Featured Photo: Here is a part of the family we visited as we are following up on distributions. Dema and Elena are the loving “parents” of twenty-eight children!
Our visit to the homeplace of Dema and Elena was a delight. This couple has housed many children of war beginning with the first invasion and occupation of Russian forces in 2014. Some have married and Elena says she now has six grandchildren! As she spoke of “her children,” her eyes filled with tears and her voice trembled with emotions.
You would be greatly impressed with this family. Dema trains the children to do anything around the homeplace. Each of the children have assigned duties. When I first arrived I saw one of the younger boys wearing adult rubber boots that went over his knees. I was told that his job was tending to the pigs. He took me to see them and there were four healthy pigs chowing down on the slop of the day! Chickens were in their coop and other livestock was evident. Garden plots surrounded the house.
Dema said that one of the neighbors permitted them to go and cut wood for the winter and other neighbors help in different ways. As we entered the area one of the younger boys had a wheelbarrow stacked with fresh cut firewood and was struggling to get it through a cellar door to the furnace. All around us was a bustling beehive of activity. We were told that several of the children were in the gardens hurriedly getting things finished because bad weather was coming.
The children are happy and respectful. Nicholi told us some of the more amusing anecdotes that comes from such a blended family. One of the younger boys (Grecia) is very active. At summer camp he climbed a fence and was milking cows into an open plastic bottle and then giving it to other campers to drink. Nicholi explained that this was stealing and was not the right thing to do. Grecia replied, “But she has 3 other cows and I’m only milking one!” Grecia is not too happy about the additional three sisters because one of them is in his school class. He claims that now he cannot do anything because she is a snitch!
There had only been boys in the home until recently three sisters (under 10 years old) were welcomed. Their background story was unnerving but the good fact is they are now in a “home” and feel loved and secure. The oldest told Nicholi that she never wanted to “go back.” Those reading this report cannot even imagine the horrific traumas these three young girls have experienced.
We brought Family Buckets from Jerry Morgan and Jerry Moore and canned fruits from Kathy Cadden! To that we added bags of rice, buckwheat, oats and of course some candy!
Upon entering the house Elena guided us into the kitchen where the table was spread with delicious country cooking treats! She had cabbage rolls stuffed with home grown pork, boiled chicken that a few hours earlier had been walking around and pecking at grain in the chicken pen, mashed potatoes, and chicken broth that came from the boiled chicken was our beverage.
As we left some of the children were still working outside but we managed to get approval for a photo of the majority.
I am oft reminded of Job 29:12, “I saved the poor who cried for help, and the orphan who had no helper.” THANK YOU for being a part of our efforts to continue Job’s legacy!
John L. Kachelman, Jr, Ukraine Missions, Dalraida Church of Christ, P.O. Box 3085, Montgomery, AL 36109
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