Our Tuesday started with our traditional "wake Vlad up really early and go to McDonald's" routine! After him rushing to our hotel in a taxi (an act reserved for true emergencies as natives usually take the bus or walk), we ventured to "Mac" and devoured our DOUBLE sausage egg McMuffins.
Imagine the heat McDonald's would take if in the US they had those puppies on the menu (probably around 2,000 calories)? Oh well, I guess Ukraine is ok with their people making their own decision to consume that many calories vs. the FDA coddling, "be careful, that is a lot of calories - and your hot coffee will be... hot!"
A short bus ride later, we met back at the hotel. We loaded up the van and headed over to the orphanage for "invalids" - the last stop for these "in-valid" people before spending the rest of their lives at places like Burie Ugili.
This pleasant center has seen much foreign mission work and dollars so it was well kept and quite beautiful. But more telling was the authenticity of the worker's care for these most helpless of society. We were advised to keep our picture taking to a minimum as some previous groups have done so and wrote (out of context) scathing reports of "abuse" of these special needs children.
It is true that some were gently tethered to their beds to protect themselves from themselves - to prevent out of control scratching, biting, fighting and worse. These children had the worst of the worst physical deformations and/or mental deficiencies, which life in America shields us from imagining much less seeing and engaging.
A stoic caretaker took us in groups of three (plus a translator) around the center and let us interact with the children. Old to young we were able to see a majority of the center - a privilege, as most groups have not developed such trust to be taken behind the scenes and are relegated only to the play room.
So what do you say to a young child racked with horrific mental and physical handicaps? How do you reconcile the injustice that a God could let this happen? Where do these children fit into your worldview?
With a happy smile, Adam and I simply went around to as many as we could, said hello (in Russian) and then gently bent over them to look them in the eyes to softly say, "I came from America to tell you Jesus loves you."
As I choked up thinking about Jesus' love for these children I was occasionally met with a slight contorted smile. The same Jesus that would take me, a helpless orphan from Vietnam, raise me in America, and then allow me the privilege to go to Ukraine to tell others about Him whispered in my head, "Jason, I first loved you so you could love others in my Name." - it came clear that this situation fits perfectly into His eternal perspective...
Wrapping up in the play room, we colored, played ball and showed pictures to some higher functioning children. What a blessed time as the children showed us that love, joy and happiness are the universal language of Jesus Christ!
Our next event was the capstone course for the grads - their speaches/testimonies to the group.
We began the session with more public speaking 101 tips. A college course in itself, we were able to provide them these valuable life skills for future interviews and engagement with their world.
Starting with Kyryl (my guy), they each made their speach. After group feedback we moved to each graduate. I was extremely proud of Kyryl and Shasha as both young men had taken the exercise very serious and had done a great job. Ukrain's future is bright with young men and woman such as them.
Our time ended with an abreviated version of my testimony. In what ended up in a tear-filled, choked up discussion, I attempted to give them an "orphan to orphan" message of hope.
Hope not because we're survivors of a lack of pedigree or government programs, but hope in the fact that Jesus loves. Jesus loves each one of us and gave us unique stories to tell and engage with the world!
He is in the business of reconciling the invalids, the handicapped and orphans to Him - and often times through and because of these same people...
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