It looks like we will not receive permission to deliver the packages until Monday, so in the meantime the delegation has continued working in the bedrooms at the Chausy Orphanage, buying items needed for the orphanage and visiting families.  We also had an opportunity today to get into the “in-bond” warehouse (school gym) to familiarize ourselves with the organization of the boxes for when the release comes.  Here is a picture of part of the gym where the boxes have been sorted.

Every Spring the storks return to Belarus
and it is good luck to spot them.  Here are two in a field beside a village road.

Peggy had the opportunity to go out and visit families that are part of Irina Denisyenko’s Organization for Families with Invalid Children.  The first stop was to see a boy named Anton, the boy in this picture with his mother, his sister and her 4 year old daughter.

Anton is 19 years old and severely autistic.  He likes to play outside and help his mother in the garden.  He does not react well to a lot of stimulation so he does not attend the Social Workshop or get to attend our Day of the Angel party.

Another visit was with a 5 year old girl named Liza who has cerebral palsy.  Liza lives with her mother and her grandmother who are refugees from Kazakhstan. 

The Rotary Club sponsored a special bike for Liza which you can see in this photo.

The woman in this next photo is 78 years old and has a 36 year old son with downs syndrome.  When they arrived she was chopping wood to replenish her winter supply.

Jhenya is the only caregiver for her son and she is very worried that when she dies he will be sent to an institution where he too will die, as she is the only one that her son will let care for him.  Jhenya is quite deaf and already showing signs of dementia.

Irina has over 140 families in her organization and another 40 in our Guardian Angel Program for those who are too old for the organization.  The need here is very great but for the families we can help we are making a huge difference!

Eric McKenzie