My Ukraine Journal Part III-The Impossible Relationships

It was not uncommon as we were greeting the kids to suddenly be hit in the back, tackled or jumped on. As more and more kids came, we could not move. They were like bees on honey. Although we were there for all the kids, this was difficult to handle. There were a few kids that we really connected to for various reasons. We wanted to learn as much as possible about them so we would know how we could best deal with them in the future. But, there is no such thing as alone time in an orphanage. We could not get that child away to talk as much as we had hoped. Luckily, we did have one solution to the lack of one-on-one time. Each night, each team member invited one child to go to dinner with us. This was a chance to give the kids a good meal, and a full meal. It was a chance to really talk and learn about the child. It was also a treat to watch these children eat. None of the kids knew how to use a knife, so we tried, usually unsuccessfully, to teach them, befor cutting the chicken for them in the end. The kids each ate ice cream, and that was fun to watch. They don't ever get that treat, so it was a special moment when they ate it. Talking with the kids was really interesting and important. We learned about their family and their interests, and many bonds were formed through these meals. I will write about my guests in a later post.