We rode in on snow, which was still flurrying (is that a word?), it was still -1000° Celsius, and the wind was still cutting to the bone. Yep, it’s Christmas at Barskoe, Suzdal region of Russia.  

Christmas holidays mean fewer kids than normal at Barskoe Gorodische Orphanage. From about 100+ during the school year, the holidays will usually drop to 30-40. Many of the children have family of some type to spend the holidays with. It may be grandparents, uncle and aunts, even parents. Frequently, children are taken away from alcoholic or abusive parents. Some parents come drop them off when they can’t, or don’t want to, take care of the children. But, there are true orphans in the mix.

Last year, the director gave us a secret wish-list they had compiled from the kids. We went and bought everything the kids asked for, from greeting cards to jeans, dolls, and remote control cars. We planned to do the same this year.

Sidebar: It is an odd thing, you know? Over the years, as “new” Russians join or accompany us to orphanages, they are shocked. When Vitaly, our “main man in Russia”, married his beautiful Alyona, she went with us to the Baby House in Dubvoka. We had been there about ten minutes when Alyona started crying.

“What’s wrong, Aly?”

“I never knew our children lived like this,” she said.

Orphans, like the physically and mentally handicapped, which you will never see in public, are the “Invisible People” of Russia. They are considered by the government, and many others, as an embarrassment and a drain on society. “Why do you concern yourself with our garbage?” one woman asked.

Treasures of the Heart will not be around long enough to change Russia. One of our goals is to help equip Russians to be able to provide long term care for these kids. We have networked a few groups to that end. Hopefully, more will follow. Others are taking the initiative.

Students from a college in Suzdal, about 20 minutes down the road, saw a TV report on the orphanage. They didn’t even know such an orphanage was in their midst. Their hearts were moved to action. The director gave them the wish-list when they came to see what they could do to help. Once again, our plans changed.

We didn’t have the list, but we had gifts galore. Each boy and girl got a pair of blue jeans. Cathedral’s Singles Connection provided watches for all the boys and girls. 

Another local church provided Barbie dolls for the girls and Hot Wheels for the boys, a lot of Hot Wheels. In fact, there were enough for all the boys to have 6-8 each. We still had Hot Wheels. The girls were looking at the little cars. So… the girls all got a couple of Hot Wheels. They loved them as much as the dolls.

There were piles of craft and school supplies on the tables. Their eyes dazzled at all the colored paper, ink pens, map colors, and related items. The government never provides such things. In fact, some years they get no basic school supplies unless families pay for them.

In addition, instead of smaller individual gifts, Treasures bought 10 bicycles, from little ones with training wheels, to full size.

“Every summer, we watch other kids ride their bicycles down the road. We never had one of our own.” They are thrilled.

Oh! And sparklers! Everywhere! We bought about two jillion sparklers. We gave those kids enough pyrotechnics to level the joint. Well, not really, but they did love the sparklers.

St. Jude’s Catholic Church’s Youth Group baked sweet rolls and sold them to raise money for a Barskoe project. They took a picture we furnished and made beautiful, silk-screened T-shirts for the Barskoe kids.

Every time Treasures provides a meal for the kids, we watch with a small amount of amazement, and a lot of satisfaction, as the kids eat. The first time we brought a feast, they ate like…well…animals. They had never seen so much food in one place. Any food that hit the filthy floor was immediately grappled for. They ate like they would never have the chance again. It was heart-breaking, to say the least.

Now, we see tables lined with well-mannered ladies and gentlemen.  Diets, no, their lives, have been changed. You did it. Without your selfless giving, none of this would be possible. I keep saying Treasures did this, Treasures did that, but the truth is, it’s God’s provision through you. Thank you.

Anyway, I digress…

Barskoe’s new director, Ivan, (There is no such Russian name as Ivan. Phonetically, it is Evon, accent on the second syllable.  English transliterates it to Ivan. Just thought you wanted to know. J) met us at the market in Vladimir. We shopped for chickens, eggs, cheese, butter, oil, flour, fruit, vegetables, treats, you name it, we bought it. Once again, Christmas dinner was a real treat for them.

Children from our home church are members of the 4H club.  This year, after selling their chickens, they donated money to help feed the kids at Barskoe.  We were able to fill the freezer with chickens and eggs because of their sacrifice. 

After all the food, all the gifts, all the fun and frolic, the Christmas Story was presented in a PowerPoint program.

Our parting shot, once again, was a beautiful GIANT Christmas cake for all the kids and workers.

As we prepared to leave, we asked the kids if they had any prayer requests. They were all too bashful to ask for personal prayer, but several asked for help in their education. They were most interested in prayer for access to college and other higher education, once they left the orphanage. Interesting priorities for those kids, don’tcha think? Some of them, at least, see a positive future.

Once again, our task was finished in Barskoe Gorodische, we returned to Moscow for our train ride to St. Petersburg to visit a new orphanage.


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