MEET SASHAfororphans.org/pdfs/Fall_2011.pdf · 2014-01-11 · ADOPT AN ORPHAN? 5. MEET SASHA 6. HOW ABOUT YOU?” In This Issue: Friends of Russian Orphans 7557 Wind River Drive Sylvania,

In This Issue:

Friends of Russian Orphans7557 Wind River DriveSylvania, Ohio 43560

(419) 841-6971www.fororphans.org

[email protected]

FORO BOARD OF DIRECTORS: • Darin Avery • Michael Bragg • Kerry Patric Clark

• Robert Flamm • Michael Jenkins • Jeffrey King • Robin Klein • Letitia Marth • Amy Natyshak • Judith Stookey

• Laurie Pangle-Watrol • Andrew Wiegand • Lisa Wurster • Phillip Wurster

EDITORIAL: Lisa Wurster • Teresa GrigsbyDESIGN: Heck’s Direct Mail & Printing, Toledo, Ohio

HOW TO CONTACT FORO:Friends of Russian Orphans

7557 Wind River Drive/Sylvania, Ohio 43560(419) 841-6971/www.fororphans.org

[email protected]@buckeye-express.com

All contents COPYRIGHT © 2010 Friends of Russian Orphans.All rights reserved. Between Friends is an independent newesletter.

Between

The official publication ofFriends of Russian Orphans

In This Issue:



[email protected]









Between


TROIKA FORO!

1. TROIKA FORO!

2. WHAT A RIDE! 3. LET GOD LEAD

4. WHY WOULD A SINGLE MOM WITH THREE KIDS WANT TO ADOPT AN ORPHAN? 5. MEET SASHA

6. HOW ABOUT YOU?”

In This Issue:



[email protected]









Between


NONPROFIT

U S POSTAGE

PAIDTOLEDO, OHIO

PERMIT #333

Fall/Winter 2011VOLUME: X

ISSUE: 1

Fall 2011VOLUME: X ISSUE: 1

Continued....

Due to regulations of the Russian Federation, some names and locations mentioned in this newsletter have been changed

to protect the privacy of the children.

A Troika is a traditional Russian carriage drawn by a team of three hors-es harnessed abreast. It is frequently depicted in Russian folklore scenes, movies (such as Doctor Zhivago), paintings and literature. In olden days, newlyweds often left the

wedding ceremony in a troika as a sign of future success and happiness. The troika became a symbol of a new life where dreams have come true. The road was the symbol of the couple’s journey in life, with the three horses to help lead the way. Over the past three years, FORO has become the Troika for chil-dren in Russian orphanages and families right here in America whose lives have been completely changed as a result of the “Journeys of Joy” program. Of course, FORO is about much more than just “Journeys of Joy”. Our work still involves meeting practical needs of children and or-phanages where we work. In 2011 FORO has helped install a new water system at an orphanage located in a highly polluted city, helped create private restroom facilities at another orphanage, created a computer lab and acquired much needed laundry equipment. We have also funded academic and health awards, supplied books for an orphan-age library, and enabled medical equipment to be purchased for a special needs orphanage. But, because of the significant impact of the “Journeys of Joy” program, this edition of our newsletter will focus primarily on this program and the lives that have been changed as a result.

MEET SASHA With bright eyes and an infectious grin, Sasha may seem like other eight year olds you might encounter at the soccer field or the swim-ming pool except for one thing…he does not have a home or family with whom to share his life. Sasha was fortunate, however, to begin to un-derstand what “family” means when he spent part of the summer in the United States with host friends who modeled family life for him and gave him a chance to experience it for himself. Sasha loves to be the center of

attention by clowning around and dressing up in costumes. He is “all-boy” and loves to swim, ride bikes, and play outside. He is very bright, curious and affectionate. Sasha is now back at the orphanage in Russia. Please pray that Sasha will understand that the attention he experienced during his visit to America proves that he is worthy of being loved and that he is a unique and special child of God.

HOW ABOUT YOU?

Perhaps the articles in this newsletter are nudging you to consider participat-ing in “Journeys of Joy”. If so, plan on attending an information meeting about the 2012 program in Feb-ruary. Watch the FORO website or Facebook page for dates.

2 Between News & Information from Friends of Russian Orphans Between News & Information from Friends of Russian Orphans 3

Continued from page 1 was asking us to step up to the plate and to say “no” was pure disobedience. So we took the plunge. We walked into the process knowing we didn’t have the money to pay for it. We knew that if this was truly what God wanted for our family then He would provide the money. To make a long story short, we had a gap of about $8,000 that God needed to provide in order to pull this thing off. With a little fundraising and many generous gifts from friends and family we ended up raising about $28,000. Navigating through the adoption process has been a crazy troika ride for our family.

A ride full of financial surprises, spiritual warfare and tremen-dous growth in our faith as a family. There have been tears filled with pain, and laugh-ter filled with joy. This ride is so much more than redeeming one of God’s children, it’s been a process of equipping and fortifying a family who is now “closer to ready” to welcome our new son and brother, and the challenges it will take to make him into the man that God has designed him to be. By the time you read this article, our new son, Maxim Peterson will be home for good. Thank you for the ride on the FORO Troika!

For those who are unaware, “Journeys of Joy” is a program that enables orphans from the Arkhangelsk region of Russia to visit to United States for two weeks. The children are matched with a “host family” that provides friendship, care, activities and love during their stay. The program is centered at a “host community” which serves as the logistical and spiritual center for the program. The host fami-

lies and host com-munity are asked to continue to pray for, communi-cate with, and be concerned about the welfare of the children after the program ends. “Journeys of Joy” allows orphans to

experience family life, understand that someone cares for them individually, and realize that they are special and beloved children of God. Those involved in the United States experience a special blessing that comes from expressing compassion, generosity and unconditional love. In old Russia, the troika form of driving was primarily used when there was a need to transport heavy items and when there was a need for speed. The need for three horses and special har-nesses made troikas expensive. So too is the FORO Troika. “Jour-neys of Joy” has changed the lives of the children and families you will meet in this newsletter and many others. In order for the FORO Troika to continue to travel on its “Journey of Joy”, we need your help. We need you to spread the word of the program to Christian families ready to make the journey. We need your financial contri-butions to help clear the road of the financial obstacles that could stop our troika. And we need your prayers for the program and the children and families who participate. With your help, our horses of faith, hope and love, will pull our FORO troika forward on a jour-ney of joy that God has charted. Come on…let’s climb aboard!!! Lisa Wurster, FORO President

WHAT A RIDE! When we participated in “Journeys of Joy” in the summer of 2010 we were pretty certain we would not be adopting the little boy who stayed with us. We are a single family income with three younger kids. We didn’t have the money, our house was already too small, and we already had 6 year old twins and didn’t need a third 6 year old. As we said good-bye to Maxim though, it became clear to us that our excuses were nothing more than excuses. No, we don’t have a lot of money, but we do have a lot of love. Our house is small, but it’s better than an orphanage. And our family dynamics are perfect to welcome a 4th child because our biological kids will entertain their new brother and help him learn the language perfectly. The bottom line was God

LET GOD LEAD

Journeys of Joy 2011 visiting children and mentor families

by Elissa Peterson

by Tammy Snyder

We will start by saying that we almost did not participate in the inaugural Journeys of Joy (2009) because we had no intention of adopt-ing since we have two grown children and thought we were past “child-rearing”. However, once we learned that the children were coming only for a vacation, we decided that we wanted to share the many blessings that God has given us and show a child His love even if just for a couple of weeks. Only God can change your heart and He will let you know in your heart what you must do. If we had let all the swirling questions in our heads rule our decision, we would have missed one (really two) of God’s most beautiful blessings upon our lives. Our lives would not be complete with-out Valya and Victor. They continually surprise and amaze us. At the point we decided to adopt, we were probably in the worst financial shape we had ever been in in our lives. We really had no idea how we were going to pay for all the adoption costs. We just knew that we had to be obedient to God’s calling. In our weakness & lack of wealth, God showed us how mighty, powerful and wealthy He is. He used people we did not know; he used the one person in my family that (in my mind) would be the last person whom I thought would help financially. He truly moved mountains to show His Glory and make His will come to pass. When they call it the Russian roller coaster, believe it! It was not an easy path and more than once we ready to quit. When those times come & they will, choose to believe in our one true, living God to get you through. “I can do everything through him who gives me strength” Philippians 4:13

WHY WOULD A SINGLE MOM WITH THREE KIDS WANT TO ADOPT AN ORPHAN? By Stacey Rees

Good Question!The summer of 2009, a beautiful, loving and generous little nine year old orphan named Tatiana (aka Tanya) came to America to stay with our family as part of the Friends of Rus-sian Orphans’ “Journeys of Joy” program. She easily assimilated into our family and we all fell in love with her. Never dreaming of adoption, we were so excited when a family within our church stepped up to pursue Tanya’s adop-tion. Unfortunately, circumstances beyond their control hindered their efforts, and in May of 2010, I learned Tanya was no longer going to be adopted.

I knew too much about the fate of Russian orphans to turn my back to this news. Sta-tistics show that only one out of ten Russian orphans becomes a functional member of society. Roughly half of the girls are forced into prostitution. The others are lost to drugs, crime and suicide. Horrific outcomes to think about for the sweet little girl we love. So, what was I going to do about it? I wasn’t really sure so I gathered up a group of my friends to pray about the situation and the pos-sibility of me adopting Tanya. After much thought, prayer and discussion, I decided to walk forward. I completely trusted that if God really wanted Tanya to be a part of our fam-ily, He would make it happen. The first obstacle was to sell my house. I needed to move to a good school district so I no longer needed to home school. If my house didn’t sell, then I wouldn’t pursue the adoption. It sold in four days. (Miraculous for Toledo, Ohio.) Step after step, (or rather paperwork after more paperwork) I kept expecting a closed door (or rather a brick wall) to block the path, but every obstacle was a hurdle which I easily jumped. God’s ways are never re-ally our ways to be sure! He fre-quently picks unlikely candidates for situations. Moses, a murderer hiding in the desert, leads the Is-raelites out of Egypt and slavery. Gideon, a cowardly farmer, led a small army to destroy the Midian-ites. David, the youngest son and a lowly shepherd, was anointed King. Jesus, a carpenter’s son, redeemed the world. The list goes on and on. So, Stacey, a single mom with three kids, asked to love and nurture a parentless little girl from the other side of the world doesn’t really seem so far fetched. The Bible says that God works with our weaknesses because it is then that others will see His glory.

The Peterson Family with Maxim

The Snyder Family with Victor and Valentina

Stacey and Tanya

2 Between News & Information from Friends of Russian Orphans Between News & Information from Friends of Russian Orphans 3

Continued from page 1 was asking us to step up to the plate and to say “no” was pure disobedience. So we took the plunge. We walked into the process knowing we didn’t have the money to pay for it. We knew that if this was truly what God wanted for our family then He would provide the money. To make a long story short, we had a gap of about $8,000 that God needed to provide in order to pull this thing off. With a little fundraising and many generous gifts from friends and family we ended up raising about $28,000. Navigating through the adoption process has been a crazy troika ride for our family.

A ride full of financial surprises, spiritual warfare and tremen-dous growth in our faith as a family. There have been tears filled with pain, and laugh-ter filled with joy. This ride is so much more than redeeming one of God’s children, it’s been a process of equipping and fortifying a family who is now “closer to ready” to welcome our new son and brother, and the challenges it will take to make him into the man that God has designed him to be. By the time you read this article, our new son, Maxim Peterson will be home for good. Thank you for the ride on the FORO Troika!

For those who are unaware, “Journeys of Joy” is a program that enables orphans from the Arkhangelsk region of Russia to visit to United States for two weeks. The children are matched with a “host family” that provides friendship, care, activities and love during their stay. The program is centered at a “host community” which serves as the logistical and spiritual center for the program. The host fami-

lies and host com-munity are asked to continue to pray for, communi-cate with, and be concerned about the welfare of the children after the program ends. “Journeys of Joy” allows orphans to

experience family life, understand that someone cares for them individually, and realize that they are special and beloved children of God. Those involved in the United States experience a special blessing that comes from expressing compassion, generosity and unconditional love. In old Russia, the troika form of driving was primarily used when there was a need to transport heavy items and when there was a need for speed. The need for three horses and special har-nesses made troikas expensive. So too is the FORO Troika. “Jour-neys of Joy” has changed the lives of the children and families you will meet in this newsletter and many others. In order for the FORO Troika to continue to travel on its “Journey of Joy”, we need your help. We need you to spread the word of the program to Christian families ready to make the journey. We need your financial contri-butions to help clear the road of the financial obstacles that could stop our troika. And we need your prayers for the program and the children and families who participate. With your help, our horses of faith, hope and love, will pull our FORO troika forward on a jour-ney of joy that God has charted. Come on…let’s climb aboard!!! Lisa Wurster, FORO President

WHAT A RIDE! When we participated in “Journeys of Joy” in the summer of 2010 we were pretty certain we would not be adopting the little boy who stayed with us. We are a single family income with three younger kids. We didn’t have the money, our house was already too small, and we already had 6 year old twins and didn’t need a third 6 year old. As we said good-bye to Maxim though, it became clear to us that our excuses were nothing more than excuses. No, we don’t have a lot of money, but we do have a lot of love. Our house is small, but it’s better than an orphanage. And our family dynamics are perfect to welcome a 4th child because our biological kids will entertain their new brother and help him learn the language perfectly. The bottom line was God

LET GOD LEAD

Journeys of Joy 2011 visiting children and mentor families

by Elissa Peterson

by Tammy Snyder

We will start by saying that we almost did not participate in the inaugural Journeys of Joy (2009) because we had no intention of adopt-ing since we have two grown children and thought we were past “child-rearing”. However, once we learned that the children were coming only for a vacation, we decided that we wanted to share the many blessings that God has given us and show a child His love even if just for a couple of weeks. Only God can change your heart and He will let you know in your heart what you must do. If we had let all the swirling questions in our heads rule our decision, we would have missed one (really two) of God’s most beautiful blessings upon our lives. Our lives would not be complete with-out Valya and Victor. They continually surprise and amaze us. At the point we decided to adopt, we were probably in the worst financial shape we had ever been in in our lives. We really had no idea how we were going to pay for all the adoption costs. We just knew that we had to be obedient to God’s calling. In our weakness & lack of wealth, God showed us how mighty, powerful and wealthy He is. He used people we did not know; he used the one person in my family that (in my mind) would be the last person whom I thought would help financially. He truly moved mountains to show His Glory and make His will come to pass. When they call it the Russian roller coaster, believe it! It was not an easy path and more than once we ready to quit. When those times come & they will, choose to believe in our one true, living God to get you through. “I can do everything through him who gives me strength” Philippians 4:13

WHY WOULD A SINGLE MOM WITH THREE KIDS WANT TO ADOPT AN ORPHAN? By Stacey Rees

Good Question!The summer of 2009, a beautiful, loving and generous little nine year old orphan named Tatiana (aka Tanya) came to America to stay with our family as part of the Friends of Rus-sian Orphans’ “Journeys of Joy” program. She easily assimilated into our family and we all fell in love with her. Never dreaming of adoption, we were so excited when a family within our church stepped up to pursue Tanya’s adop-tion. Unfortunately, circumstances beyond their control hindered their efforts, and in May of 2010, I learned Tanya was no longer going to be adopted.

I knew too much about the fate of Russian orphans to turn my back to this news. Sta-tistics show that only one out of ten Russian orphans becomes a functional member of society. Roughly half of the girls are forced into prostitution. The others are lost to drugs, crime and suicide. Horrific outcomes to think about for the sweet little girl we love. So, what was I going to do about it? I wasn’t really sure so I gathered up a group of my friends to pray about the situation and the pos-sibility of me adopting Tanya. After much thought, prayer and discussion, I decided to walk forward. I completely trusted that if God really wanted Tanya to be a part of our fam-ily, He would make it happen. The first obstacle was to sell my house. I needed to move to a good school district so I no longer needed to home school. If my house didn’t sell, then I wouldn’t pursue the adoption. It sold in four days. (Miraculous for Toledo, Ohio.) Step after step, (or rather paperwork after more paperwork) I kept expecting a closed door (or rather a brick wall) to block the path, but every obstacle was a hurdle which I easily jumped. God’s ways are never re-ally our ways to be sure! He fre-quently picks unlikely candidates for situations. Moses, a murderer hiding in the desert, leads the Is-raelites out of Egypt and slavery. Gideon, a cowardly farmer, led a small army to destroy the Midian-ites. David, the youngest son and a lowly shepherd, was anointed King. Jesus, a carpenter’s son, redeemed the world. The list goes on and on. So, Stacey, a single mom with three kids, asked to love and nurture a parentless little girl from the other side of the world doesn’t really seem so far fetched. The Bible says that God works with our weaknesses because it is then that others will see His glory.

The Peterson Family with Maxim

The Snyder Family with Victor and Valentina

Stacey and Tanya

In This Issue:



[email protected]









Between


In This Issue:



[email protected]









Between


TROIKA FORO!

1. TROIKA FORO!

2. WHAT A RIDE! 3. LET GOD LEAD

4. WHY WOULD A SINGLE MOM WITH THREE KIDS WANT TO ADOPT AN ORPHAN? 5. MEET SASHA

6. HOW ABOUT YOU?”

In This Issue:



[email protected]









Between


NONPROFIT

U S POSTAGE

PAIDTOLEDO, OHIO

PERMIT #333

Fall/Winter 2011VOLUME: X

ISSUE: 1

Fall 2011VOLUME: X ISSUE: 1

Continued....

Due to regulations of the Russian Federation, some names and locations mentioned in this newsletter have been changed

to protect the privacy of the children.

A Troika is a traditional Russian carriage drawn by a team of three hors-es harnessed abreast. It is frequently depicted in Russian folklore scenes, movies (such as Doctor Zhivago), paintings and literature. In olden days, newlyweds often left the

wedding ceremony in a troika as a sign of future success and happiness. The troika became a symbol of a new life where dreams have come true. The road was the symbol of the couple’s journey in life, with the three horses to help lead the way. Over the past three years, FORO has become the Troika for chil-dren in Russian orphanages and families right here in America whose lives have been completely changed as a result of the “Journeys of Joy” program. Of course, FORO is about much more than just “Journeys of Joy”. Our work still involves meeting practical needs of children and or-phanages where we work. In 2011 FORO has helped install a new water system at an orphanage located in a highly polluted city, helped create private restroom facilities at another orphanage, created a computer lab and acquired much needed laundry equipment. We have also funded academic and health awards, supplied books for an orphan-age library, and enabled medical equipment to be purchased for a special needs orphanage. But, because of the significant impact of the “Journeys of Joy” program, this edition of our newsletter will focus primarily on this program and the lives that have been changed as a result.

MEET SASHA With bright eyes and an infectious grin, Sasha may seem like other eight year olds you might encounter at the soccer field or the swim-ming pool except for one thing…he does not have a home or family with whom to share his life. Sasha was fortunate, however, to begin to un-derstand what “family” means when he spent part of the summer in the United States with host friends who modeled family life for him and gave him a chance to experience it for himself. Sasha loves to be the center of

attention by clowning around and dressing up in costumes. He is “all-boy” and loves to swim, ride bikes, and play outside. He is very bright, curious and affectionate. Sasha is now back at the orphanage in Russia. Please pray that Sasha will understand that the attention he experienced during his visit to America proves that he is worthy of being loved and that he is a unique and special child of God.

HOW ABOUT YOU?

Perhaps the articles in this newsletter are nudging you to consider participat-ing in “Journeys of Joy”. If so, plan on attending an information meeting about the 2012 program in Feb-ruary. Watch the FORO website or Facebook page for dates.

Documents

MEET SASHAfororphans.org/pdfs/Fall_2011.pdf · 2014-01-11 · ADOPT AN ORPHAN? 5. MEET SASHA 6. HOW ABOUT YOU?” In This Issue: Friends of Russian Orphans 7557 Wind River Drive Sylvania,