On Monday, February 15, 2021 our first guy that’s been institutionalized most of his life moved into Stephen’s Home. Kostya, the houseparents disabled son has been living in the home now for about a year. Slava joining the family is going to take some time of adjusting for everyone. Getting the schedule balanced for all the assistance working to help support our mom and dad is still in progress, but we’ve made it through our first week.

You can be in prayer for Slava, his adjustment time is just beginning and fears have already begun to surface. He’s very attentive to everything going on around him, but doesn’t understand why people come and go and he stays at home. Even through reassurance that we will return and we love him, he’s not certain what to think.

Yesterday was his first day to go to church. Saturday, that was the focus of his questions. Were we going with him, what were we going to do, what would we talk about… He loved the experience, but was wiped out by it about 90 minutes into it, so I went back to the house with him to rest until lunch time when Nick came over to join us for a meal. Slava found another friend in Nick, and after lunch Nick’s son Timothy and his wife, Katya, and her mom joined us for tea. I think Slava is just starting to catch a glimpse and experience that people care.