Last year we had three Ukrainian children spend the summer with us. I shared many pictures and stories about them here on the blog. Many of you will remember. This year the children went to another host home for the summer. We were fortunate enough to get to see them a couple of times.
I probably took a million pictures last year of the kids and them with the animals.
This is one of Margaret sporting a pair of sunglasses the boys shared with her.
From the moment they arrived on the farm they eagerly took care of Margaret.
Artur
Vlad
and Vika all loved to bottle feed her. Sometimes they would get aggravated saying one fed her more than another had.
Margaret loved being the center of attention.
Even the morning they were to fly back to Ukraine…we all loaded up and went to say goodbye to all the animals and feed Margaret one last time as a family.
It was sweet. She had grown to love them and they had grown to love her. She depended on one of us to take care of her needs. She not only needed food from us, she needed love and attention and that is just what they gave her all summer long.
My pictures are few this year, but the moments I happened to capture are priceless.
Vika and I went to check on Margaret in the pasture while the boys were elsewhere with Billy. However, they too spent time with Margaret, later they were excited to share with me how much they thought she had grown.
These two seemed to immediately pick up right where they left off.
Margaret is friendly to a lot of people, but she doesn’t let just anyone cuddle this close. She obviously remembered Vika and recognized her voice.
Margaret was abandoned by her mother right after she was born, that is why we had to bottle feed her. I remembered thinking I just didn’t have time to bottle feed a baby calf. Billy and I had just agreed to have three orphans come stay the summer with us. We were going to be busy enough without adding bottle feeding twice a day to the list.
But God…..
God always amazes me with the lessons He teaches me, if I will just be still.
It seemed that Vika in particular related to this little calf. She kept asking why wouldn’t Margaret’s mother feed and take care of her. She would look at the mother and shake her little finger at her. Then she would turn to Margaret and tell her it was alright. She would pet her and speak kind to her, everyday, several times a day.
They grew very close to one another.
Shortly before the children were to leave last year, the final calf was born into the herd. It was a girl and we named her a name that was similar to the kids family name, in honor of them. They loved that, Vika especially would beam with pride when someone asked the name of the new calf.
She was beautiful, just like them.
So this summer after Vika saw Margaret she wanted to see Stephanie too.
She was amazed at how much she had grown.
Stephanie is like most of the other cows, they don’t have a desire to get close to humans. They are content to watch from a safe distance. Margaret is different because we provided for her the love and attention she needed so she loves us and trust us.
As I watched Vika love on Margaret it was as if God was once again teaching me.
Here was a little calf orphaned through no fault of her own. People came into her life and nurtured her and she benefited from it greatly. This little calf is a lot like our Ukrainian children. They by no fault of their own are orphans. They have been fed, clothed and loved by many other people other than their parents. Thankfully people, long before we knew them, considered and met their needs and have been showing them love. People who decided that even if they were busy with their own lives they just had to take care of their needs.
Even though Stephanie bears their name she is not close to Vika or the boys. They would love to show her some tender loving care, but she won’t let them. She just watches them from afar, little does she know that she is missing out on a lot of precious love.
It takes more than a name, even a family name, to have a deep mutual love and respect for one another. It is the tender touch of someone who gives you a hug and you welcoming it.
The soft familiar voice of one who is glad to see you, calling you by name and you responding favorably.
Someone who feeds you when you are hungry or warms you when you are cold and you are thankful in return.
Someone who spends time with you just because they enjoy your company and you do the same with them because the feeling is mutual.
Someone who loves you just because you are you…..
and you are thankful for that.
No, you don’t have to be blood related, to experience real family like love.
This was last year, the first night the children arrived.
This was the day we took them back to the airport three months later.
Talk about growing!!!! This was about two weeks ago.
The summer is over and they are headed back to Ukraine.
Please keep them in your prayers.
My personal thanks to the many people who have and continue to care for these and other children in similar circumstances.
We all need love…
Pray for God to show you who needs your love today, I promise you will be the one who is blessed every bit as much as them.
Never goodbye…..just I’ll see you later.
I love you Artur, Vlad and Vika…..you have a big piece of my heart.
I've Gone Country 