Cultural Exchange

I am fascinated by other cultures which is just one of the reasons my family often hosts a child from an orpahange in Ukraine. It's also a chance to share Jesus with a child who otherwise may never hear his name, to show how loving, Christian families interact, and to share our Okie culture and learn about theirs. We are doing so right now. Our host child is 15 and a living doll, both inside and out. She's also funny and a real gamer, willing to try new foods--and ride the Zipper at the country fair. AWK. Never again.

Tonight we had fried okra, a staple for us in the summer months. She doesn't like our ice tea, wasn't crazy about corn on the cob(poor deluded child) but this girl loved okra. In her thick Russian accent, she kept saying, "What is this? Okra? Mmmm." She had also never had M & Ms. My husband believes M&Ms are a staple of life, so he introduced her. She calls them M M Ms. And yes, she likes those too.

This was our first teenaged host child and I was a little nervous at first, being a little kid person, but she has proven to be so much fun. (And she washes dishes without me asking!)

So tell me, have any of you had experience with another culture?

A DIFFERENT KIND OF MOTHER

As this month of discussing mothers and motherhood draws to a close, I wanted to mention a different kind of mothering. My husband and I have a heart for orphans, particularly the children of Eastern Europe. Statistics from reputable sources reveal stark realities for those kids who are turned out on the streets, uneducated and without resources at the age of 15 or 16. Sixty percent of the girls will end up in the sex slave industry and seventy percent of the boys in a life of crime.

Why am I discussing this here? Because a few years ago we felt God calling us to do something. So we signed up to host a Ukrainian orphan. The tiny six-year-old arrived in oversized, stinking boots, ill-fitting, dirty clothes, reeking with body odor, and starved for food and attention. Our lives were forever changed by this beautiful, resilient little spirit.

Long story short, we tried to adopt her but Ukraine was in political turmoil and closed the doors to Americans for a time. We fell on our knees, prayed and fasted until somehow in His great love, God moved a mountain. In a country where only one percent of orphans are ever adopted, a young American couple ‘happened’ to squeeze through the rapidly closing window of opportunity and adopted the child and her sister. (They still send us photos.)

We rejoiced, happy to know she would never eat potato peelings and dog scraps again. But our hearts would not let us stop with one. Since that time, we have hosted a child at least once a year and then advocated for each child’s adoption. (Because of our age, Ukraine will not allow us to adopt.) All but one of our girls has now found a loving home. I continue to pray for Vika and I write to her regularly, send gifts, school supplies, clothes, and anything she needs. While I am not her mother in person, I am her mother through God's love.

Each time we host we say, “This is the last time.” Letting the child go hurts too much. But God won’t let us stop. And so later this summer, we take the plunge again. This time a teenager will come, a teenager who never had a mother to tuck her in or brush her hair. A teenager who cried in the dark and no one came to comfort when she was sick or afraid.

After this summer though, for the rest of her life, she will have a mother-albeit a long distance one-and I count it both joy and privilege to be that different kind of mother.

Now that I’ve brought this up, I’m curious. Have any of you hosted or fostered or adopted or felt the call to care for the fatherless?