Orphanage Visit

Recently, Brett and I visited an orphanage near our apt. Sergeau, the preacher at the Xarkivska Church of Christ invited us to go with him. He has been visiting this orphanage for the last year. We went into a classroom where there were about 15 kids around the ages of 8-10. Of course Brett and I aren’t sure of everything that was said, but he had a school type lesson with them and he also incorporated Jesus into it. We helped the kids as they made their crafts. We were able to say a few things to them. It was kind of intimidating for me because I’m used to being able to easily have a conversation with children and this time it was a stretch to speak a few sentences like asking them what their name was and how old they were. Some of them knew some Spanish that they had been learning in school at the orphanage, so we counted in Spanish together.

One thing that was especially heart breaking was that they called all adults “mama” or “papa.”

Sergeau said it was because they so desperately wanted to have their own mama and papa. As the class was ending, different men and women came in and out and took a child with them. Sergeau said they worked for the orphanage and did different things with the kids.

After the orphanage visit, Brett and I walked to get on the metro and I noticed a little girl holding a woman’s hand and turning back and smiling at us. I realized it was a little girl that I had talked to at the orphanage. She got on the metro too but I never saw her again. It’s neat the connection that I felt with that little girl although we could barely speak to each other.

I hope to visit as many orphanages as I can to see what all the needs are and to see if this is a ministry that I might get involved in.