to find a map so i can get our bearings. Got taken for 200. American by taxi for all day driving and 120 km but I comfort myself that in America it would have been a lot worse for your own private chauffeur. The siblings have been split because of age and the fact that bogdan needs to go to school. The drive is fast and furious but it doesn't bother us in fact I feel quite at peace with this insane driving. We travel through beautiful countrysides and little villages and through towns all showing years lack and disrepair. There are slow signs of merging economic progress but things seem to take a long time. Funny thing in donesk everyone we buy from is trying to practice there English due to a ver big soccer game this year with lots if international visitors. One lady said in closing our transaction: thank you, hello ,goodbye, and your welcome all in one sentence she was very sweet and doing her best to communicate.
We met bogdan at his orphanage and I could not be happier. He is such a beautiful young man. He was so scared and never looked at us but in time he relaxed a little. He started coming alive after seeing pictures and playing with iPhone. We gave him a football (soccer ball), small car, and starburst candy. He let Monique put her arm around him and he gave me a real good hand shake which in this country is not something you give easily like Americans do. By the time we left his breathing was much more normal. I can tell he is a brave boy even though he was scared. He loves math and wants to be a fireman. He also said he likes the grey Lanos a Ukrainian made car that is everywhere here. my first thought I can afford this car when he starts to drive LOL. We are coming up to a three day holiday so we are rushing over to see his sister Valeria just in case the holiday delayed us til Tuesday. It sounds like we are going to be able to see bogdan again on Saturday he is going to be a goalie and he will teach me to play soccer. We want to buy him some little cars because he likes to collect them. We are off at 90 mph to see her (no kidding) in tiny little taxi.
First impressions of orphanage was horror at outside conditions but the second you entered in the place it was beautiful and full of warmth, color and fun a stark contrast to the orphange bogdan is living in a grey concrete stone cold environment. Apparently, as our facilitator said, rich people like to help the cute young kids and not the older ones. Thus the stark contrast between the two orphanages, makes you think. We talked for awhile to the directors assistant, nurse and social worker and in short she is healthy with some minor correctable issues. She is very shy but such a little princess. She is all girl and loves to dress up. We asked her questions, put puzzles together, with and walked outside and played on toys until it began to rain. She had a beautiful pink dress on and did not want to get it dirty. She wants juice, cookies, and a doll. This took awhile to get out of her but a necessary step for us to show we will do what we say and follow through with our commitments with her. I am overwhelmed with compassion for these two kids and realize how much God loves and cares for these two. Enough for him to send us half way around he world to find them and to present ourselves to them as a gift. All they need to do is say yes and they will become our children. A familiar sounding story. A simple yes can change there life and remove them from the awful conditions they will and live in.
Vision for the Children International (VFTCI) is a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to bringing hope to at risk children and their families. It is our belief that children need to have a vision for their futures. This cannot be fully accomplished without also providing hope and a future to parents, families and the communities they live in. Without this vital aspect of hope, a child, parent, family and community cannot begin to see past their present circumstances to be able to pursue a better future.
At VFTCI, we deliver ministry through a combination of indigenous local support, community, Christian leaders, government officials, US and International supporters and volunteers.
VFTCI believes in putting faith to action as expressed in Mathew 25:31-40. For many, it is impossible to see a future without first helping them through their current needs and circumstances.
Vision for the Children International is focused on preventative action. We are dedicated to breaking the cycles that a hopeless environment creates by providing opportunities for the creation of healthy families, education systems and communities.
To Learn more visit: www.VFTCI.org
Friday, June 17, 2011
You can follow us on facebook
Friend us: Christopher Monique Green
Vision for the Children International (VFTCI) is a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to bringing hope to at risk children and their families. It is our belief that children need to have a vision for their futures. This cannot be fully accomplished without also providing hope and a future to parents, families and the communities they live in. Without this vital aspect of hope, a child, parent, family and community cannot begin to see past their present circumstances to be able to pursue a better future.
At VFTCI, we deliver ministry through a combination of indigenous local support, community, Christian leaders, government officials, US and International supporters and volunteers.
VFTCI believes in putting faith to action as expressed in Mathew 25:31-40. For many, it is impossible to see a future without first helping them through their current needs and circumstances.
Vision for the Children International is focused on preventative action. We are dedicated to breaking the cycles that a hopeless environment creates by providing opportunities for the creation of healthy families, education systems and communities.
To Learn more visit: www.VFTCI.org
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
SDA appointment done.....
The Internet is spotty at best in our apartment so I am unable to post as we would like. For what ever reason I cant sleep and I am tired of tossing and turning. It's about 4 am and I thought I would get up and start journaling. Yesterday, Valentin meet us at our apartment at 830 am to go to our SDA appointment. Turns out our appointment was an hour later so we head off to get coffee. I will say we have been enjoying some of the best espresso drinks I can remember. Valentine continues to be our historian and guide. He let's us know that many of the streets we are walking on today were completely demolished in world war 2 which is surprising because some of these buildings look a heck of a lot older than that. The city has an eclectic look with it's architecture. It looks old and ornate. Many of the buildings are beautiful, even in their various degrees of decay, you can see their unique beauty. Valentin goes into a brief description of the atrocities of Stalin and Hitlers terror and the close to 50 million who had died in former soviet union during these horrible years. The number is mind boggling and he explains that it is roughly the size population of Ukraine today plus an additional 4 million. The history here is intense and I am amazed at the resiliency of this people. Valentine, like all other Ukraine citizens, had to serve 2 years in the military when he turned 18 and knows how to speak Russian, Ukraine, English and German. All of them are challenging languages but Ukraine the most difficult. He explained that a glass has 7 different ways to describe it and then another 7 was due to the fact that a noun turns plural. So there is a potential of 14 ways to say glass in Ukraine. And many nouns have a male or female noun. At least this is how I understood him.
After coffee we headed back to SDA and we were quickly escorted into a tiny office and asked questions of why we wanted to adopt and a little bit of history of us. We stumbled through that and then they began to show us children in our age range about 8 different sets of children. I would like to say that a holy light from heaven shown down on one set of pics but no such luck. We had to work our way through 3 sets of children and logically take into consideration there history, region, relatives, directors etc. In fact, in what was probably a very generous lenience to us they allowed us to leave undecided and talk about it for a half hour longer. Even still an hour and a half goes real quick when you realize that this is a decision that will affect you and all those around you for the rest of your life, and theirs. Mucho stressful !!!! I won't go into all the decisions and why they were made but we do feel there was really only one choice after we looked at all of the info presented. The next hour or so was a huge blur as Valentin rushed us off to find a taxi to some unknown place and again drive crazy around the streets of Kiev . We eventually realized a document needed to be notarized and we had to promise to keep in touch with the SDA and do paper work until our new potential children turned 18. The rest of our day was spent sight seeing and pushing our way out into kiev. We looked at, you guessed it, more churches and old buildings, wondered down ancient cobble stoned roads, browsed vendors selling there goods, and ended up on the shores of the river Dnipro that divides Kiev. It was like walking in a movie set. People were friendly and we were able to somehow communicate with them. We decided to find Monique a more summery and colorful shirt which was entertaining as the three ladies giggled and laughed at us for unknown reasons as Monique tried on shirts and we made our purchase. Monique now fit in better and was much cooler as she traded her black t shirt for a light blue cotton blouse. She refuses to buy the 4"+ high heeled dress shoes that most of these ladies wear here. It is an amazing thing to watch these ladies dressed to the hilt, navigate effortlessly these cobblestones and ruined street and sidewalks of this city. Continuing on, we walked along the old stoned boat docks and decided to venture across the river to beaches we saw on the other side. One of the things I have been using here to judge safety is the people we see in the areas we are traveling. I personally think human nature is pretty consistent and so when I see young couples with there children, kids out on dates, and nicely dressed couples, to me it indicates it must be a relatively safe environment. In America, I would be very concerned venturing into areas like these full of decay, ruins and disrepair but here these are very common. We walked over a large bridge to the best we could tell, an old park area with beaches and venders and if I was to guess a place that poorer people came to relax. I would say it had a gypsies atmosphere as even the music changed its sound and feel as well as the people. These were just your average looking people young and old. After wondering the beaches and forested paths Moniques mothering instinct kicked in and we decided to get the heck out of Dodge. Jeremiah and I didn't feel any threats but Monique could sense the immorality and seedy stuff that must go on around and about this area. So off we headed back into town. We took the fNicular train up into town at a cost of less than 20 cense each. The train goes from the banks of the river up to the top of the bluff were the old town resides. According to Valentin a giant statue of Stalin was to be erected here over looking this beautiful view but WWII started and that ended those plans. It was here that Valentine called and let us know that he had secured a business class train car for the three of us and our new facilitator who would be traveling with us to Donetsk, the city were our kids are. We were very happy because it would cost about 80 bucks total for all four of us. We leave today at 730 pm and arrive sometime in the morning on Friday. Valentine also said the president has made it official, the move of the SDA to the new ministry and we had 30 days to complete everything or we would have to go home and come back after 2 or 3 months when they reopened. Please pray that everything goes smoothly as that does not give us much room for delays and the many unknowns that can come up. Before ending this long winded blog post, let me describe the children we are adopting. The boy is 10 years old and the girl 8 years old. He has brown hair and been described as completely healthy and a good kid. She has red hair thin and has a lazy or crossed left eye. She is healthy but will probably need corrective surgery if natural treatment for her eye doesn't work. We have been told this shouldn't be an issue but time will tell. Their mother died in 2007 and then the father in 2009, for unknown reasons both died. Their grandmother then raised them till she passed away just last year They are separated in two orphanages (why? I don't know) and have just become available for adoption. There are no relatives pursuing them and Monique finds it a comfort that it is possible they were raised in caring homes interrupted by death. These children can say no to us if they so choose and it does happen. Please pray that this next stage goes according to Gods desire and plan for them as well as us. Jeremiah has been a great travel companion and does an excellent job in assisting me in keeping his mom safe and out of harms way. I suspect this is and will be a life changing journey for him. We feel blessed to have him be apart of this adventure.
Ps: if your traveling with us via Internet these are some of the sites we have seen or visited in kiev which you can google:
Golden gate
River station
St. Andrews church
St. Sofias cathedral
Pishokhidnyi bridge
National opera
Central train station
Funicular train
T.shevchenko university
House of teachers
Mickhaiilv'ky gold domed monastery
After coffee we headed back to SDA and we were quickly escorted into a tiny office and asked questions of why we wanted to adopt and a little bit of history of us. We stumbled through that and then they began to show us children in our age range about 8 different sets of children. I would like to say that a holy light from heaven shown down on one set of pics but no such luck. We had to work our way through 3 sets of children and logically take into consideration there history, region, relatives, directors etc. In fact, in what was probably a very generous lenience to us they allowed us to leave undecided and talk about it for a half hour longer. Even still an hour and a half goes real quick when you realize that this is a decision that will affect you and all those around you for the rest of your life, and theirs. Mucho stressful !!!! I won't go into all the decisions and why they were made but we do feel there was really only one choice after we looked at all of the info presented. The next hour or so was a huge blur as Valentin rushed us off to find a taxi to some unknown place and again drive crazy around the streets of Kiev . We eventually realized a document needed to be notarized and we had to promise to keep in touch with the SDA and do paper work until our new potential children turned 18. The rest of our day was spent sight seeing and pushing our way out into kiev. We looked at, you guessed it, more churches and old buildings, wondered down ancient cobble stoned roads, browsed vendors selling there goods, and ended up on the shores of the river Dnipro that divides Kiev. It was like walking in a movie set. People were friendly and we were able to somehow communicate with them. We decided to find Monique a more summery and colorful shirt which was entertaining as the three ladies giggled and laughed at us for unknown reasons as Monique tried on shirts and we made our purchase. Monique now fit in better and was much cooler as she traded her black t shirt for a light blue cotton blouse. She refuses to buy the 4"+ high heeled dress shoes that most of these ladies wear here. It is an amazing thing to watch these ladies dressed to the hilt, navigate effortlessly these cobblestones and ruined street and sidewalks of this city. Continuing on, we walked along the old stoned boat docks and decided to venture across the river to beaches we saw on the other side. One of the things I have been using here to judge safety is the people we see in the areas we are traveling. I personally think human nature is pretty consistent and so when I see young couples with there children, kids out on dates, and nicely dressed couples, to me it indicates it must be a relatively safe environment. In America, I would be very concerned venturing into areas like these full of decay, ruins and disrepair but here these are very common. We walked over a large bridge to the best we could tell, an old park area with beaches and venders and if I was to guess a place that poorer people came to relax. I would say it had a gypsies atmosphere as even the music changed its sound and feel as well as the people. These were just your average looking people young and old. After wondering the beaches and forested paths Moniques mothering instinct kicked in and we decided to get the heck out of Dodge. Jeremiah and I didn't feel any threats but Monique could sense the immorality and seedy stuff that must go on around and about this area. So off we headed back into town. We took the fNicular train up into town at a cost of less than 20 cense each. The train goes from the banks of the river up to the top of the bluff were the old town resides. According to Valentin a giant statue of Stalin was to be erected here over looking this beautiful view but WWII started and that ended those plans. It was here that Valentine called and let us know that he had secured a business class train car for the three of us and our new facilitator who would be traveling with us to Donetsk, the city were our kids are. We were very happy because it would cost about 80 bucks total for all four of us. We leave today at 730 pm and arrive sometime in the morning on Friday. Valentine also said the president has made it official, the move of the SDA to the new ministry and we had 30 days to complete everything or we would have to go home and come back after 2 or 3 months when they reopened. Please pray that everything goes smoothly as that does not give us much room for delays and the many unknowns that can come up. Before ending this long winded blog post, let me describe the children we are adopting. The boy is 10 years old and the girl 8 years old. He has brown hair and been described as completely healthy and a good kid. She has red hair thin and has a lazy or crossed left eye. She is healthy but will probably need corrective surgery if natural treatment for her eye doesn't work. We have been told this shouldn't be an issue but time will tell. Their mother died in 2007 and then the father in 2009, for unknown reasons both died. Their grandmother then raised them till she passed away just last year They are separated in two orphanages (why? I don't know) and have just become available for adoption. There are no relatives pursuing them and Monique finds it a comfort that it is possible they were raised in caring homes interrupted by death. These children can say no to us if they so choose and it does happen. Please pray that this next stage goes according to Gods desire and plan for them as well as us. Jeremiah has been a great travel companion and does an excellent job in assisting me in keeping his mom safe and out of harms way. I suspect this is and will be a life changing journey for him. We feel blessed to have him be apart of this adventure.
Ps: if your traveling with us via Internet these are some of the sites we have seen or visited in kiev which you can google:
Golden gate
River station
St. Andrews church
St. Sofias cathedral
Pishokhidnyi bridge
National opera
Central train station
Funicular train
T.shevchenko university
House of teachers
Mickhaiilv'ky gold domed monastery
Vision for the Children International (VFTCI) is a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to bringing hope to at risk children and their families. It is our belief that children need to have a vision for their futures. This cannot be fully accomplished without also providing hope and a future to parents, families and the communities they live in. Without this vital aspect of hope, a child, parent, family and community cannot begin to see past their present circumstances to be able to pursue a better future.
At VFTCI, we deliver ministry through a combination of indigenous local support, community, Christian leaders, government officials, US and International supporters and volunteers.
VFTCI believes in putting faith to action as expressed in Mathew 25:31-40. For many, it is impossible to see a future without first helping them through their current needs and circumstances.
Vision for the Children International is focused on preventative action. We are dedicated to breaking the cycles that a hopeless environment creates by providing opportunities for the creation of healthy families, education systems and communities.
To Learn more visit: www.VFTCI.org
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)