At Home in Belarus

After a long car ride up to DC, we parked our car at the hotel and were shuttled over to the airport. We checked in without any hassles and even got the medical supplies bag checked without any extra fees! Praise the Lord! Even going through security with our carry-on's we weren't stopped and didn't have to open our bags. You couldn't have asked for anything more!

Then the journey began...from DC to Germany and onto Minsk. Here we went speedily through customs (once again, Praise the Lord!) and boarded the bus to Mogilov. The roads were covered in snow, which didn't stop the bus driver who continued on at full speed, past the snow plows. Rommy was just a bit nervous and said he would have been going 5mph, if on the roads at all! However, we arrived in Mogilov safely and were greeted at the train station by Sergei and then were able to pick up Ihor at the military school to join us for our trip. Praise God for working in the director's heart to allow us not only to see Ihor, but to have him with us overnight! This year, the Atroshkins prepared a glorious "welcome home" feast for us, complete with the whole family (even the grandparents)!

I will also report that the pet rat is (sadly) no longer. I'm sure that Marta is very distraught not to see her old friend again this year! Whether or not it was part of the feast is still TBD...although I stronly think not!

However, not everything in Belarus is as perfect as it sounds. After calling today, I recieved word of what Ihor had been doing to get in trouble at the military school. I'm not sure how much I am supposed to share, but I will say that he has been caught cheating and getting involved with the wrong group at his school. He has also been selling some of his things (apparently some of what we have sent him as well) to buy cigarettes. This has greatly burdened my heart this evening and I would ask that all of you specifically pray for Ihor at this time. Pray that the Lord will use Rommy and Marta to be a light for him and to help him understand the consequences of his actions. The Lord can do mighty things and it is my prayer that he would do a mighty work in Ihor's life and give new light to Ihor to walk in His steps. Only God knows his heart and I know this is especially troubling to Rommy and Marta as they strive to be a Godly expample, even half a world away.

-More later from Rommy and Marta, on behalf of Zack-

Tickets & Visas, Ready To Go!

Froster Frost and Snow Maiden as we visit the children in the orphanages!!!

Orphan bags packed, medical supplies ready to be packed for the upteenth time! Tickets and Visas in hand! We leave on Dec. 28. We will drive to Washington D.C. to catch our plane. Then we will fly from D.C. into Frankfort, Germany. Catch another plane to Minsk, Belaurs. There we will a bus from Minsk into Mogilev.

Flight information follows:
Lufthansa 419 leaves D.C. on Dec. 28 at 5:50 p.m. and arrives in Frankfort at 7:30 a.m Dec. 29.
Lufthansa 3240 leaves Frankfort De.c 29 at 10:50 a.m. and arrives in Minsk, Belarus at 2:10 pm.
Our return trip flight information:
Lufthansa 3241 leaves Minsk, Belarus on Jan. 9 at 3:10 p.m. arrives in Frankfort at 4:35 p.m. We have a one night stay in Frankfort.
Lufthansa 418 leaves Frankfort on Jan. 10 at 1:00 p.m. and arrives in Washington, D.C. at 3:50 p.m.
Because it will be so late and we will be so tired, we have opted to spend the night in D.C. after clearing customs we don't want to drive another 6-7 hours. So we will be leaving D.C. on January 11 for Charlotte and home!

Thanks to everyone for praying for us. Several requests:
1. Pray doors will be open for us to share Christ.
2. Safe travel and be able to clear customs with all our medical supplies in hand.
3. For Ihar to be able to stay with us while we're there.
4. For meetings between the Director of ABRO and with government officials in Minsk to get our program re-opened for orphans (like our Ihar) to come back this summer.

Don't forget that Belaurs is 7 hours ahead of Charlotte time!

Many many thanks to Cindy (for all the socks), Kristin (for all the good smelly soaps), Elouise (my dear friend who crocheted all the beautiful hats and scarfs), Dr. Gus (for all the toothpaste and toothbrushes), and Miranda (for all the beanies, shirts and purses)....for the children! and many blessings to Zack (you know what you did) and Tory, Patti and Susan (for the children)! Love you guys!

Letter from Ihar (Oct., 2009)

My latest letter from Ihar:

Hi, Mama and Papa, How are you doing?Sorry for my not writing for long. I had a good vacation. And now I am very busy at school. The school I going well for me. I am learning English. I have started thinking about my future professions. As of now, I am planning to try to get to the Aviation school and to become a military pilot. How is Miranda in South Korea doing? We were told that next summer other kids and I may go to America. Are you going to come to Belarus at Christmas time? Thank you for everything you are doing for me!!!! How is Ethan? Does he play soccer? How is his team doing? How is Caddles (?)? Now when the school has started I can’t often go to Anzhelika and Sergei. I love you very much! Ihar

Fields of the Fatherless

By C. Thomas Davis...

One of the most convicting books I have read in a very long time.
Introduction:
In this world you are an orphan eagerly anticipating your adoption as God's child.
In this world you are a widow, longing for reunion with your Bridegroom.
In this world you are a stranger, a pilgrim waiting to become a citizen of heaven.
And in this world, God has called you to care for the orphan, the widow and the stranger.

"God gave the responsibility to care for the defenseless to those claiming to be followers of Christ. It is through our hands the Father's love comes. It is through our voices His voice is heard, it is through our efforts and those of the church that His care is revealed to the ones the rest of the world has forgotten. "

Why reach out??? "God calls His people to reach out to the defenseless because they are the neediest. Without our help, they die early deaths, they are swept into lives of poverty, they make bad decisions and end up in jail." "One person has the ability to completely revolutionize the life of an abandoned child, a foreigner who is here to study or work, a single mom, or an elderly widow."

True compassion is Involvement.

As most of you know reading this blog, our journey began when God brought into our home a 11 year old young man named Ihar from Belarus. During his visit to our home, God showed us His great love for Ihar by causing us to fall in love with his child. He is the ours even though we are unable to adopt. God gave him to us to love, to nurture to give hope too. Although Ihar was unable to come to America this past summer, God provided by placing Ihar in my host family (Atroshkin family) home for the summer. While their daughter, Liza, came to our home.

Ihar needs to know we are still there for him and that we still love him like a son. His biggest desire has been for Rommy and me to both come to Belarus this Christmas. While I have been unable to see how this could happen, God has used one very special person to pay our passage to Belarus. Still there are other funds we need...but yet God is showing us He has more work for us to do and the orphans in Belarus are part of that work. So while we are unsure about the rest of the funds, we are reaching out and trusting God in His unliminted resources and will go and get involved in these orphanages to a deeper level. Our trip begins December 28. There are so many orphans (like Ihar) who need to experience the Hope of Jesus. How can they know this hope if no one is willing to go?

Please pray for us. We love you all.

Letter of Thanks!

I thought I would post the letter I rec'd from Belarus. It is from Anzhelika, Liza's Mother, and Ihar's caregiver for the summer. Lena works at ABRO Belarus. She is a wonderful lady who speaks excellent English! She has been a big help to me with Ihar. :-)

A letter from Anzhelika

Dear Marta and your Family,

We want to wholeheartedly thank you for your care and love for our entire family. Liza enjoyed so much the time she spent in your family and she will always remember these 6 weeks. Every day of them was full of joy! May the Lord bless you for your kindness and your love!

A little about us.

We have had a rather cold summer this year with plenty of rains.
The favorite pastime of David and Ihar is soccer, sure.
Ihar loves you very and misses not being with you this summer.
On the night Liza and Anhelina returned, he was not sleeping.
He was eager to get to know how you were doing.
He was so excited to get the gifts you sent him.
He was so happy and we were happy for him!

We met Adam in the church only once but Ihar and David were in the country on that day and they did not meet.

Dearest Marta,

Again, we are very grateful to you and your Family for everything.
We will be happy to meet with you here if you come to Belarus again.
With much love, our entire Family



Dear Marta,

And here are thanks coming from me, Lena .
Thank you very much for your care and remembrance.
It was so kind of you to think about me too and to send the gifts through Tatiana.
You have so many people you care about!!!!
I really was deeply moved by it.

You are very special and Tatiana spoke so highly of you!
I wish you and your Family lots of God’s blessings!

Today is our last day before the vacation. All groups have returned safely! Praise the Lord!!!!
Please write us when we are back in the office and I am always glad to be of any help to you.

I am writing through Mark as I feel that messages from here do not get to you for some reason.

With much love, Lena

Weeks 4, 5 & 6 - Liza's Visit

Where did all the time go? Liza and her group left Sunday, August 2. They arrived safe in Belaurs on Monday around 7:00 pm our time (2:00 am their time). These last few weeks, we spent much time with Tatiana (our chaperone); group activities (with the other children who flew to America with Liza); visiting her sister, Angelina, in Pinnacle, NC with her host family; bowling; a trip to the zoo; a trip to Carowinds; shopping; Vacation Bible School; swimming; watching movies (Liza's favorite channel on TV was the Hallmark channel)....and a day of straigtening her hair to look like Hannah Montana....

She is different from our little boy, Ihar. So it was a very different experience for us. She returned to Belarus bearing gifts for Ihar from us as well as gifts for her family. Their views on family are much different than ours here in America.

We are having to make a decision on a trip to Belarus over Christmas soon. Miranda leaves for South Korea on Aug. 17 so our family lives will change again very soon. Amazing how much spice children add to life!!!

Liza's Visit Week 2 & 3

As you can see from our pictures...we took Liza to Oak Island for a Tarlton Family Vacation. That means staying in my in-laws trailer and enjoying God's creation every day! Liza absolutely loves the ocean! She kept wanting to go further and further out to "ride the waves". We had beautiful weather! We came back home on Saturday, July 4 in plenty of time to watch the fireworks.

Liza enjoys spending time with Ethan (my nephew) and had a blast bowling w/Ethan.

Today we went swimming with some friends from church. Liza has made new American friends, Abigail and Emma. She had great fun with them!

Liza's favorite foods are pizza and chicken nuggets from McDonalds!