March 2011
Dear Family and Friends,
It is amazing to see what changes happen with the kids in just a few short months. After Christmas we adjusted the programming schedule in order to provide a better atmosphere for homework time. These changes also allowed us to more effectively plug-in vol
A child's fresh cut flower graces the window in the art room. Photo credit: Laurel Moline
unteers. We have decided to focus on reading and writing skills more than completing homework with the kids, as they have ample time to finish homework with their educator after our program is finished for the day. For example, yesterday M, a second grader who reads with great difficulty, sat for almost an hour and read to one of our regular high school volunteers. She patiently listened to him sound out each syllable and kept him on track as he wanted to do anything but read.
Many of the weekly volunteers attend a private high school in Chisinau. One 11th grade boy has been coming consistently since Christmas to help with the kids’ homework. He heard about our program from a friend, and called us up to ask about volunteer opportunities. His desire to help our kids evolved into working with his teacher to arrange a day for his own class to come to the orphanage for a day to hang out with the kids.
Last Thursday, Eugen and his teacher came with 10 other students to play with our kids for a few hours. We sang, ate snacks, played games, colored, and worked on puzzles together. This may sound like an ordinary day, but the truly beautiful part is that students from the most prestigious high school in Chisinau got to know our kids from the least prestigious place in Chisinau. Although our kids loved hanging out with the older students, the real impact happened in the hearts of the visiting students. Stereotypes about who lives at the orphanage began to be changed. Many of the high school students come from very good families. The opportunity for them to get to know kids from such vulnerable situations in their own hometown was priceless.
At one point during the evening, one second grader began to sing a children’s song he knew from the Orthodox Church. The rest of the second graders joined in, along with many of the high school students. In the midst of putting together puzzles and coloring pictures of Chryslers, people who normally would not spend time together spontaneously sang a praise song to God. It was an example of the kingdom of God in our midst.
Community building is happening! God is working!
- Please continue to pray for the children and for our team.
- Our first servant team arrived 17th February! Please pray for these 3 women as they open their hearts and minds to the culture, the language, and to these children. Please also pray for me as I lead the team.
Thank you so much for enabling me to do this!
Much love to you all,
Annie Keith