Meeting The Kids

This post is written by Rebecca Dinkins


Language Barriers
There was nothing that could have prepared me for my time at the orphanage. For the way my heart soared when as we were stepping off the bus the kids from last year called our people by name and asked for those who were missing. For them language wasn’t an issue. Let me explain that one a bit.
When we got there we started playing with the kids – soccer, basketball, you name it they play it.



Well, there weren’t near enough translators but that didn’t stop the kids. They would point, and show, and demonstrate over and over until you knew what they were trying to say and do. Also, love has no language barrier. Some of the kids were very open and loving from the word go and would love on us, and hug us, and sit as close as possible to us. So while language was an issue for sure – it wasn’t anything that a bear hug and a game of basketball couldn’t fix.



Oksana


When I was told that I would be working with the older kids – I’m not going to lie – I was a little disappointed. Didn’t God know that I wanted to be with the younger kids? But surprise surprise God knew what He was doing. The older group was made up mainly of boys and 3 – 4 girls. However, there was one girl that was there every day – her name is Oksana. The first day it was a little awkward because while we did have a translator he was needed more in talking to and with the boys. I remember one day when the boys went out to play Oksana and I stayed inside to make paper bracelets. It was a very intricate and complicated craft and with no translator, just me and her. I showed her how to fold the paper so we sat there for about 15 minutes in silence as we both got busy folding. Then we began the hard part of putting all the pieces together. I would show her, she would try, I would show again, she would try. It went back and forth for a while until she finally got it. All the while I kept thinking – she’s gonna get bored and leave. I just kept waiting for it. But you know what – she never did. In fact one of the boys had to come in tell me that it was time to eat.

The next day I asked one of the interpreters to please come with me so that I could speak to her and she did. Vusala was amazing and as we sat at the table she helped guide the conversation. The craft for the day was painting a figurine, and as I was painting I looked over to Oksana and God clearly said – paint it to look like her!! And that’s what I did – down to the iconic white clips she always had in her hair. After she saw that all walls crumbled and she became like a little child wanting to show me every picture that she had, every album and magazine she had collected.


So What Now?
From that point on she would come sit by me or I would sit by her. No real need for a translator anymore. I knew from that point on that I wouldn’t be the same. My heart would forever be in Russia. I learned that she was leaving in August to go to trade school – that most of the kids I worked with that week were leaving and ALL were terrified. It’s like the say in the movie Shawshank Redemption – they’ve been institutionalized, and that’s when I knew that coming back to serve as a transition home for these kids is what I was going to do. To be there for them and teach them how to live on their own, how to not only survive out in the big world but to thrive. I don’t know when I’m going back but I know that I won’t be whole until I’m there.




What About You?
As I write this I think about how hard this trip was, and how much of myself I left. I think about the kids and how they arrived at the orphanage, some stories so horrible you couldn’t even fathom, and yet I can’t imagine not going back next year.
I can’t imagine not going back and hugging every one of them, laughing with them, playing Jenga over and over and over again and then having to do “wishes” when I lost , playing football, soccer, singing and sometimes just sitting in silence with them. So my question to you is – will you go. Will you risk leaving part of your heart with kids who would cherish it more than you could ever imagine capable. Will you take your hard earned vacation to travel across the world, eat some sometimes crazy food, sleep in broad daylight, and climb countless stairs? For me it’s a no brainer – my choice was made the minute I stepped off the bus and met the kids. I’m going next year – will you?