March 2021

March 15th marked a month for Slava as a resident in Stephen’s Home. Just to give you a quick glimpse of these days: March 9th our house dad, Vechaslav, went into the hospital for stomach surgery for ulcers, so our house mom was on duty until he returned home on the 17th.

Monday March 15th, Slava arrived for a late breakfast at Stephen’s Home. We had a small welcoming celebration. We told Slava that evening that he was now the caretaker of the home and we’d be back the next day as his guests. All but the Home Coordinator, Yana, returned Tuesday.

Tuesday March 16th — Slava’s first question today, “where is Yana?” He’s very bright and retains everything as he interacts with others. It was our team’s first day assisting as staff in the home — typically there are two to six assistants present each day through the week, plus the house parents.

It snowed this week so come Friday, the 19th, the first day of vacation for the house parents, going out for a walk was in the cold snowy outdoors. Three of us ladies held down the fort through Sunday afternoon, maintaining the wood furnace and keeping the ball rolling so Slava could adjust. Then our part-time house parents came for the last two days.

A week later we were beginning to see Slava overcome some fears he’d expressed about the therapy room. By Tuesday that second week he was in the room playing games with the therapist, doing some exercises the third week and by this fourth week, receiving massage therapy for the first time.

Wednesdays are the day that he has music lessons with our assistant Nadya. She has found he can keep a good steady beat and has started using simple drums with a metronome as she plays the guitar.

He plays right along with her. Nadya also cuts hair, so March 3rd Slava got a new hairdo and loves it. But more than anything, he loves for Nadya to comb through his hair as her gentle touch calms and soothes his restless heart that’s gone through some major changes lately.

Slava loves his bedroom, he loves his bookcase of Legos and books, learning tools, and simple puzzles. Games are in the main hall cupboards, and some of those are a delight for him too. As the family gathers for meals in the main hall, Slava is adjusting to praying before each meal and he is asked to pray for them often. Slava loves going to church on Sunday and has also gone to the church where Vechaslav pastors in the afternoon and to an evening service at the house parents’ home church in Belezorka.

Slava’s birthday comes up this next week, on the 23rd, so we have big plans for a sweet celebration, he’ll be 26.

PRIORITIES

Some have begun to ask, when are we planning to build Naomi’s Home, and the answer to that is soon, BUT…

Stephen’s Home is not complete without sponsorship. I’ve been talking about this need for years, but the reality is Slava only has four of 30 needed sponsors, and those that are helping, half are only helping for this year. As with each young man that will be moved into Stephen’s Home, Slava comes for the rest of his life. He has no other alternative. For $30 a month, will you commit to giving this young man life-long hope and a home full of love? It’s really easy, just go to the PROMISE webpage — Promise.org.ua/ sponsor-guys
Specifically: Promise.org.ua/sponsor/ kostiantyn-s AND Promise.org.ua/ sponsor/viacheslav-i are the links for the two guys currently in Stephen’s Home.