We are starting to work on the summer 2010 Hosting program. So, next week we will go to administrations of orphanages. Please, pray about that!

For us is very important to recieve permissions from these leaders. It’s necessary for children (from new orphanages) in order to be part of summer program.

Thanks for your support!

]]> http://mir-russia.com/en/summer-program/feed/ 0 http://mir-russia.com/en/meet-tany/ http://mir-russia.com/en/meet-tany/#comments Wed, 24 Feb 2010 15:45:53 +0000 Masha http://mir-russia.com/en/?p=391 Please meet Tanya Zaikina, the NEW coordinator for the hosting program. Here are a few words she wanted to share with you.

Hello, my name is Tanya. I’m really exited to be on staff with MIR and be involved with hosting orphans from Russia. I like drawing and traveling. I like animals, especially dogs, cats and horses. Also I like to walk and listening to good music. One of my desires is to know English like I know Russian.

]]> http://mir-russia.com/en/meet-tany/feed/ 0 http://mir-russia.com/en/new-year-collage/ http://mir-russia.com/en/new-year-collage/#comments Fri, 01 Jan 2010 16:15:23 +0000 Masha http://mir-russia.com/en/?p=450 New Year began in hosting families in the States for 9 orphans who traveled this winter.
This photo collage shows several highlights of the trip for them.

As many of you know MIR partners on a hosting program with New Horizons for Children over 5 years now. This program had its ups and downs, has been through so many changes in terms of management, reporting to Russian government and orphanages participating. When we learnt this fall most orphanages have a concern about H1N1 and would wait till summer to participate, I was wondering if it was worth even tryin to get any of the children to come. I asked Mike to help me discern this and he had a feeling some children would still be able to come. Two months later when Katya and I were siting in US consulate and I was having a moment of discouragement, she said: remember, some children should come so this is what we are here for.

So, December, 13 was the day 8 children arrived to US and were picked up at the airport by their host families. When I called the children through the next couple of days to check in with them, all of them told me it was absolutely awesome. Welcome party at amusement center, and the Nutcracer show at Fox Theater  were the highlights of this week for those  staying in families in Atlanta area. I am very blessed to be able to come with the group and experience for myself what a gift of family is. I can testify God has given me a family in USA  and fills in the emptiness that I have since the time my mother is gone. I’m glad more then anything else Christmas becomes  a relationship experience for me and the children.

Last week, the kids from orphanage #32 had their shopping trip. As you may have read in our last report, MIR, with the help of private donations, is able to provide an opportunity for the counselors of the “Fairy” group to buy things which the kids choose themselves.

Our friendship with this particular group has been going on for 4 years now. When I first got acquainted with the “fairies,” we had English lessons and cooking class and celebrated the birthday of each child.

Now the girls are growing up and their needs are changing; it’s really important for them as teenagers to be able to wear clothing which they choose themselves, and which feels right.

The “fairy” group has always consisted of girls, but 3 boys recently joined the group. Hmmm…what will the group will be called now?

As for shopping, the girls got their new clothes before September 1^st, and last week it was the boys’ turn. They chose sweaters, turtlenecks, slacks, sweatshirts, and mittens.

The counselor only took two of the boys to try on clothes, as the third boy is still little and would have had a hard time walking around the market for hours.

Here is what the counselor says about the two older boys: “Maksim is the favorite boy in the group. A very sweet, shy boy, he studies well. Gena is a trustworthy, affectionate child. Both of the boys are 9 years old.”

Friendship with the kids from #32 is really important to us, but our level of involvement depends on what resources we have available. We invite all those who desire to participate with us in the lives of these children.

Before September 1 there was a lot of work.

September began and a new phase of NHFC program started. We (Maria, our executive director, and I, our newly-made coordinator of the program) launched a campaign with running back and forth from one director to another, trying to find out the number of orphanages willing to take part in our venture.

In the list of orphanages there was #60 we have never worked with before. We decided to involve it into our trip and started with its Administration. The building of Administration we found rather quickly, but we had to demonstrate all our acumen to find the chief of the Department of Education there. After almost an hour of wandering along long tunnels (that they call passages) we finally met him and told about all the benefits of NHFC program… Unfortunately his answer was ‘no’. Conservative chief didn`t want the kids to go to America. But the rest five orphanages consented to participate. That was a success and the first step.

The interviews of the kids was the second step. On September 6^th Le Ann`s team came to Russia to meet with the kids. Tens of crazy (and not too crazy), serious, sweet and so cuuute kids were interviewed to find out their favourite food, colours and pastime (KGB would be proud of us). Most of them dream of going to America! We wish them good luck! We still have a lot of work ahead, but the important part of it now is done. The only problem we met on our way was scary swine flu… This monster scares everybody so much that our chief doctor of the country advised people not to go abroad during of uncertain period of time. This advise really can be dangerous for our project but we keep praying and believe that God will open New Horizons For His special Children once more!

MIR is hosting several teams from the US who are serving in summer camps.

As always, we are happy to have these fun Americans visiting, and the camp directors and campers are very glad to know them.

At Camp Druznik, teams from San Antonio are working with orphans for the month of July. They were at this camp last year, so they’re continuing to build relationships and bless the children. It’s great to have them here, and the kids LOVE them!!

We continue our hosting program; twice a year we send Russian orphans to live with American host families for 4-6 weeks. Twenty five children and four adults safely arrived in the USA on June 25. This is our second trip under new regulations the administration of the city placed on hosting programs. Gladly, the preparation for the trip went very smoothly, the permits and visas were issued a week before departure.

New Horizons enters a transition period this August as our current coordinator, Ms. Sveta Kouzyakova (far left, with Olga Cantrell), is retuning to her calling: teaching at the International Academy. It has been a blessed year and definitely God’s provision to have Sveta on staff with MIR. We trust that the new person God sends for this position is going to be a good fit with MIR staff and an enthusiastic and productive worker.

We also are looking for new groups of children to work with:

• Inviting creative groups for performances (dancing, singing, sports, crafts): orphanage directors would like to see children learning new things and getting various skills, so they encourage a more intensive program of events. Also, if creative groups of children can be hosted, more opportunities for fund raising events for the program might come up. We hope to expand into this new area.

• Hosting children from Russian foster homes is another area we’re investigating. Crimson Sails, a Christian foster care ministry for orphans in St. Petersburg, is investigating the documentation needed to send their kids to families in USA. These kids would already have Christian influence and adjustment to family life, and we think this would be a great addition to our hosting program.

Short Term Teams

Disabled children and adults were in the focus of recent short-term teams and individuals coming on MIR invitations this June. Pavlovsk orphanage for disabled children and several facilities for disabled adults were visited by volunteers. MIR’s role in the work of these teams varies at times, depending on the need. At the least, MIR issues official invitations and registers the volunteers, but this time MIR was more involved in communication

with directors and learning about new medical requirements for short-term volunteers. Medical tests are now necessary in order to approach children at state orphanages. We are investigating the quickest and least painful way to get medical documents for future teams.

Camp Druzhnikh will host two teams from San Antonio this summer. The MIR staff is looking forward to camp fun and making new friends this July.

Humanitarian Aid

May and June traditionally are the months kids finish school, pass tests and leave to camps for the summer. We were glad to supervise the purchase of a large amount of summer clothes for children at Orphanage #8 and a graduation dress for a #8 graduate.

Instead of just getting what they were told to wear, kids picked their clothes themselves and promised to take better care of the the clothes that they took initiative in choosing.

Tanya at Peterhoff Orphanage #1 (at right) and Natasha at Zelenogorsk Orphanage #69receive regular support from donors partnering with MIR. Tanya is in constant need of enzymes to help digest food, and we’ve been able to supply them for the past few years.

Medicine, transportation expenses and surgery aftercare were provided to various orphanages. Also, the Lomonosov Baby Home received financial aid for reconstruction of the facility.

Click here to view the embedded video.