Belarus Visit 30th October to 9th November 2014
This visit was mainly to find the 7 or 8 new children we needed to bring our group back up to 20 children for the 2015 visit. We also visited Anyas family for the first time. We met with Zhenyas family and doctor and were given the good news that, as it stands, he can travel in 2015 so we only need 7 new children now. We also visited Kiryls family on the second anniversary of the fire that destroyed their house and almost wiped out their family when they were sleeping. We give thanks that they have all survived and have now recovered and it was great to see the progress they are making in rebuilding their house, of bricks this time. We also had the biggest party in our history for all children in our group past and present at the 10 pin bowling in Mogilev. Think we visited around 17 possible new children over the week and the best part of the visit was of course telling our 7 new children that they will be coming to Scotland. As the visit was partly funded by me personally I also spent some time with my host child Pasha and his family on a few occasions and also did some sightseeing with our interpreters. I will post some pics now starting with the children and finishing with sightseeing. Below the pictures are copies of my facebook reports giving some more detailed info about the trip. Just want to say a huge thank you to all our interpreters, drivers and friends in Belarus and of course my host family. You are all great and without your help my visit would not be possible. Thank you.
Copies of facebook posts giving some more detail about the visits
Hi everyone. I am at Edinburgh airport about to embark upon another adventure to see our children in Belarus. Good start. My bag was too heavy, as you would expect but after some brief words of explanation the checkin girl let it through. Thank you. On this trip as well as seeing all our existing and old children and existing and past interpreters and drivers, at some point I will also be looking for 7 or 8 new children to join our group for next year to keep our group at 20 children. I hope to post updates every day or two over the next 10 days as wi-fi/tiredness permits
Following an interesting and eventful drive from the airport only got three and a half hours sleep before our early start this morning. Met zhenya and anya and also visited 5 possible new children. Got good news this morning from zhenyas doctor. As it stands he is well enough to join our group again next year.zhenya was looking well too. It was great to see and hear. Just been to a barbeque at pashas house with our friends from forth valley group. It was great to see Pasha Alena Maksim and family again. They always make us so welcome now off to catch up on some sleep.
Today I visited another 2 possible new children in Mogilev. Two heartbreaking stories, emotional interpreter, Co-ordinator just holding himself together honest It's great to think that we will lhopefully be able to help these two very needy children. Inbetween these visits we checked out the 10 pin bowling venue, where we will hold our children's party later in the week. Had a game and lunch with Pasha Alena and Zhanna. Tomorrow maybe more emotion as we take our first trip to the villages, where we may see as many as 9 children.
Today we visited 8 children in the villages. Very needy children in some difficult circumstances. Lots of long drives sometimes on unmade roads so well done to our driver Vitalik for getting us there and back. His duties are not over he now needs to get us to our interpreter Ludas birthday party. She is 21 again
A very early start today for some paperwork in the city centre withTania then me and Luda headed off to cherikof in the bus. Met Lena there and after spending some time chatting to some pupils from her school we had lunch in a nice cafe. This set us up nicely for an afternoon visiting 5 possible new children in cherikof. I have now seen all the new children I will see and will spend the next 24 hours deciding who to invite and what host parents they will stay with. I have met some really great children, so cute, so beautiful, but most of all so deserving. I know that whoever the lucky 7 are, they will be great additions to our group. Very difficult choices to be made. Who will miss out for now
So after much thought I have now decided on the seven children we will invite to our group and who they will stay with. One child from Klimovichy area has already been told and is happy. Tomorrow we will tell the 2 children who are coming from Mogilev and on Friday the 4 children coming from the Cherikof area.
Two really great reactions from the two children we told today that they will come to Scotland. They were so happy. One even said can he come now they were really excited to read a letter from their new host family with pictures of them and their house and pets. They got small gifts too. The boy got a football and the girl a doll. Two very excited houses tonight I think and hopefully 4 more tomorrow to complete our group again.
Yesterday we visited our final 4 new children to let them know they have been invited to Scotland. They were all delighted. We have 4 new boys Nikita, Sasha, Maksim and Vlad and 3 new girls Lena, Sveta and Luba. They will be great additions to our group and we look forward to welcoming them next year.
Well the visit is almost over Today we had the biggest party in our history with all village children coming to Mogilev to meet the city children for a party at the 10 pin bowling. We had current children and those who are no longer on the programme too. It was great to see them all. Some are looking so grown up now They had pizza, chicken and chips, juice, then bowling followed by Apple pie and ice cream, then sweets. Any leftovers were taken home too thanks to all 3 interpreters involved today,Luda, Tania and Lena. Lena for bringing 18 children on the long bus journey from the villages and Luda and Tania for making all the arrangements. It was a great success, as was the visit
Home safe Yesterday it was a mammoth task for me sorting all the info about the seven children and hundreds of photos before emailing them to our host parents. This was all done despite extreme tiredness. Waking up today to the following lovely email makes it all so worthwhile for me.
We just want to say a big thank you to you for the emails and photos. We have had a really good look over all of the information and photos for the last 20 minutes or so and I can honestly say we are both delighted that ..... is going to the be the one for us. She looks like a truly beautiful wee girl and its great to be able to put faces to names for her and her family.
They all look like a lovely family and its great to be able to read about them. We especially liked reading ......'s answers to the questions such a little personality there no doubt. It makes it all seem so real now for us and that we are already getting to know her.
We are genuinely looking forward to her arrival and helping to give her the best possible time in Scotland and reassuring her family about the true value of the charity, by sending home a very happy little girl. I know it cant be easy for mum and dad sending their little girl away for the very first time.
We are going to show ...... the photos in the morning before he goes to school, I know he will be excited to see them and hear all about her.
and the last post is a video of Lubas sister playing some lovely music for us.Its not the best recording but it was a lovely emotional rendition and shows that something beautiful can be created from the most difficult of circumstances and that is why we do what we do.
Hi everyone. I am at Edinburgh airport about to embark upon another adventure to see our children in Belarus. Good start. My bag was too heavy, as you would expect but after some brief words of explanation the checkin girl let it through. Thank you. On this trip as well as seeing all our existing and old children and existing and past interpreters and drivers, at some point I will also be looking for 7 or 8 new children to join our group for next year to keep our group at 20 children. I hope to post updates every day or two over the next 10 days as wi-fi/tiredness permits
Following an interesting and eventful drive from the airport only got three and a half hours sleep before our early start this morning. Met zhenya and anya and also visited 5 possible new children. Got good news this morning from zhenyas doctor. As it stands he is well enough to join our group again next year.zhenya was looking well too. It was great to see and hear. Just been to a barbeque at pashas house with our friends from forth valley group. It was great to see Pasha Alena Maksim and family again. They always make us so welcome now off to catch up on some sleep.
Today I visited another 2 possible new children in Mogilev. Two heartbreaking stories, emotional interpreter, Co-ordinator just holding himself together honest It's great to think that we will lhopefully be able to help these two very needy children. Inbetween these visits we checked out the 10 pin bowling venue, where we will hold our children's party later in the week. Had a game and lunch with Pasha Alena and Zhanna. Tomorrow maybe more emotion as we take our first trip to the villages, where we may see as many as 9 children.
Today we visited 8 children in the villages. Very needy children in some difficult circumstances. Lots of long drives sometimes on unmade roads so well done to our driver Vitalik for getting us there and back. His duties are not over he now needs to get us to our interpreter Ludas birthday party. She is 21 again
A very early start today for some paperwork in the city centre withTania then me and Luda headed off to cherikof in the bus. Met Lena there and after spending some time chatting to some pupils from her school we had lunch in a nice cafe. This set us up nicely for an afternoon visiting 5 possible new children in cherikof. I have now seen all the new children I will see and will spend the next 24 hours deciding who to invite and what host parents they will stay with. I have met some really great children, so cute, so beautiful, but most of all so deserving. I know that whoever the lucky 7 are, they will be great additions to our group. Very difficult choices to be made. Who will miss out for now
So after much thought I have now decided on the seven children we will invite to our group and who they will stay with. One child from Klimovichy area has already been told and is happy. Tomorrow we will tell the 2 children who are coming from Mogilev and on Friday the 4 children coming from the Cherikof area.
Two really great reactions from the two children we told today that they will come to Scotland. They were so happy. One even said can he come now they were really excited to read a letter from their new host family with pictures of them and their house and pets. They got small gifts too. The boy got a football and the girl a doll. Two very excited houses tonight I think and hopefully 4 more tomorrow to complete our group again.
Yesterday we visited our final 4 new children to let them know they have been invited to Scotland. They were all delighted. We have 4 new boys Nikita, Sasha, Maksim and Vlad and 3 new girls Lena, Sveta and Luba. They will be great additions to our group and we look forward to welcoming them next year.
Well the visit is almost over Today we had the biggest party in our history with all village children coming to Mogilev to meet the city children for a party at the 10 pin bowling. We had current children and those who are no longer on the programme too. It was great to see them all. Some are looking so grown up now They had pizza, chicken and chips, juice, then bowling followed by Apple pie and ice cream, then sweets. Any leftovers were taken home too thanks to all 3 interpreters involved today,Luda, Tania and Lena. Lena for bringing 18 children on the long bus journey from the villages and Luda and Tania for making all the arrangements. It was a great success, as was the visit
Home safe Yesterday it was a mammoth task for me sorting all the info about the seven children and hundreds of photos before emailing them to our host parents. This was all done despite extreme tiredness. Waking up today to the following lovely email makes it all so worthwhile for me.
We just want to say a big thank you to you for the emails and photos. We have had a really good look over all of the information and photos for the last 20 minutes or so and I can honestly say we are both delighted that ..... is going to the be the one for us. She looks like a truly beautiful wee girl and its great to be able to put faces to names for her and her family.
They all look like a lovely family and its great to be able to read about them. We especially liked reading ......'s answers to the questions such a little personality there no doubt. It makes it all seem so real now for us and that we are already getting to know her.
We are genuinely looking forward to her arrival and helping to give her the best possible time in Scotland and reassuring her family about the true value of the charity, by sending home a very happy little girl. I know it cant be easy for mum and dad sending their little girl away for the very first time.
We are going to show ...... the photos in the morning before he goes to school, I know he will be excited to see them and hear all about her.
and the last post is a video of Lubas sister playing some lovely music for us.Its not the best recording but it was a lovely emotional rendition and shows that something beautiful can be created from the most difficult of circumstances and that is why we do what we do.