The Schwalbert's In Foreign Lands!: Remembering...this is why we do what we do.

This is why we do what we do - for these children. Tonight I have had a chance to go down memory lane to this past November & December, when Ukraine Orphan Outreach hosted a group of Ukrainian orphans who toured Colorado, along with a group from Orphan's Promise - Kiev, to bring the story of the Old Russian Shoemaker to our area.

My heart is filled with such joy at their smiles. This picture was their final performance of the musical. The before picture, of them first arriving in Colorado, albeit they were exhausted after 18 hours of travel, they were not this joyful. These groups, bringing the nations to the USA, is so vital to what we do with sharing the plight of orphans with the masses.

This picture shows how much they changed in just one month, nurtured by love, laughter and lots of hugs and cuddle time. This is how children should be treated - should be valued. Many of these children come from difficult backgrounds. I adore them, they are resilient children, and they have bright futures thanks to the work our partners at Orphan's Promise are doing in the transition centers in the village near their orphanage. They, unlike many orphans, will have the ability to walk into a life where they can be mentored, challenged and most importantly, shown love.

So to my sweet friends, Yulia, Sveta, Vitaliy, Oleg, Vanya, Alosha and Vitya, thank you for sharing your life with me. I am honored to know you. You have forever captured a piece of my heart.

On Saturday, my young friends will receive notes from their host families in Colorado, hand delivered and translated into Ukrainian. It's these little bits of communication that will forever keep them bonded to the experience and hope they had while away from their institution.

Please pray for my friends, pray for their futures - that mentors and families would surround them, guide them, pray that they will come to know Jesus and love Him, that they would feel and know his great love for them.

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UPDATE: On Saturday morning, I received a Facetime request from my dear friend, Karen Springs who works for Orphan's Promise in Kiev. She, along with the other cast and crew members, spent a day with the kids sharing letters and loving on them. These are pictures from Karen's blog and show how much the crew fell in love with these children. They are truly precious in HIS sight.