The Train and the Orphanage - Wednesday
We all piled into Dima’s van and barely all fit but we squished and headed to the train station. Brent and I had our own car for our selves and it was pretty nice. There were two benches with a half table, and then two bunk beds above. The benches folded down into a bigger bed and there were sheets and pillows, and cute little boxed lunches for all of us. Then Marina came in and told us that they had put her in a car with three men, and could she sleep in our car? We gladly welcomed her. She said that usually there were all-women compartments and she didn’t understand why they would put a woman alone like that. We talked for a little while and then settled in to sleep.
The train was comfortable. It was a little hard to sleep if you are not used to the jerking and shaking and stopping at multiple stations through the night. Brent didn’t sleep much at all and I got about 4 hours and we both woke up with a stiff back.
Marina said that the train would stop in Shumerlya about 6 AM so she set her alarm for 5. When we woke up she talked to the conductor and he said the train was running late so it would be a little while yet. She told us that the train would only stop for 2 minutes, so we had better be ready to go. We piled up all of our luggage by the exit so we could just jump right out when the train stopped. The train slowed down and Marina went to check where we were and came running back saying this was it! We gave the room one last check and rushed out the door. One of the Bradshaw girls had forgotten her shoes so Mr. Bradshaw and Marina went back on the train to look for them and it started moving! So we all started yelling and then they hopped off and Marina started yelling at the conductor for not warning us about the stop, and for also not stopping even one minute for us to get off. She was pretty upset, for good reason. They had to emergency stop the train for everyone to get off. The station worker said that was only the second time that train had ever been stopped so that conductor would pay dearly for his mistake!
We met our new driver - Sergei and cramped into his van and headed to the orphanage.
We got there about 7 AM and a woman met us at the door and ushered us into the director’s office (she wasn’t in that day). The children were just waking up so we had to wait a few minutes. About a half hour later, we heard some kids out in the hallway so we went to see and met Andrei standing there. :) Andrei jumped right up into Brent’s arms and choke hugged him forever, it seemed. Then I tapped him on the arm and he climbed down from Brent and up to me. I kissed him a million times and started to cry. I think Brent got a little misty eyed but he might not admit that.
Then the Bradshaw’s Sasha came in and a was little shy at first, but eventually warmed up to them. They didn’t do the Lighthouse thing, because Sasha was too young (only 5) so this was their second time at the orphanage. This was the first time the girls got to meet him so that was cool.
Marina had to do some business for another Lighthouse trip so we sat and talked sort of for a little while. We showed Andrei the pictures we brought and he remembered Dyadushka and Babushka (grandparents). Then we went for breakfast. Andrei and Sasha weren’t really hungry - I think they were nervous having us there. We were in a special room where the worker said they celebrate birthdays and such. After that we went to see Sasha’s classroom and hand out candy and then Andrei’s classroom to hand out more candy. The older kids were in school so we didn’t get to see them.
Each class has up to ten children in it and it’s divided by age. There are two rooms, one with all the beds lined up and some storage, and then the other play room. There are plants, blocks, games, books, an art display wall, a TV and some tables for coloring and group projects. It really looks a lot like a kindergarten classroom except for the adjoining bedroom.
After that we went back into the directors office and waited for a little while longer while Marina took care of some more business and then she came in saying it was time to go. So we put on Andrei’s new shoes and put his slippers aside, and got out his new coat and hat. We were on our way out and I asked the director if Andrei knew that he was leaving forever. She reminded him and he raced off to say goodbye once more to his friends. Then he raced back past us yelling something and all the Russians laughed. They said that the slippers he was wearing were borrowed and he had to return them to the boy they belonged to. Then he came back and was all ready to go. The classroom teachers came out to the van with us and gave them big hugs and said their goodbyes and Andrei left the Detsky Dom forever.
Everyone says we’re ‘saving’ Andrei from this orphanage, but it was obvious he was cared for and relatively happy there. It almost seems cruel to take him from all of his friends and throw him into a country and family where he doesn’t know the language and there are no other children in the family. But I look at him and see how ill-prepared he is for normal life - even at 6 years old he’s more like a 3 year old - and I look ten years down the road when he is too old to stay at the orphanage and not old enough to go into the world, and I see how these children just completely fail at life. Maybe we are saving him, maybe we are just providing a place where he can grow up to be a productive and happy adult. And maybe he is saving us.
The train was comfortable. It was a little hard to sleep if you are not used to the jerking and shaking and stopping at multiple stations through the night. Brent didn’t sleep much at all and I got about 4 hours and we both woke up with a stiff back.
Marina said that the train would stop in Shumerlya about 6 AM so she set her alarm for 5. When we woke up she talked to the conductor and he said the train was running late so it would be a little while yet. She told us that the train would only stop for 2 minutes, so we had better be ready to go. We piled up all of our luggage by the exit so we could just jump right out when the train stopped. The train slowed down and Marina went to check where we were and came running back saying this was it! We gave the room one last check and rushed out the door. One of the Bradshaw girls had forgotten her shoes so Mr. Bradshaw and Marina went back on the train to look for them and it started moving! So we all started yelling and then they hopped off and Marina started yelling at the conductor for not warning us about the stop, and for also not stopping even one minute for us to get off. She was pretty upset, for good reason. They had to emergency stop the train for everyone to get off. The station worker said that was only the second time that train had ever been stopped so that conductor would pay dearly for his mistake!
We met our new driver - Sergei and cramped into his van and headed to the orphanage.
We got there about 7 AM and a woman met us at the door and ushered us into the director’s office (she wasn’t in that day). The children were just waking up so we had to wait a few minutes. About a half hour later, we heard some kids out in the hallway so we went to see and met Andrei standing there. :) Andrei jumped right up into Brent’s arms and choke hugged him forever, it seemed. Then I tapped him on the arm and he climbed down from Brent and up to me. I kissed him a million times and started to cry. I think Brent got a little misty eyed but he might not admit that.
Then the Bradshaw’s Sasha came in and a was little shy at first, but eventually warmed up to them. They didn’t do the Lighthouse thing, because Sasha was too young (only 5) so this was their second time at the orphanage. This was the first time the girls got to meet him so that was cool.
Marina had to do some business for another Lighthouse trip so we sat and talked sort of for a little while. We showed Andrei the pictures we brought and he remembered Dyadushka and Babushka (grandparents). Then we went for breakfast. Andrei and Sasha weren’t really hungry - I think they were nervous having us there. We were in a special room where the worker said they celebrate birthdays and such. After that we went to see Sasha’s classroom and hand out candy and then Andrei’s classroom to hand out more candy. The older kids were in school so we didn’t get to see them.
Each class has up to ten children in it and it’s divided by age. There are two rooms, one with all the beds lined up and some storage, and then the other play room. There are plants, blocks, games, books, an art display wall, a TV and some tables for coloring and group projects. It really looks a lot like a kindergarten classroom except for the adjoining bedroom.
After that we went back into the directors office and waited for a little while longer while Marina took care of some more business and then she came in saying it was time to go. So we put on Andrei’s new shoes and put his slippers aside, and got out his new coat and hat. We were on our way out and I asked the director if Andrei knew that he was leaving forever. She reminded him and he raced off to say goodbye once more to his friends. Then he raced back past us yelling something and all the Russians laughed. They said that the slippers he was wearing were borrowed and he had to return them to the boy they belonged to. Then he came back and was all ready to go. The classroom teachers came out to the van with us and gave them big hugs and said their goodbyes and Andrei left the Detsky Dom forever.
Everyone says we’re ‘saving’ Andrei from this orphanage, but it was obvious he was cared for and relatively happy there. It almost seems cruel to take him from all of his friends and throw him into a country and family where he doesn’t know the language and there are no other children in the family. But I look at him and see how ill-prepared he is for normal life - even at 6 years old he’s more like a 3 year old - and I look ten years down the road when he is too old to stay at the orphanage and not old enough to go into the world, and I see how these children just completely fail at life. Maybe we are saving him, maybe we are just providing a place where he can grow up to be a productive and happy adult. And maybe he is saving us.
posted by Tracy at 10:26 AM
1 Comments:
Oh sad! But true!! Only God could design your family this way!!
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