MEDINA STORY - ONE YOU WON'T WANT TO MISS

PLEASE SEE JAYNE'S BLOG: http://www.dandjschooler.blogspot.com/

LAMb INTERNATIONAL THANKS YOU - FROM MEDINA AND HER FAMILY...

The story of Medina is awesome. A family that has shown how hope and dignity restored makes a difference in their lives. After the make over in their tiny apartment - done by a team from Barrie, Ontario, this family continues to stretch for change. We have dropped in on them unexpectedly many times - and find the children well cared for, the home neat and tidy and of course continued needs everywhere. They do not have running water in their home, no bathroom, no real refrigerator, no cooking stove and a very small space for them. Yet, they OWN their apartment. We have given them beds, bedding and kitchen supplies like dishes and pans. We painted walls, doors, windows and put down new carpets, new curtains and made changes in the poor broken floors and walls to bring a fresh look to their surroundings.

Yet - little Median needed more - she needed a surgery to change her appearance - to keep others from laughing at her - to keep her in school and from being sent to a home for disabled children! Now - as Jayne's blog reports - it is done. Our staff - Natasha has done a great job coordinating this in our absence. We are blessed and honored to have donors who step to the plate when needed - just as this need was met. We thank you!

Our team in Kyrgystan is awesome - John and Julie Wright with their girls, Pastor David and Jayne Schooler. We work together to serve - "just showing up and stopping for the one in front of us."

YOU CAN JOIN A SHORT TERM MISSION TEAM THIS SPRING - WANT TO HELP US BUILD A PLAYGROUND? DAYSPRING NEEDS A DONOR FOR THE PLAYGROUND AND FOR WORKERS TO PUT IT TOGETHER!

$33,662.93 and RISING!

$33,662.93

AND GROWING

LOOK AT THIS - MATCH MET AND THE FUNDS CONTINUE TO RISE. PRAISE GOD FOR HIS GRACE AND MERCY.

KATYA INFORMATION

Dear Friends,

 

I am taking this format to answer all of you who have sent information to me or to John about Katya.  Let me tell you what I know.  There are several people working with her in Krivoy Rog. She claims her adoptive parents sent her back to Ukraine - but gave her two options before sending her back - go to a "boot camp" or go back.  She choose to go back as she did not know what a "boot camp" was.  She identifed lots of conflict between herself and her parents. 

 

The US Embassy contacted the orphanage.The director said she planned this herself and is very manipulative.  No matter if she is or isn't manipulative, she is 18, has not finished high school and was sent/allowed to leave the country of her citizenship with a few hundred dollars in an envelope.  She is wanting to return to the US. 

 

I have talked to her mother and the situation has been difficult there in the home for 6 years.  Her mother claims she has an attachment disorder and a personality disorder.  She was a good student for the most part - although she did not apply herself.  She had only a few friends and seemed to be able to make friends but not keep them for long.  Her mother admits she does not want her back into the family.  She also admits she put her on the plane after a "blow up" in the family.

 

The people working with her in Ukraine say she is a nice girl and really is distressed over what to do with her life.  She knows she cannot do well staying in Ukraine since she does not have the language, connections or even the desire to be there.  For someone to care for her - they would need to understand this might be a very difficult situation.  If indeed she has an attachment disorder - she might be very distant in the relationships in the family and this can be extremely stressful for someone wanting to serve and give of themselves.  This is a situation where LOVE DOES NOT take care of all the issues.  I want to be as accurate and upfront as possible when sharing what I know and what is being shared with me.  

 

I have talked to Katya and can hear her confusion, and her desire to be settled.  And talking to her mother for a very long time does give another side of the story that clearly identifies Katya as having been difficult to live with.  Please do not be discouraged - she needs someone who is realistic and will work with her for a time to get her settled and through her high school education.  I don't want to paint a rosy picture where there will most likely be some very stressful days should one of you decide you want to move forward and help her. 

 

And it appears that EVERYONE is telling the truth - both sides of the ocean. 

 

Thank you - please let me know your thougts.

 

Ruby

 

--

All great things are simple, and many can be expressed in single words;  freedom, justice, honor, duty, mercy, hope.                               Sir Winston Churchill

 

<^)\\\\><
Ruby M. Johnston
Director of International Field Operations
Institute for Human Services - Canada
and
<^)\\\\><
J. R. Lynn Johnston
President
LAMb International Canada
BN817007042RR0001
Lynn and Ruby Johnston
406-33 Ellen Street

Barrie, ON  L4N 6E9

705 252 7312 or 705-727-8203

Primary Email Address:  lambinternational@gmail.com
www.lambinternational.blogspot.com
www.lambinternational.org

WAHOOOO - CHECK THE MATCH

WE ARE MOVING TO A 100% COMPLETION OF THE MATCHED FUNDS

YOU STILL HAVE TIME TO GET IN ON THE FUN! WHO WILL TAKE US OVER THE $25,000?? Remember - you can dontate for our PIE IN THE FACE CHRISTMAS PROJECT FOR THE ORPHANS OF KYRGYZSTAN AND THIS COUNTS TOO!
see: actofkindness.blogspot.com
or just hit the button and tell us it is for the PIE IN THE FACE PROJECT WITH JOHN AND JULIE WRIGHT....

THANKS SO MUCH...

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.

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