Our Stories
�Look at me! Don't cry!�
By Linda McAllister | posted 03/08/2007
“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” (James 1:27)
The words of an imposing Russian woman were abrupt, yet compassionate. They were directed towards Vera, a brown-eyed, 8-year-old girl with waist length hair that matched the color of her eyes. She was standing perfectly still in front of Natalya, the school principal. Natalya continued her pointed interview. "Vera, tell me the truth. What happened to you?" Vera had come to school that morning with an abrasion on her forehead.
Vera swallowed back her tears. Her story spilled out, courageously, in a matter of fact way. Her father had beaten her; he had been drunk. I strained to understand the Russian words, to hear the full story. “Did you eat this weekend, Vera?” “Yes, soup.” The soup Vera referred to was extra porridge Vera got at the public canteen on Fridays. Her mother added water to it on the weekends to make it last.
Our first instinct was to take her home with us and make every thing right for her. Of course, that was not possible. Vera's parents were both alcoholics. She along with her three siblings lived with her parents and grandmother in a one room apartment. None of the children received care from the parents but their parents would not give them up. Why? The parents received $75 a month of assistance to keep the children at home: more money for alcohol.
It was 1995, and we were in Magadan, Russia. Snow was swirling outside that principal's office in a whirling dervish, piling up more snow on the streets in one winter than I had seen in lifetime. Mike and I had been living in that small city, surrounded by cold sea and mountains, for the better part of a year. It was a world away from Seattle...
I had never pictured myself living in Russia. But God had led us, in a way we could not ignore, to live and work there for a year. We were glad to return to the comforts of home, but we left a part of ourselves back in Russia. Our experiences there would draw us back again years later.
I’m writing about Vera because her story initiated the beginning of a journey in our lives. It was a spark that ignited a passion in our hearts for Russian orphans.
There are many just like Vera that need our help. We're privileged to be planning now the 4th consecutive Christian orphan camp in Russia this summer. We need people to join us this summer on mission trips!! We have the opportunity to have not one, but two orphan camps, the second being in the Ukraine. You don't need special talents, or even experience with kids...just a heart willing to reach out to these precious ones in Jesus' name. It is an amazing, life-changing experience for an orphan to know that someone cares enough to travel across the world to show them God’s love.
The journey is just beginning...do you want to be a part of it?
Linda
To respond to this message, email Linda at mlmcalli@verizon.net.
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“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” (James 1:27)
The words of an imposing Russian woman were abrupt, yet compassionate. They were directed towards Vera, a brown-eyed, 8-year-old girl with waist length hair that matched the color of her eyes. She was standing perfectly still in front of Natalya, the school principal. Natalya continued her pointed interview. "Vera, tell me the truth. What happened to you?" Vera had come to school that morning with an abrasion on her forehead. Vera swallowed back her tears. Her story spilled out, courageously, in a matter of fact way. Her father had beaten her; he had been drunk. I strained to understand the Russian words, to hear the full story. “Did you eat this weekend, Vera?” “Yes, soup.” The soup Vera referred to was extra porridge Vera got at the public canteen on Fridays. Her mother added water to it on the weekends to make it last. Our first instinct was to take her home with us and make every thing right for her. Of course, that was not possible. Vera's parents were both alcoholics. She along with her three siblings lived with her parents and grandmother in a one room apartment. None of the children received care from the parents but their parents would not give them up. Why? The parents received $75 a month of assistance to keep the children at home: more money for alcohol. It was 1995, and we were in Magadan, Russia. Snow was swirling outside that principal's office in a whirling dervish, piling up more snow on the streets in one winter than I had seen in lifetime. Mike and I had been living in that small city, surrounded by cold sea and mountains, for the better part of a year. It was a world away from Seattle... I had never pictured myself living in Russia. But God had led us, in a way we could not ignore, to live and work there for a year. We were glad to return to the comforts of home, but we left a part of ourselves back in Russia. Our experiences there would draw us back again years later. I’m writing about Vera because her story initiated the beginning of a journey in our lives. It was a spark that ignited a passion in our hearts for Russian orphans. There are many just like Vera that need our help. We're privileged to be planning now the 4th consecutive Christian orphan camp in Russia this summer. We need people to join us this summer on mission trips!! We have the opportunity to have not one, but two orphan camps, the second being in the Ukraine. You don't need special talents, or even experience with kids...just a heart willing to reach out to these precious ones in Jesus' name. It is an amazing, life-changing experience for an orphan to know that someone cares enough to travel across the world to show them God’s love. The journey is just beginning...do you want to be a part of it?
Linda To respond to this message, email Linda at mlmcalli@verizon.net. |
