simple wishes

edited to remove details

I'm sure all of you know about Rachael's" little happiness project" and her Simple Wishes store on etsy. This year, inspired by the new hot water heaters and the reaction the girls at Lapouhinka have to shower gels and lotions, we bought lots and lots of shower gel gift sets and lots of chapstick. (Chapstick is always a big hit. I was able to use the handy Russian phrase for "as many as you have" when purchasing it!)

I have delivered her gifts! The first was the "Ikea" orphanage. There were about 15 kids there--the rest were at camp. One of the girls told us that she didn't go to camp because the food is bad--the bread is so thin you can see through it. I don't know if they got to choose whether they went or not, but that was her story.

So, while the kids responded with sleepy (we woke them at 10:30) teenaged indifference, I know they were glad. The boys were excited about the dragon kits until they saw the Spiderman and Pirate of P sets. They LOVED those. I left some dragon kits for the youngest group.



Next we went to the orphanage where the little girl was that I just wanted to put in my pocket and take home. I really like this orphanage. When you walk in, you're greeted by the mural on the left. Upstairs you'll find the mural on the right. It's clean and fresh. Again, the kids were at camp. When they returned that night, instead of there being 27 kids, there would be 45! A nearby orphanage was closing and the kids were going there. The director was nervous, the kids (I'm sure) were nervous...I left a gift pack for each of them. Although I didn't get to give it to them personally, I think it will raise spirits all around for them to come to their new home (or to the home that is now filled with strangers) and find a gift waiting. The new rooms are painted, furniture is bought, and now Rachael has left each child a welcome home gift.

Here is some of the children's holiday artwork displayed. Can you find the bull? (Umm...it's not hard. And apparently it's the year of the ox--not bull. I guess oxen aren't as marketable as cows and bulls.)



We got to visit with the littles there. We walked in to find them eating an enormous lunch--big bowl of soup, kasha with cheese, sausages, bread and a fruit drink. I might have gotten them in trouble by making faces at them while they ate if the caretaker hadn't been talking to V. I just wanted them to eat so we could get to the presents and chocolates. Apparently my miming of spooning soup quickly with a whispered Russian "Eat!" was hysterical. Personally, I took it as an encouraging sign that this elicited giggles so quickly.

Only three of them were in the orphanage. The rest had been taken in by families or returned to their relatives for the holidays. These three were so precious! But, their stories are heartbreakers. One boy was brand new. He had only been in the orphanage for a few days. I wonder what his holiday was like this year. He's four--old enough to remember whatever it was. He clung so tightly to my hand as we went to choose a toy. But, he didn't take anything.

The little girl had been taken into a family (for fostering or adoption...) after a thirty-minute meeting. She went "home" with them on 30 December. On 4 January she was returned. She's a cutie--blonde pigtails--and very clever. She recited such a long poem for her gift! She got stuck part way through, gave an "oi", thought about it for a few minutes, sighed and said, "vsyo"--that's all.

Our last little friend looked like a little boy I taught from Georgia--all sparkly brown eyes and good humor. He is a charmer! He and I played with his truck. The only "guy" I could find who would fit in the driver's seat (we were disappointed the door didn't open) was a Viking warrior. Who knew Vikings were such good drivers? He was so tickled when the truck would jack-knife. Yes, I think I need more pockets for these three. (My little friend, K, we were told, had been taken into a family. I'm hoping it's the right K...and that she's safe and cherished.)

After leaving that orphanage we went to a children's home in an OLD building (Twenty years ago they decided that a new building was needed. It's still not completed. Every year they just paint over the cracks and crumbles and hope it holds together a little longer...). The kids there are teenagers. V remembers bringing backpacks to some of them for their very first day of school! They've been in this building their whole lives. They were all pleased with their new shower gels. There was such a difference between these children and the first ones we saw first. Yes, it was later in the day. Yes, you could easily see that some of them were...engaging in inappropriate behaviours. But, somehow, this last orphanage had more hope.

Oh--recently a child was adopted from this orphanage! It's nearly unheard of there. The girl herself didn't even know that in the US a family in Texas was patiently working on her adoption, I think for several years. And now, "little fish" is home with them.

So there you have it! Simple wishes granted once again. Well done, Rach! Besides creating happy children, the fact that their gifts were shower gels and shampoos means that those things (well soap and shampoo--she doesn't usually buy shower gel but the tweens and teens feel much more grown-up when they have it) won't have to be bought out of V's budget this month. That frees up money for medicine and other needs. The goodness multiplies!