Yaroslav
Yaroslav is a 14 year old young man. He has lived in an orphanage near the town of
Vinnytsya, Ukraine since he was 3 years old.
Currently, there are estimated to be more than 100,000
children living in orphanages in the Ukraine.
The Ukraine has open adoption policies with the US and has high success
rates of placing young children with US adoptive families; however, older children
face much harder circumstances. Children
age out of the orphanage system at 16 due to a shortage of funds, and
overcrowding. They must leave the
orphanage and do their best to become independent. The vast majority of them end up living on
the streets.
Orphanage
Statistics:-
70% of boys leaving the orphanage will become involved in
crime
70% of girls leaving the orphanage will become involved in
prostitution
About 1 in 6 of these children will commit suicide before
their mid-20’s
We Are Adopting Yaroslov
This summer our family had the privilege of hosting Yaroslav
for 8 weeks. Our family: Me - Karen (Mom), Lance (Dad) three children: Aiden <16>, Brennan <14>, Sophie
<11>, 1 dog, 2 cats, 2 bearded dragons, and two fish. Yaro
fit well in the zoo/mix.
He loves soccer,
video games, swimming, soccer, table tennis, soccer, and did I mention soccer?
Yaro was great! We shared
the joy of new experiences which we frequently take for granted: eating chocolate chip cookies, jumping on a
trampoline, and being able to pick out a new shirt at the store. At first, Yaro was a bit shy and hesitant, but
it wasn’t long before he claimed a couch as his own, started wrestling with the
dog, and discovered the joy of Netflix.
He learned to make his own ham sandwiches, rummage through the pantry
for snacks, and enjoy a snuggle on the couch with the very large black cat
named Gunther. Yaro established himself
as a formidable foe in Aiden’s video games (actually not really. No one can beat Aiden), a formidable goalie
on Brennan’s soccer team, and a formidable looser in squirt bottle fights with
Sophie.
We don’t deny that there
were moments of frustration. The
language barrier was very challenging.
We worked on ESL and made use of computer based Ukranian translators,
but had a hard time persuading a 14 year old to tell us what he was
experiencing. Yaroslav’s interactive skills had a wide range, from those of a
child who has had no parenting to those of a more mature person. We continuously reminded ourselves that
Yaroslav was raised in an orphanage rather than a family. Challenges aside, we came to really love and
care for this wonderful young man. When
the time came to send him back to Ukraine, his sorrow was almost more than we
could bear. It was with very heavy hearts that we said our goodbyes and put him
on the plane. Now that he is gone, there
is emptiness in our home and in our hearts. 
Since Yaro’s departure,
we have prayed and searched our souls, asking if we, as individuals, and as a
family are willing to accept the challenge of adding a non-English speaking,
orphanage raised, teenager, Yaro, to our family. We have come to the conclusion that if Yaro
wants to do this, we want him to be part of our family.
The “wild card” in our
decision was “What does Yaro want?” While
participating in the hosting program, families are told not to speak of
adoption with the child they are hosting.
Life is too uncertain, and the children shouldn’t be set up for
disappointment. When the adoption
program facilitator spoke with Yaro, she told him that we would like to adopt
him, and asked him how he felt about that.
We are told that he couldn’t stop smiling and said, “I thought maybe
they would forget about me. Yes I really want to be adopted!”
We Need Your Support
Now the challenge! We feel an urgency give Yarslov a home. The cost of adopting a child from The Ukraine
is approximately $25,000. We, as a
family, are committed to the long term familial support of this young man, but
request your assistance in the upfront cost of adoption and US Citizenship.
100% of your contribution will go to the adoption and naturalization process.
Tax deductible donations
can be made online or by check:
Hope for
Children
3496 N
160th Avenue
Holland, MI
49424
www.hopeforchildrenministry.org
Please state that it is for the Buxton
Family Adoption. The organization
will respond with receipts of your contribution.
