Lee Note 92 Nancy Fennema and Charles Gore August 22, 2001

One of many stories.....

I was standing in the hallway of an orphanage in Smolensk, Russia, waiting for other Americans to begin our two-block walk back to our bus. The 12-year-old girl approached me and told me that she had liked my presentation in her classroom and was wondering if I would write to her if she wrote me. I assured her that I would be very happy to write her as I wrote my name and address on her piece of paper. She smiled and thanked me and walked to her group of friends.

Having turned away from her, I felt a tug on my coat. I looked back and saw the face of the same young girl staring up at me with tear-filled eyes. She asked me how much it would cost for stamps for she had no money. I told her that I was not sure but I reached into my pocket and gave her all of the Rubles I had in my pocket. She managed a smile as Nancy had joined me at that time and I introduced her to the young girl. The girl left but I again shortly felt a tug on my sleeve and I turned to face the same girl. Huge tears were rolling down her face this time. She moved closer and asked us, "Would you just love me anyway?"

Nancy was in Kemerovo, Russia, (southern Siberia) sharing time and gifts with children at a summer camp. Two little girls followed Nancy around the camp as she visited with several groups. Shortly before Nancy's bus was to leave, the girls gave her a handwritten note. Nancy does not read Russian so she brought the note home for me to translate. The note read, "Nancy, you are pretty and we want to go home with you. Would you please adopt us? We want to have parents like other children have." If she had been able to read Russian, she would have tried to smuggle two little girls home!

The average life expectancy for Russian orphans is 24 years of age! Within five years of leaving the orphanage, 90% are into drugs, prostitution, or jail. The orphanages receive $0.25 per day to feed, medicate, and educate a kid.

While we primarily work with orphanages, we also go into hospitals and prisons. Those institutions are as financially strapped as the orphanages. Nancy and I will return to Russia to try to recapture our hearts January 26-February 9, 2002. Want to help us hug some children??

Contact us by e-mail for more information!

Charles and Nancy Gore