This past weekend Casey's parents hosted a yard sale to raise additional funds to support us while Dimitry is here. It was a huge success and we raised exactly the amount that God intended for us to have! Beyond the money, many people were able to pitch in and get involved which makes this much more than just our missions opportunity! King's mom picked up donations from her friends and drove them up to Richmond and many of Casey's parent's friends donated items as well. Casey's mom, dad, and brother really went all out in giving their time and resources to pick up items and advertise the sale for weeks-even months!-prior to the big event. We are SO thankful for everyone who got involved and hope that you each feel like you are a part of what's going on here! Thank you!
We also wanted to clarify something. In our last post we mentioned that we had reached our initial fundraising goal, so some of you may be wondering why we are continuing to fundraise. While we have an idea of what it will cost to host Dimitry and that is where we set our goal, there are many uncertainties. We aren't sure what his eye, dental, or other medical needs are and what it will cost to provide for those needs while he is here. For this reason we are continuing to raise funds and seek donations. So, what happens if we have money left over? We can use these funds in three different ways: 1) save it for another future hosting, 2) put it towards a potential adoption in the future, or 3) use it for a scholarship for a child to be hosted by another family through New Horizons. Rest assured--all funds raised will go toward orphan care!
While we were at the hosting training a couple of weeks ago we learned about the typical day in the life of an orphan from Ukraine, Russia, or Latvia (Dimitry is from Latvia). This helps us to better understand the differences between where Dimitry is coming from and what he will be experiencing here with us. It was also enlightening as it helped to explain some behaviors we may see from him that are not typical for his age, based on American societal standards. So, for the remainder of this post we will share with you what a day for Dimitry is probably like...
Dimitry probably wakes up in a room with about ten other children that smells of bodily waste. The doors to their rooms are locked at night, and they are unable to leave for any reason. As a result, most children relieve themselves in their beds since they cannot go to the bathroom. Once the doors are unlocked, Dimitry and his roommates will join the other 240 orphans for breakfast. Here he will likely have something very bland to eat or possibly just bread and water.
After breakfast the children go to school. The teacher for their class will likely not be very effective since teaching in an orphanage is not a desirable position for a teacher in this country. Even the smartest children are likely two or three grade-levels behind in at least one, if not all, subjects. Dimitry and the other orphans will have a break in the middle of the day for lunch, where they will have bland food again. School will end at about 2:30 and the children may be given a snack. This is followed by a two hour "nap time," when Dimitry will be sent back to his room and locked in again with his roommates for 2 hours. During this time it is unlikely that the children sleep, but they aren't permitted any toys, supplies, or school work.
After nap time, he may have about an hour and a half of free time, which is the only time of the day Dimitry will get to spend outside. However, "outside" is limited to the outdoor areas of the orphanage, so it is not very extensive. Not only are the grounds limited, but so are the outdoor toys and games as well. After free time, Dimitry and the other orphans will come back inside for dinner, followed by homework until bedtime at 8 PM.
As you can see, his day is very structured, and he has little freedom to make decisions for himself. In fact, his clothes will likely be chosen for him every day and will be based on what is available by the time it is his turn. All items in the orphanages become community property-including clothing and shoes. The only time that Dimitry will get to pick his own clothes is if he has laundry duty. On those occasions, he will have "first dibs" on the clean clothes.
So that's what a day in his life may look like. We want to emphasize that while this is the run down that was shared with us at our training for orphans from these countries (Russia, Ukraine, and Latvia), it may not be exactly what his life is like. However, we were assured that it would not vary much from the details we shared above.
As you can see, Dimitry's life is very structured. We're in the process of figuring out a general daily schedule so he's not in completely overwhelmed by all of the down time, but he will definitely get to experience more freedom than he has become accustomed to.
Please continue to pray for us as the day he arrives is quickly approaching (2.5 weeks!!!!!) Thank you so much for all of your prayers and support. We are truly grateful!
*Update-we have had a suitcase, hat, gloves, two summer shirts, a pair of shorts, a pair of swimming trunks, and underwear either donated or spoken for by friends who have committed to provide these items upon his arrival. Please see our last post if you would like to contribute toward his needs. THANKS!
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