Denis

So I promised some substance for this time.
Long ago, before Jason and I were even engaged, I began researching international adoption. All of the details about why and how all of this came about are a little fuzzy, but I was working at Shocco at the time. Somehow I wandered over to the Student Life website, and found where Randy and Valerie Hall were hosting orphans in their home, sent Valerie an email, and before I knew it, Jason and I were headed to play with some orphans from Ukraine. We went to the airport to meet them, and oh my heart. One evening, Jason and I headed to the Hall's house. We wandered around, trying to talk to several kids, and eventually saw a little boy hanging out on a hammock by himself. We "talked" to him, as much as 3 people speaking 2 languages can talk, before this little boy named Denis was to go shopping with a group. While he was gone, we played with some of the others, including "Little Sergey," who was born with a very fragile skin condition. Such a bright, happy little boy, who dealt with so much pain. Just a little friction on his skin caused blisters, but he was so happy with his Dollar Tree toys. When his handcuffs broke, he just shrugged his little shoulders, threw down the broken part, and continued to play. Later on, he asked for an orange, asked me to peel it, ate part of it, then shared the rest with me. Nothing could keep this little boy down, no matter what kind of crap came his way, he was smiling and happy and had such a giving spirit.
Denis comes back from his Dollar Tree trip, obviously thrilled with his purchases. I won't get on my soapbox about how much these kids appreciate cheap toys, compared to how so many of us do NOT take good care of our expensive toys and are always looking for the newest, best available, when we have so much already.... So Denis takes us to a sun room that has been converted into a bedroom for a while, and we sit down and start to play with his Nerf basketball . A lady comes in a little later, introduces herself as Valerie's neighbor, and says "I just wanted y'all to know what a God-thing it is that y'all came TONIGHT and are playing with Denis TONIGHT... Denis hasn't received as much attention as some of the other kids, and just today he was upset and telling the translator, 'I good boy, I need mama... Why no mama for me? I good boy'.... So I just wanted y'all to know how much it means that God has sent you here tonight." We both fell in love with this little boy! He was playing with Jason's hat, so Jason gave it to him before we left. Denis gave us a bracelet that he had been given... WOW... A little boy who has NOTHING, is giving ME, who has more than I need, something that he was given... It'll make ya think. Over the next year, we wrote each other letters. Denis came back again the summer that Jason and I were not together, but I still went back down and hung out with the orphans again. I said good-bye to him, knowing that would possibly be the last time I would ever see him. I prayed for Denis... For him to be safe, for a family to want him, for him to grow into a successful man if he was not adopted. I asked so many people if they were interested in adopting Denis, but nobody was ready. It broke my heart that a boy with so much potential was likely to be a street kid in just a matter of years.
Some time ago, I found a blog of a family who was in Ukraine... In Kiev... Trying to adopt a boy from Orphanage 21, which is where Denis had been. The more I read, the more connections I found. They were working with the same translator who came with the Kiev group to B'ham. I thought eh, what the heck, I'll leave these people a comment and see if they can ask Zhenia (translator) if he knows where Denis is, if he's doing okay, etc. I get an email reply from the dad, saying that he can do better than that, DENIS IS STANDING IN HIS APARTMENT AS HE READ MY NOTE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! In a city of millions of people, this one little boy kept showing up at this one particular apartment. The dad kept saying "Okay God, I know You have a reason for Denis to keep showing up like this, so what's the deal?" It was so comforting to know that God had answered my prayers. Denis was in a trade school, doing well, and oh my, how tall he is now!! Jason and I were able to buy some things for the mom to take back with her to Ukraine for Denis. Isn't it amazing how God takes care of us? The family did tell me that Denis is one of the kids who CAN make it. He wants to become a banker. He has a long way to go, but I still hope and pray that he's going to be okay.
See, orphans in Ukraine, like many countries, are seen as second-rate (or third, or fourth) citizens. I used to know all of the specific statistics, but suffice it to say there is a better chance an orphan boy will end up in prison or committing suicide, and a girl in prostitution, just to survive. These are not necessarily bad kids; they are kids who do whatever is necessary just to survive. When they are 15-16 years old, they are given what amounts to some change, and basically kicked out. Some go to trade schools, and can live in a college-type dorm. A lot end up on the street. There's not much help available.... And how many 16-year-old kids do you know who can make it own their own?? An 80% chance of not making it for whatever reason, is not a good chance. This is one reason I have looked into international adoption so heavily. Is the US system perfect? Not by far. Do some kids, or even a lot of kids, manage to fall through the cracks? Definitely. But there are so many more options in America. It absolutely takes hard work and determination, and there are set-backs and bad things going on, but it is so much easier to "make it" in America. An orphan in so many other countries stand almost zero chance of becoming a productive adult. Think about your child.... Would you want to see your baby end up as an inmate or a prostitute?
We are instructed in so many places in the Bible to care for orphans. (A post in and if itself, coming soon) The biggest way to impact the life of individual orphans is to adopt. Orphan care is such a huge ministry, though, and adoption is only one way. Sponsoring a child through a non-profit, sending donations to Children's Homes, maybe even volunteering your time or talents. You've probably heard the story of the starfish... How the kid was picking them up one-by-one on the beach and throwing them back in the water, an adult comes along and makes some comment about not being able to make a difference.... And the child says "It mattered to THAT one!!!" Maybe my childhood dreams of finding a home for all the orphans in the world won't work out.... But it will make a lifetime of difference for at least a few. What difference are YOU willing to make?