Orphans

Did I mention that last week on Monday I went to visit an orphanage with one of the girls from our office? They had a special celebration and I just went along to see what they are doing. They go there every week and lead Bible studies with the kids. Basically like a kids club. On Tuesday part of the team goes to a different orphanage in another town and I think on Thursday as well. They go to a fourth orphanage on Saturday.
None of the orphanages are here in Rivne, so it usually means a 45min. to 1 hour drive one way for the team, then anywhere from one to two hours there with the kids. Many of the kids are orphans, but some just come from poor families or alcoholic or drug addict families. The orphanage that we went to was quite large, one of the largest ones I've been too. There must be a well over 100 kids there possibly 150 or so. It has it's own school on the grounds. Sad that they are so segregated from normal society.
On holidays those that have parents or families often take them in, but many kids are left behind. Lilya (my co-worker) and her team try to arrange some special events and for church people to take them in. She has such a burden for them! They have been collecting money to buy shoes for the kids that don't have families or whose families are obviously too poor to take care of them. Later this winter they want to buy them hats.
And here I sit in my two bedroom apartment with a computer, internet, more food than I have been able to eat in a month and clothes for that matter! I would like to take one in for the holidays or for a weekend sometime, they are just crying out for love. But then I am so silly as to not want to put them on my couch because it isn't a proper bed. Somehow I don't think they would care. So why don't I?! I'll have to talk to Lilya about that.