An Orphan Shares Her Deepest Wish

An edited letter from a friend serving orphans:

"This summer as I look back on the years that God has allowed me to know and love orphans, I have been challenged again by the words of William Wilberforce who played a huge role in ending slavery in Britain during the 1700 and 1800s:

“Having heard all this, you may choose to look the other way . . . but you can never again say that you did not know.”   William Wilberforce

It was 10 years ago this summer,  that I first visited these children.  The first time I set foot on this soil I knew basically nothing about the orphans who call this place home.  I spent two weeks at their summer camp, meeting and spending time with many children.   When I left, I never expected to return, I never wanted to return.   But something happened during those two weeks:

My eyes were opened to pain I had never before imagined.

I knew. 

And I could not go back to not knowing.

After meeting these orphans, I could never again say that I didn’t know they existed or needed help.

 I knew that I had to do something; and that I needed to ask God what that something was.  It turned out to be moving to be with them, which I had never even considered before.    Over the years my eyes have been opened to many more needs.  So many children have touched my heart and forced me to go to God again and again asking what my role should be.    The answer is different every time.

A few weeks ago, I was faced with another need, another hurting child, another plea for help:

A girl from the orphanage came up to me and quietly asked  if we could talk in private.   I agreed.  Later that day as all the kids walked from camp to a nearby park, Emily and I hung to the back of the bunch and she presented her request:  “Can you please find me a family?  I really really want to be adopted and have a family! I don’t have anything here.  I don’t have any relatives.  I don’t have a future.  I want to have a family!”

 It is so hard for me to respond to this question.   Everything in me cries out that Emily should have a family; that no child should have to plead for someone to love her.   We talked awhile and I explained to her that being adopted is not so easy, that it is hard to adjust to being in a family, following rules, learning English etc.  She said that she knew and would do her best to make it work, if only she could just have a family. 

I have known Emily for several years but have never really been close to her.  She is a nice girl.  She is confident, smart, and has many friends and I am usually more drawn to the quiet, shy kids who are ignored and end up in the background all the time.  But now here she was, begging in the only way she knew how for the one thing she longs for more than anything else - a family. 

Now I knew.

I knew more than the general knowledge that all kids dream of being adopted.   I heard the words come out of Emily's mouth.  I saw the look in her eyes as she talked about being adopted.  I saw the fear as she thought of what it would mean to stay here without a family.  Now I really knew and it was time for me to ask God again what I was to do with this knowledge. 

I hadn’t planned to write or tell others about Emily but then this conversation happened, and I couldn’t pretend that it didn’t.  An orphan shared her deepest wish with me, and now I share it with you . . ."

Camp in Ukraine

The following is a report from one of our indigenous missionaries in Ukraine who cares for orphans.  If you are interested in supporting her ministry, please contact me.

It's been more than  a week since our first camp in the village orphanage was finished.

A few days after camp was over I felt I wanted to go there again and make another camp. God shows me how much spiritual contribution these children need. They need my time, need friends who visit them, talk and play with them.

This was the first  time in my life when it was my responsibility to organise, set up things and coordinate the camp.  It's not easy for sure.

But the best thing about it is to be used completely for serving those children in His Name.

The huge blessing for our team  was freedom to share Gospel with the children (there were 60 children) and with the staff of the orphanage(around 30 people) and freedom to pray with the children and teach them Bible verses.

The principal and his assistant were very favourable to us.

The camp expenses were fully covered by our church and by a few individuals. This is also a big blessing that Ukrainian people give money to this ministry. I think for Ukrainians it's not usual.

The theme of our camp was "True Friendship with God".

Every day we took a new Bible story: on Monday - Adam and Eve and their friendship with the Creator and disobedience, on Tuesday-True friendship David and Jonathan, on Wednesday-Friendship and jealousy between Jacob and Esau, on Thursday-Fear and distrust in God (story about Jonah), on Friday-a summary.

Children were excited to hear so many interesting Bible stories completely new for them. They enjoyed learning Bible verses and getting scores for that. They were told that on Friday they would have a chance to go to the "fair market" and buy all they want with their scores. Things like toothpaste, toothbrushes, toys, stationary, candies, T-shirts.

Also what children enjoyed doing for most is playing general camp games. In those games everybody was involved and the game lasted for about one hour. We had a few games with water, which they liked very much since it was hot almost all camp.

On night programs they liked our skits and group fellowships (the time when the leader  and his children share the impressions of the day and talk about God).

Also they liked morning exercises  to the music "Every move I make in you, Jesus".

We had much interesting stuff for them to keep them busy, excited and involved.

Most of these children in the camp were with some light mental disabilities - slow to understand, focus, learn by heart.

Despite all that they they could feel and realise our good attitude to them and sincere care.

Our team spent 5 days and 4 nights in the children's dorm along with the children. We had 11 people in the team and every other day we had new people coming to help. Every evening we had a new special guest from the city who spoke on topics of friendship with God and with people.

Children didn't believe us when they heard that we would stay with them for 5 days and would sleep with them in their rooms and next door to them. 

Nobody ever did that.

We learned some stories about some children  from their teachers and governesses.

We learned so much information from these children and their life that we couldn't get during the whole year of our visits to them on Saturdays.

God let us know so that we could keep these children in our prayers and be willing to serve them even more.

One boy named V was raped by his father when he was little. He and his other 2 brothers and one sister also study together in this boarding school. He is very cute and nice. V was one of the greatest helpers for our team in the camp. He knew where to get things for us, to find ways for us to do some things. He was fast to learn and showed us how to serve others.

One girl named N cannot speak. Her mom wanted to hide the fact that she was pregnant, that's why she tied her belly to look slimmer. In such a way she blocked some nerves of her not yet born-baby. And when she gave birth to N, she realised what a damage she brought to her child. N could not speak.

These two stories were the most terrifying for me.

It shows they need us.

On the last day of the camp the principal thanked us and invited us again. 

This camp happened because of God's will and direction. The Gospel was shared freely and children had open hearts to receive it. On Thursday night 7 teenagers professed Jesus as their Savior and  many children prayed. We don't know how deep they got the Gospel but we believe they want God to be their friend.

We had a great time in the camp learning from God ourselves how to love practically not by words but mostly by acts.

And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy.
(Ex.33:19)

Happy Birthday, Karina!

Today is Karina's birthday and we praise God for giving her another birthday and that she is with us on this birthday.  It is truly a sweet day.  It is also a reminder of where she would be this summer if she had not been adopted and a reminder of what is to become of some of her friends.  Many of them will not return to the orphanage at the end of this summer and from their communications with Karina, some of them do not know where they will end up.  We hope to visit them soon.  Please be in prayer for those orphans who age out of the orphanages across Ukraine this summer.

There was a Girl. Fifteen Years Old: An Adoption Story - Reformation21 Blog

There was a Girl. Fifteen Years Old: An Adoption Story - Reformation21 Blog

Report from Ukraine

 This is the latest report from one of our missionaries on the field in Ukraine.

Thank you very much for supporting my ministry to the children in the orphanages.
Praise the Lord that He gives me health, time, money resources, prayers and support of many people.  He blesses me with everything I need for my ministry.

Last Saturday we spent time with children in the village orphanage and it was a really good time of playing with them, telling them how God created this universe for us to enjoy it and take care of it.  Our practical craft was planting beans in the plastic glasses.  Children enjoyed that very much.  The children get excited every time they see us and they take us by the hand and ask many questions.  They ask so many questions we must be flexible with our schedule.

We're fine about that and very often at our planning when we share our impressions and things we achieved we often laugh because most of the time we spend listening to them, which is so great.

Would you please pray for the doors in this village orphanage to be kept on be open for us as always and that we'll be allowed to make a camp for children.

Palmer Home for Children - Where Hope Still Grows

Palmer Home for Children

Thrift Store Open House!

November 4-6, 2010 - 2nd Annual Columbus Thriftstore Christmas Open House

8:00 am - 5:00 pm

2608 Main Street

Columbus, MS 39701

WE WILL HAVE: new toys, electronics, bicycles, lotion sets, gift sets, crystal, everyday jewelry, holiday jewelry, perfumes, colognes, new clothes, men's Reeds t-shirts, collectibles, Christmas decor, decorations, Dept 56 decor, Christmas Trees, Southern Living cookbooks, Palmer Home... cookbooks, and various gift ideas.

Come shop to win - Daily drawings for prizes.

Christmas Cards from Our Palmer Home Children

Click to enlarge.

Click here to order online at palmerhome.org.

Order Poinsettias and Support Palmer Home for Children!

Click order form to enlarge.

Turning 16

 Another note from a friend:

"A few days ago I went to my 16 year old brother’s performance.  Over 200 high school students held their heads high and played their memorized music, knowing that their parents were watching from the stands.    As they showed off their skills, hundreds of proud parents looked on, eager to capture each moment on camera or film.  In the middle of the moment, it felt so obvious, so right:  this is what a 16 year old child should have . . .  someone interested in their life.  It is what I pray for each of the kids in the orphanage.

People often ask me what the hardest part of my job is, and I can say without  hesitation that the hardest thing is watching a child’s 16th birthday come and go with no family stepping forward to adopt them.  2010 has been especially difficult in this area.   This year there were no families deciding to file paperwork at the last minute to keep a child eligible for adoption.

Instead, 16th birthdays of children I know well and love dearly have come and gone over and over again.  Each of them hold a special place in my heart, a place that will now be a little bit broken and hurts every time I think of them and what awaits them outside of the orphanage.

Each of these children is so different, each has unique needs and challenges but in one way they are all the same-they desperately wanted and needed parents, but parents never came.   They will never have a chance to show mom and dad what they can do.  They will now face life on their own.   The commitment of an adoptive family to love them no matter what, could have changed all this, but for those 16 and over, it will never happen.

At the same time that I smile watching my brother, another part of me cries inside for the 16 year olds I know on the other side of the world who have gone without parents for so long and now will go without them forever.    Please pray for these kids, as well as others in the orphanage who will be turning 16 this school year."

Children Waiting for a Family

 From a friend about children living as orphans in another country:

“I met him 9 years ago.  Back then, he was a tiny 8 year old, bouncy, bubbly, and full of life.   Now he is taller than me.  On his birthday last week, he turned 17.  His mother is alive but mentally disturbed and unable to care for him.  He waited for years, hoping for an adoptive family.  No one came.   I haven’t seen him for awhile; he is in and out of the orphanage, probably finding trouble.  But today I saw him and we talked about life, about the future, about his plans—and we played a game together.  His eyes lit up,  “I LOVE that game,” he said.  “Let’s play!”  He was respectful and played by all the rules.  When it was time for me to leave he helped me gather up all the items that the other kids had been playing with and insisted on carrying the bag as we walked to the gate.  I saw it then, in his eyes . . .  this child was created in the image of God and even though no other adult is there to see it or notice it or care, there is something good in him, something very good.

In some kids in the orphanage goodness is so easy to see,

. . . in "E" who kicked around a soccer ball today with his little brother and then sat in the grass for a long time finding new bugs

. . . in "V" who found the self-control to not blow up when another boy was teasing him unmercifully this afternoon

. . . in "S" who was trying to fix a bicycle wheel today and sat patiently explaining to another boy what needed to be done

. . .  when little "K" skips down the hallway to give me a hug and say hi

. . .  when "K" sits quietly and reads her book in the middle of the noise and chaos that usually surrounds her

I can see something positive in each one, but there is negative too, believe me, a lot of negative:  bad behavior and habits, disrespect, and hurtful teasing.”   

How incredible to know that all of these things can change.  By the grace of God hearts can be changed.

I have seen how children can change through adoption.   I am in awe of the changes that have happened in one little boy's life over the past months since he has lived with his new family.     He looks so healthy, there is a sparkle in his eye, and he chatters on and on, but the most amazing changes to see are the ones that have happened on the inside.   He is more confident, loving, caring, respectful, and considerate.     These changes have not come without the cost of time, energy, and love from his parents,  but oh what a reward!   What a joy  to see him run into his dad’s arm, carefully push his brother on the swing or sit at the kitchen table working through a school book with his mom!

God created all these good qualities in him from the very beginning, now in a family he is able to grow, and mature in these things under the watchful eyes of his parents and so many other adults who love and care for him.  The other children that remain as orphans have good qualities too.  Sadly they often go unnoticed.   Thank you for praying for them and the many other orphans who are waiting for parents.

Are You Interested In Joining Us?

We are looking for a couple, with or without children, to come live and serve with us at Palmer Home for Children.  If interested, please contact me.

I Love You Big, Big!

In her early 70's Grandma Lela left her home in the States for Ukraine so that she could show orphans the love of Jesus.  The first time Lela saw Karina, our daughter was trying to read but could barely see the words on the pages of the book.  Grandma watched as Karina held the book close against her face so that her eyes could see what was there.  Grandma walked over to Karina, gave her a hug, told her she loved her and took her to the eye doctor.
That was about eight years ago.
God used Grandma Lela to help Karina see both physically and spiritually as she not only bought glasses for Karina but told her about the love of Jesus.  Lela told me one time that she left family and home to care for those that had no family and home and to tell them about Jesus.

The first day Sheila and I met Lela she was sitting on a couch in the playroom at the orphanage and one by one boys and girls would give her a hug and kiss.
"Does Grandma Lela love you small, small?" she would ask the children.
"No!  Grandma Lela loves me big, big!" they would respond.
She loved on every child... and every child loved on her.
As we watched her interact with the kids we thought, "What a woman!"  In the words of a fourteen year old former orphan, "She could have retired and done nothing with her life or just taken care of herself.  Instead she gave herself to us."
It is an honor to know her.

Lela had to leave Ukraine not long after we adopted Karina because of medical reasons and a few weeks ago several of the children that she ministered to came to visit her.
As each child came to her she told them, "I love you!"
And they responded, "We love you Grandma, Lela!"
Grandma went to be with Jesus this past week.

 We are so thankful for her, we praise God for her and we pray that God would raise up many more Grandma Lela's.
For many orphans, she was the first person to show them Jesus.
I imagine Jesus telling Grandma, "Lela, I love you big, big!"

Dot Courson Art Blog: Art for the Love of It

Dot Courson Art Blog: Art for the Love of It: "Here is a painting that I'm just about finished with that I'm giving to the Palmer Home Orphanage in Columbus, MS. My friend Vicki Overstree..."

House Parents Needed

We are looking for a couple/family to serve as house parents at our Hernando Campus.  If you are interested, know of someone who would be or would like more information, please let me know.  If you do not have my contact information you can send me a comment.  Comments are moderated and the public will not see it.

Palmer Home Children Reaching Out to Haiti

Jesus "came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many" (from Matthew 20:28) and Galatians 5:13 tells us to serve one another through love. 

Serving others is one of the characteristics we hope to instill within all of our children at Palmer Home for Children. 

Recently a mission organization needed help washing buckets that are on the way to Haiti.  These buckets will be used by those still suffering from the massive earthquake to haul fresh water.

Several of our children came together to wash the buckets... and have a lot of fun in the process.

Where Hope Still Grows

Many things grow at Palmer Home for Children. 

We have an orchard full of apples, peaches, blueberries, plums, blackberries, grapes and figs where the children love to pick and enjoy eating the fruit.  It is fun to see them exclaim how delicious the fresh picked fruit tastes and teach them how the fruit must be nurtured for it to grow.

Palmer Home for Children is known as a "Christian ministry where hope still grows".  This summer at Palmer Home I have seen that statement to be so true.  The good news of Jesus and the love that the staff showers upon the children here at Palmer Home truly gives them hope.  What a joy it is to see so many children come from a place of hopelessness to Palmer Home where they do have hope, love, care and the gospel.  Over the past few weeks a tiny little girl told me, "In the shelter we cried every night but at Palmer Home we do not cry anymore."  An eleven year old boy exclaimed, "I am not afraid anymore!" when a caring staff member helped him conquer one of his ongoing fears.  A six year old boy professed Jesus as his Lord and Savior with joy.  These are just some of the wonders that happen through the love and service of the staff of Palmer Home and because of the grace of God.

Someone called me recently crying out for us to help three children that had no parents to care for them and were staying in a different location almost every night.  At the end of the conversation she said, "Thank you.  You have given us hope."

Jesus has given us hope.  It is that hope that we pass on to these children and then nurture them to see them grow.
 

She is Home!

When we were adopting Karina we met one of her good friends.  This was the girl that begged us to find a family for her.  On the day that Karina left the orphanage with us, this girl grabbed us and pleaded with us not to forget her, to pray for her and if we could, send someone to rescue her.
God answered her prayers and a year and a half later, she has come home to live with her new family not far from Karina.
It is good to see them together again and we praise God for the family that was willing to rescue another former orphan from the hopelessness she was facing.
Many of you prayed for this girl.  Thank you.  She is home.

Palmer Home for Children

Many have asked to know more about Palmer Home for Children where we are serving.  Palmer Home is a ministry for children growing up as social orphans without the nurture and support of a loving family.  Palmer Home provides a stable, Christ-centered home for these children.  To learn more, click on the link and see the mission statement below.

The mission of Palmer Home for Children is to reflect the hope and love of Christ by providing a stable, long-term Christ-centered home for children who lack an adequate family structure.

To that end Palmer Home, as it has since 1895, remains committed to privately-funded, non-government child care which keeps siblings together, models evangelical Christian values, mends emotional scars, restores self-esteem, and provides for each child the full opportunity to reach his or her God-given potential.

Palmer Home for Children currently serves nearly 100 boys and girls from birth through college age who live year-round on two campuses in Columbus, MS and near Hernando, MS. It also extends counseling to the family of origin, foster care, and other family-related services that Palmer offers through its well-qualified, professional staff.

Palmer serves both individual children and sibling groups, brothers and sisters who need and want to be together, providing opportunity for every child to learn traditional family values and to become responsible, caring adults. Each day is structured to provide a careful blend of education, work, family, fun and freedom - all the things a healthy child needs, including the incorporation of Biblical principles into every aspect of life.

But whatever the length of stay or depth of need, Palmer is there to extend effective, healing help, so that hurting children can dare to hope, to dream, and to love again...all because caring friends have chosen to participate in Palmer's growing outreach, prayerfully and lovingly providing financial support and volunteer help.