News

Introduction to dolphins

All the adults, naturally, know – what dolphins are, where they live, but where can a child find one to get to know it? And, maybe, ask it how things are, what its friend’s name is or has it ever been sad.

In June every child of the Good Shepherd shelter has had an opportunity to meet a real dolphin and even to take a picture with it. We are grateful to our friends that made it possible for the children to visit the dolphins’ aquarium in Donetsk. When we were on the performance we have heard these words: It is very easy to make a person to cry and it’s much more difficult to make him laugh. Thanks to our Almighty God there was so much happiness in our children’s eyes when they were looking at the creations our Lord has made. There have been so many situations in these children’s lives that made them to cry but thanks to these dolphins and care of people there was a reason for them to smile and rejoice.  After the performance, the little girl, Tanya (5 years old) came and said- “I love you”!  Why did she say that? What did she feel? My thought is: she had just been very happy that somebody was taking care of her. Isn’t it the way every child should feel even though (s) he was left by parents at the age of 5 years? The feeling that somebody is here for you…

Exhibition, Good Shepherd Shelter welcomes “our children”

May 26th we have had an exhibition where we welcomed our former pupils. Of course, they aren’t children anymore, they are grown-ups. We also were glad to meet all of our former staff members. Our welcome was very heartwarming: we were looking at our achievements all together, shared our memories, the funny moments that we experienced. It was such a blessing for us to hear their plans and ideas they have for the future, we were asked to keep them in our prayers. “Children” thanked the staff for everything they had done for them, begged for forgiveness for all the tough moments they were the cause of.  Some of our former pupils have been raising their own children already. And they said that understand us much better now and know how difficult it was sometimes to call them to order.

As to the former staff and those who continue to work with the children they were sharing God’s love with the children and call them to love Him with all of their heart.

It is interesting what Harry Schmidt was thinking when he saw all these children and gave an opportunity to change their lives for the best. He gave money to buy the former school building, renovate it and to make it comfortable for living. The day came to its end; we washed the dishes and went home. There were so many prayers that night –God, please, help them and look after them...  

What are you reading right now?

If you ask our children- Do you like to read? You will hear quite contrary answers; Pasha B. will probably  answer- Oh, no reading, please! Kristina B. will say meditative- Well, I  almost done the second volume of Conan Doyle, do you know where can I find “The White Company”?

In order to introduce children to reading, we organized two weeks of reading in the Good Shepherd Shelter. Every child picked a book that (s)he wants to read and the goal was to finish it during these two weeks. We asked the children to choose books from the list that they have been given at school and at the end of the second week we have had a Literature Evening. We decorated rooms, turned on classical music - and we had a real literature saloon. The girls were wearing dresses, they made fans for themselves. We wanted to make them to feel like a lady! We were sharing our impressions from the books and discussed the rules of etiquette.

Everyone needs a vacation!

For several years already our children have been spending some time at the camp in Ursuf. As it was in previous years this camp was filled with God’s presence, blessings, joy, sea, rest and friends.

First of all, we thank God and our friends that we have had a chance to take this family trip to the seaside. Thanks to our God we could make it there and back safely.

When we went to the camp, we didn’t have enough money to buy fruit and vegetables for the children but God took good care of it as He always does. We were looking for some fruit at the market but we couldn’t afford it as it was too expensive. Then one woman told us a story: her husband was picking cherries, when some neighbors asked him what he was doing. He said it is for some abandoned children but he couldn’t find whom he could give it. So he brought it to the market and … Good Shepherd Shelter found him! We bought a lot of fruit and it didn’t cost us much. Thank God! He is always here… for us!

One of the girls, Lyuba Burnosova, was coughing when we were at home but we couldn’t leave her home, so she went with us.  Her situation got worse at the camp. We even took her to the hospital but God was with us. The children were praying for her every day and it drew us closer to each other. By the end of the camp, Lyuba was swimming and playing with the children.

It was so cheerful for us to see when the elder children were helping the small ones and when they were making food for everyone. We could practice, once again, our ability to be patient with one another and take each other the way we are. And at the same time, the staff that didn’t go to the sea was doing renovations at the shelter, so children could come back to our clean and cozy home.

We succeeded in everything we were doing, we can see that now. Children are happy and content. They can, during my working day, run in my office and tell me – “Do you want to hear that new song we have learned in the camp?” – And we can lay aside all the urgent and important work and listen to  the song… and we realize again: why we are here. And thank God that these children are in our lives and we can take care of them and show them God’s love.

Dear friends, Good Shepherd Shelter, wishes you to find the place where you can serve to fulfill God’s will, to love and to take care of those who are next to you. So the people will get to know and thank God once again for His love to them.

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