ORPHANS
Cottage homes and foster care
From the lips of children

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When we celebrate the fact that many homeless and orphan children have been given new homes, we may overlook the impact this can have on the existing natural biological children in a family. This month we salute these unsung heroes by hearing the story from just one of them.

My name is Vic. I am so called after Vic Jackopson, who dedicated me to the Lord as a baby in his arms. My sister alone now calls me Vic because my brothers, dad, friends, classmates all call me Victor but my mum calls me Vikulya, a sort of pet name. To be quite open, I don’t like this as I’m almost 13.

From my birth until I was seven, I was the oldest child in the family, but then my parents decided they wanted to adopt more children older than me. I was a little upset. My parents loved all of them making no distinction between the natural and the adopted children.

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Over time I came to be friends with Diana. She helped me with my homework assignments. When I made mischief and expected to be punished, she took the blame upon herself. I have a very nice sister and she makes very tasty cakes and pancakes.

Mum does not like lazy people, so she teaches us all how to cook, to clean and do house chores. Our father never needs loaders when he chops logs in the forest. He chops the firewood, we load it and mum drives the truck from pile to pile until the truck is filled. We rest well on such nights.

Every year our dad takes us somewhere special. Last year it was to Moldova to see many members of the family because it was there that my mother was born. There are so many relatives that I cannot remember all the names. My granduncle has 60 grandchildren!

In the summer we visited Leyna, in Uman because Diana and Vlad remember her kindness and love toward them, when they were there in the orphanage. There we visited the world famous Sophia Park.

At least once every week of the summer we go to the beach at the River Dnipro. Often we build a campfire and sing songs. Me and my dad’s personal favorite is, “How Great Thou Art”. It is so impressive as darkness falls and the sky lights up with twinkling stars, our faces all aglow reflecting the crackling fire. Soon come other Christians and to the strumming of a guitar we sing our praises to God.

I do like to sing, maybe because I study piano at the music school. Young as I am, I dream of the future beyond music college to maybe the Music Conservatory in Odessa. When, at first I played the piano in church, I was so scared that I seemed not to feel the keys under my fingers . However, such skills do help me to play for my brothers because we all love to sing. How fortunate we are to go to the church in the village of Geronimivka, set in the idyllic natural surrounds of the forest. We live in an equally beautiful setting, the open fields of Ruska Poliana. Praise be to God alone.

Vic Kovpak




Click here to go to the main page of the Cottage homes and foster care project
 News, updates
25.05.2011   
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Family Games

Early in March this year Larisa organised a day of family sports and games. This was the second season of the games which was organised with different families. The aim was to show the authority of the father, to help to solve conflicts, to meet new families and to make new friends. 

 
25.05.2011   
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 “Carry the burdens of one-another”

I was the sixth child in the family. My four brothers and a sister were, as it seemed to me then, much older than me. 

 
22.10.2010   
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You made a difference

When I was still a child, I did not know the meaning of the word “happy.”  I cannot remember any happiness in my life.
02.03.2010   
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All I Wanted Was a Daughter

Hope Now homes are scattered throughout the Cherkassy region. Over the next three months we shall eavesdrop on one of these families in Ruska Poliana.
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PRAYER DIARY
01.02.2012    Pray for Alla, Lena, Ksenya and the team presently working in Calcutta for another two weeks with Tear Fund projects

02.02.2012    Pray that the Mission Fund, which undergirds all that is done both here and in Ukraine, will have the finances to meet all our obligations

03.02.2012    Pray for all the older people that came to our Christmas party in Cherkiassy, that the Lord will bless them whatever their situation or background

04.02.2012    Pray for those who had a well installed last year, that as they share their water they will get opportunities to share their faith also

05.02.2012    Pray for all those who are attending the Bible School that they can give adequate time to studying, working and being with their families

06.02.2012    For all the foster parents of children supported by Hope Now, that they will have patience as they have to deal with problems that occur from time to time

07.02.2012    Our auditors visit the Southampton offices today to audit our accounts – pray that all will be in order as figures are checked

08.02.2012    Give thanks for all the volunteers that come into the office and give of their time so sacrificially, doing jobs at times without even being asked

09.02.2012    Pray for Frank and Lin as they plan for the summer at Kompas Park, and visit churches to speak about the varying areas of service possible

10.02.2012    Pray for Misha and all the staff at the Ukraine office as they consider all the requests from those asking for help

11.02.2012    Pray that all the plans for the Annual Weekend Away next month will come together well, and that people will register early while rooms are still available

12.02.2012    Pray for Alla Kostyunina, Director of Kompas Park, that she will be given wisdom in her decisions and management of the Park

13.02.2012    Give thanks that the young people in South Africa are doing well with their education, and pray for wisdom for Margaret Ferguson as she guides and directs them

14.02.2012    On this St Valentine’s Day, pray for the students we support who are in relationships, that they will be sensible and keep up their studies

15.02.2012    Pray for David and Valerie Reddaway as they oversee the Bible School, and the Church planting and twinning programme

16.02.2012    Pray for Jon as he attends a Men Meet meeting in Milford on Sea this evening

17.02.2012    Pray for Jon and Ali as they travel to Buckinghamshire to attend the Vetinerary Christian Conference this weekend

18.02.2012    Pray for Maria Shevchuki of Kuchkivka village as she celebrates her 86th birthday today

19.02.2012    Pray for the Directors and Staff of Orphanages we are involved with, that they will look after their children with love and dedication

20.02.2012    Pray for the young girls in Swindon House, and boys in Cornah House as they learn new skills which will prepare them for their futures

21.02.2012    Pray for Jon in his many responsibilities, that he will have wisdom in each decision that he has to make

22.02.2012    Pray for Lidia Savelieva and her vision of a sheltered home for older people to be realised, and pray for finances to come in for this project

23.02.2012    For Larisa Vovk in her work of overseeing the work being done with children in the orphanages and cottage homes

24.02.2012    Pray for Jon and Ali as they travel to Carlisle for the Northern Vet’s Christian Conference

25.02.2012    Pray for Cyndee and Darrell Knight and the work they do in the American Office for Kompas Park

26.02.2012    Pray for the Food Programme in Ukraine, especially through this winter time, that all those in need will receive help and no-one will be overlooked

27.02.2012    Pray for Vitaly and Ludmila Sidenko in their work with the African Students at 2nd Baptist Church, and Ludmila’s work with the deaf community at the same church

28.02.2012    Pray that we may be able to assemble a team of dentists and nurses to treat the children in the internats

29.02.2012    Give thanks for all our supporters who pray regularly for the work of Hope Now, and give sacrificially month upon month – pray the Lord will bless them as they bless the people of Ukraine