KATYA UPDATE

KATYA HAS HER PASSPORT. She is with one of our partners in Ukraine, staying in an apartment with another young woman. We have her there until the US Embassy can meet with her. They will let us know about bringing her back to the US. The US Embassy has offered to buy her ticket home - we would just have to pay them back for this. This is what she wants. Keep in mind - she is 18 - likely functioning at an emotional age of 12 - the age when she was adopted. She is likely not able to figure all this out by herself - she is still a child.

Our next step is to continue to hear from you all - about her situation. How might you help? We have been receiving some suggestions of where she might live once she returns to the US. Let's keep in mind she will undoubtably need counseling and help working through the education system. It is not going to be an easy road with her once she is back and with a family. We can all work together to do the best we can - ultimately Katya will need to take some responsibility - as she settles and stabilizes. But first - we need commitment from a family, a place for her to return to - one that is realistic in their expectations. This might be a very difficult placement for a time as all the issues are worked out.

She is in good hands right now in Ukraine. She no longer is under the "rule" of the orphanage. Our staff will work with her to extend her stay in Ukraine until we work out the US return with the US Embassy. The Embassy will do the investigation on the situation - that is their job, not ours. We are focused on Katya and her needs at this time.

Thanks to our partners in Ukraine, our team members John and Julie - together we will not be stopped.

A SITUATION - CAN YOU HELP

HER NAME IS KATYA.
We have been working on a difficult sitution here in Ukraine. There is a young American girl who is presently at an orphanage not by her choice. She was adopted from Ukraine when she was in grade 6. She turned 18 in August of this year and in October 2010 her adoptive parents put her on a plane and sent her back to Ukraine. We have heard her story and it is sad.
She is receiving help from a church in Krivoy Rog as well as other individuals in Ukraine. She now has no place to return to in the US and had no idea of what she will do. The US Embassy has been contacted and they are aware of the situation and are planning to do a thorough investigation of the situation.



Our staff are doing what they can do as well. We have found a place for her to stay here in Ukraine until she can return to the US, but she is running out of time to leave the country. Foreigners can only stay three months and then need to leave and then they can re-enter. Although she was born in Ukraine, she is now considered a foreigner. Her citizenship is US and she wants to return, but has no one to help her in the US.

This is where we place the call to our friends, family and bloggers. Is there anyone out there willing to take a risk and help? Her story is one of constant conflict, verbal abuse and lack of emotional support. She claims she was a Magna student (can easily be confirmed). She was to graduate this year, but was sent back before this could take place. She will likely lose most of her school year. She claims she was sent back with only hours notice - afraid of what the alternatives were for her.



All persons working with her in Ukraine claim she is a nice girl - very upset at this, does not know the national language of Ukrainian and speaks "weak" Russian. In fact her Russian is at a grade 6 level. She wants to return home to the US. She sees no hope with her adoptive family.



Please consider this, pray for this siutation and let us know if you have any ideas. You can contact us at our email address - we believe this young woman deserves to have this help. One cannot make decisions alone when you are 18 - in a foreign country - facing the unknowns - and just plain scared.

CHECK OUT UPDATED MATCHED FUNDS

Wow....we are almost there - join the fun!

UPDATE ON NATIONAL ADOPTION IN KYRGYZSTAN

FAMILIES CHANGED - TRAINING IS THE CATALYST

As we have reported before, we trained four different persons to do a standardized, best-practice training program for prospective adoptive parents. This is something that has never been done in Kyrgyzstan before.

The program we use was developed by the Institute for Human Services - our partner in Ohio. This training program prepares the adoptive parents for adoption and promotes a better understanding of the issues children have who are coming from orphanages, child abuse and disruption in their birth families.

The four trainers we developed in Kyrgyzstan are professionals who have a great desire to change the present process for national adoption. The director of a baby home, her Social Worker, the local state Social Worker and our team member are all trainers for this program.

This is a great update from our "on the ground" person in Kyrgyzstan.

I want to update you. The adoption training ended very well. The parents were very appreciative and grateful to all the trainers. A couple of them said that the training changed their thinking about a secret of adoption. They said they would tell their babies the truth as soon as they begin to understand. They said a lot of warm and good words about the training. Also they said that from the training they got answers to their questions that they had and didn’t know whom to ask to and that now they are completely ready to adopt a baby and don’t have any doubts. We gave them certificates and Janell said that with them the parents wouldn’t have any problems at court, a judge will give them permission with no questions. I took some pictures but when I got home I found out that the pictures didn’t come out, I think the batteries were weak. But Dr. Tatyana promised to take a few pictures for you when the parents get their babies.

THIS ONCE AGAIN - HELPS US BELIEVE - KYRGYZSTAN WITHOUT ORPHANS - PLEASE BELIEVE WITH US!

UKRAINE - GETTING READY FOR A CHANGE

Anya and Oleg presenting to potential partners of ILDC.

ADOPT UKRAINE IS ALIVE AND WELL!
We are excited about the work of Adopt Ukraine. This project/activity of LAMb has been very inspirational and successful. Vika Melinchenko is our person on the ground in Ukraine that keeps this moving. Right now she is working with 10 families -helping them understand the special needs of the orphans and helping them make an informed decision about adoption. We will be gathering her pictures and stories this week as we work together to make our next plans for promoting adoption through presentations in the churches.

Lots happening in Ukraine this week and the weeks to come for the rest of the year!

1. Leadership Training - for the NGO Every Child.
2. Strategic Planning with the NGO - Alliance for Ukraine Without Orphans
3. Working with ILDC staff in preparing for training, consultation, etc.
4. Preparing for the upcoming training with the NGO - AGAPE in Kherson, Ukraine
5. Presentation of numerous trainings around the country - now BEING DONE BY TRAINERS WHOM WE HAVE TRAINED - NATIONALS DOING THE WORK!

Finally, we return the end of the week from Ukraine and then are heading to Brazil to be with family over Christmas. We pray blessings for each of you during this wonderful season celebrating the birth of Jesus.

Stay tuned for another update from KG and the following of the matched funding! Watch our growth on the left side of the blog! We are moving toward a successful completion of the match - there is still a need for more to join in - might you want to take the challenge? Here is how:

FIRST - meet the pie challenge of our team members John and Julie Wright - go the their blog and donate or join the challenge: www.actofkindness.blogspot.com

SECOND - hit the Canada Helps button on the left side of this blog and donate here.

ALL GO TOWARDS THE MATCHED FUNDS - REMEMBER THIS FUNDER IS ANONYMOUS AND HAS OFFERED $25,000 in matched funds. So, we raise $25,000 and the funder puts in another $25,000.

Thanks for your support!!!!

FAMILIES NOT ORPHANAGES

This video has been on my heart for some time. Tonight - it needed said. We are returning to Ukraine on Saturday to do training and to work with our team there.

We pray you will join our challenge and reach out to the laborers in the field. This team in Ukraine needs your help, the Kyrgyzstan team needs your help. We have been greatly blessed with the support of many - generous support that is moving us quickly to our match. This is an awesome miracle and we thank you so much for caring and sharing.

Lets BELIEVE - FAMILIES NOT ORPHANAGES

ADOPT UKRAINE

We started Adopt Ukraine several years ago as a direct request from Pastor Gregory from the Church of Praise in Krivoy Rog, Ukraine. We had been sharing in his church about the orphan situation in Ukraine. There were over 1000 people in church that day that heard the message of the orphan. After we left, Pastor Gregory was inundated with people wanting to know more about Adoption. He felt lost as to what to tell them. It was then he made a decision - talk to us about what we had started and ask us to do something about it!

So at a dinner one evening he brought forth the question, "Lynn and Ruby, you have caused me some problems. You have talked to my church about adoption and we do not know what to tell them. You need to fix this problem and give me someone to talk to them."

That leD us to Vika Melinchenko. We hired her full time and she became our project manager for what was to become Adopt Ukraine. She has been an incredible asset ever since. She works with people in Ukraine who are considering adoption and don't know how to negotiate through the maze. She haS had tremendous success in keeping children with their birth families where safety could be assured, many adoptions have gone forth with her efforts and she has been in court on countless cases to protect the rights of children to have families. She has fought hard for many different parents who have been challenged by the system and were close to losing their children.

Adopt Ukraine is a success. Vika is the manager of this. Pastor Gregory was the catalyst to this. And we? We are just the incredibly honored people whom God has called to encourage this and to keep you informed of the good work being done in Ukraine for children.

And if you want to help this project? Every donation received from November 1 through December 31 will be matched. Giving $100, becomes $200. Our match is for $25,000. That means if we raise $25,000. There is another $25,000 that will be added to the general fund of LAMb International.

What is the goal? UKRAINE WITHOUT ORPHANS! BELIEVE WITH US. 2015 IS GOING TO LOOK MUCH DIFFERENT IN UKRAINE THAN WHAT WE SEE TODAY.

FAMILIES - NOT ORPHANAGES!


check out the blog for Adopt Ukraine: www.adoptukraine.blogspot.com