"Building Relationships For Life"

Report by Oleh Kubik About Vinogradiv, Ukraine LifeNets Mission

August 9, 2011

It really was an opportunity of a lifetime. It was one of those life-changing experiences for all involved. We had a remarkable group of young people that wholeheartedly threw themselves into the project. They did more than was expected of them in everyway. They not only worked in the mornings but spent the afternoons building relationships with the kids by participating in the tours throughout the city. Every night we were going to bed at midnight and waking up at 6.00 AM. I f anyone thinks that this is an easy assignment, they are wrong. One needs to be healthy because it will wear you down. Even though we had fun during the day, it was still work teaching the kids and setting a right example and teaching then during the day. The kids really looked up to Hrichko, Stephka, Heather and Natasha. In fact as the weeks wore on, I could see a strong bond being established. I knew it was going to be hard to say good-by to the orphans and the orphans to say good bye to us.   It  was very very  hard.

I got along well with "Light of Love" director Vasyl Polichko. His Ukrainian is hard to understand because it is so loaded with foreign words which is typical for Zakarpatia. But that was really not a problem. He really is a remarkable man. His wife Irina is an amazingly gracious  hostess who loves Jesus Christ and does not hide it at all. She has a big heart for the kids of the orphanage and camp.  Both are getting older but have remarkable stamina in running the orphanage. He is slowly losing his eyesight and Irina, Vasyl (the younger) and his wife Mariyka do much of the legwork. There is a high reward for what those people do.

They fed us well. They take great pride in their Zakarpatska meals. There is a nice, clean taste to their foods. They avoid sprays and herbicides of  any type. Hungary just confiscated thousands of hectares of  GMO fields from Monsanto and burned them down. I say good for them.

Before I go any further, I want to explain a little of what is happening with Ukrainian orphans. Olha Kubik, my cousin's wife, and I had a very interesting conversation as she works with this situation on her job. The government helps out as much as it can with this growing problem of parents deserting or just dumping their kids due to financial or personal problems. The government does pay foster parents to help raise these children. That is where that problem arises. And this is problem in all countries.  Many people looking for income, take these kids in and do not teach train or love them. When these “graduate” from foster care, the statistics are horrific. They are suddenly without parents, or any kind of  financial or emotional support.  By the time they are in their mid 20s, 50% are unemployed or unemployable. A huge percentage are into drugs, crime or incarceration. There is a 10 percent chance of suicide.

These statistics apply to orphanages where strong values of faith are not taught.  

This is where the Polichko orphanage is different. They not only teach strong values and faith. They actually legally adopt these kids so that they have a sense of family that does not disappear once they enter into adulthood. One may not agree with all points of doctrine or belief but these kids grow up with a strong moral fiber and clear example of right and wrong. With Irina, there is strong sense of mercy and tenderness. With Vasyl and Mariyka there, they contribute a real sense of family where these boys really thrive.

The government is well aware of this orphanage and how it functions. They basically leave the orphanage alone because they they trust the way the Vasyl administers the operation. There is a lot of respect for him in the town of Vinogradiv. The orphanage even employs a full time cook during the camp session to prepare the meals. Camps are highly regulated in Ukraine.  In one camp some distance away, 26 children came down with food poisoning while we were there.  The camp kitchen where we stayed was immaculate with cleanliness

I enjoyed working with Vasyl Polichko. Both he and Irina heard a call  to serve the  youth of Vinogradiv. There are people that dream of doing work like this but are never able to make it happen. I would describe him as a  visionary that is able to make it work. They say people like him have their head in the clouds but their feet are on the ground.  He had a vision to built this orphanage with the persistence and perseverance to make it happen. Both he and Irina are able to make it work on limited resources. It was fun to watch him buy tomatoes along the roadway and bicker for the lowest price. He is a good steward of the resources he has been given.

I feel that I have met the Ukrainian George Mueller. With limited resources they have built a remarkable orphanage. It is a remarkable series of stories that explain how with faith they were able to purchase and construct the buildings. They even had the assistance from other Christian groups that were not apart of his congregation.  Somehow they have cobbled together the housing, buildings, transportation  and the means to maintain and feed 8 boys on a permanent basis. They also provide sanctuary and meals for about 20 children from the neighborhood throughout the year. In case of a family crises, a teen  can come for a meal and a place to stay on a short term basis. Then in the summer they provide a summer camp type of operation and open it up to all youths from the town.   

Vasyl likes to expand the horizons of the boys of the orphanage. That is why we were teaching Christian living classes and  classes in English. It takes a certain foresight to deal with matters while they are still small. The shaping and molding of children's character is much easier in the early years than in adulthood.

We taught through posters. We had about 30 of them. The topics were multiple. We had posters on character, science, math, physics, Bible stories, nutrition and hygiene. We had a lot of  great discussions and tried at all time to translate into English.

One of the most rewarding aspects of this program was the singing of the kids. Their voices blend in a  beautiful way. When they sing a hymn, it can bring tears to your eyes.

We brought our iPods and  taught them several songs in English. On our last evening, the kids sang to the guests that arrived for the going away meal. The mayor of Vinogradiv gave each of the students plaques of gratitude for what we had  contributed  to the orphanage and to the town.  Ukrainians appreciate any help that is offered.

When it was time to leave, it was really hard. The orphans have suffered from a lot of broken relationships and it was time for them to say good bye again. It was painful to say goodbye. We really did build relationships for life.