All the kids

Well most of you know that I've been working with one class at the orphanage for about 2.5 years. The rumor going around is that the government is shutting it down in May. This got me to thinking...

Usually it's not permitted to blatantly discuss religion, but since everyone will be leaving soon, I decided to brave the Director's office with a plan. So, yesterday, my two Ukrainian friends from church and I marched into the Director's office. Even though I had briefed them on the bus, they weren't exactly sure why we were there so they just stared at me. I had been practicing in my head how I was going to word everything in Russian so that it would be respectful and clear.

So, he's sitting at his huge desk in his huge office and asks us to sit down. Everyone looks at me, so I introduce my two friends and ask him if he remembers me. He said, of course, because I had been coming longer than he'd been the Director. I decided to cut to the chase and pulled out two dvds. I explained how the dvds had 6 programs at 30 minutes each, designed for youth. They included topics such as narcotics, sex, alcohol, self-esteem, etc. I asked him if we could plan out a six week showing of these programs with our projector to grades 5-9th. I told him that I felt like it was important that the children think about these moral questions before they are on their own. He agreed. Then something gripped me and I blurted out, "I want to be honest with you sir, these programs talk about the love of God through Jesus Christ." He said that he understood there was a deeper message behind just morals. He thought a minute and then said that instead of making a big deal and so as to not draw attention to ourselves, to just go room to room and show the kids the program in their small groups.

So, I asked if that meant I needed to ask each Caretaker permission to show these 6 programs.
Then he said, there is no need for their permission, I'm the Director and I say it's mandatory!

woh.

So, the next two weeks, me and the girls will be showing each program 8 times. Which means will be going to the orphanage 3 days next week and three days the following week to reach all the classes. All together, we will host 48 meetings in two weeks. Whew.

I'm really excited about this because it's been on my heart a long time. 'It' being --- all the other kids! Every week for the past 2 years I've ached every time I see one of the kids from another class stare at me as I hold in my hand a lesson, craft or bag of cookies just for our class. I see the pain in their eyes.

These meetings will allow me the chance to tell each of them how much I wanted to spend time with all of them. If I could have, I would have. I want them all to know how special they are, that God created them and loves them dearly. That He has a plan for them! I want to warn them about the dangers lurking around them in this world.
But, most importantly, I want to give them an option. A chance to make a decision.

I want to encourage them to try out Jesus as their friend and comforter and even their Savior.

Next, I'm going for the workers.

'So that all may hear.'