Russian Missions in Orphanages

5:42:15 PM EST

First, let me introduce myself. My name is Scott Marchant. I have never done a blog before, so excuse any faux pas that may violate the rules of blogging. This blog was generally written at 6:00 am Moscow time in the main hall of the children's center in Tel'ch'e, Russia over a two week stretch. It chronicles many events that have taken place in my travels to this small villiage located 200 miles south-west of Moscow over the past 9 years. At the very least I hope you find it interesting, but it is my wish that it will create a spark that will lead you to do something for the children of the world, wherever God leads you.

Ten years ago, my wife Donna (a United Methodist pastor) went to Russia on a mission trip with a Methodist group from North Carolina. When she returned, she told me that I would have to go the following year so I could experience what she did. I told her that if we were to go, I wanted to learn some of the language. So we found a tutor at NC State and took lessons. That following summer we went with another Methodist group out of South Carolina and ended up at the children's center in Tel'ch'e, Russia. The people, workers and especially the children left such a mark on me, that I have returned seven times.

I will try and make sure that all postings are done in the order in which I wrote them. If I go out of turn, I will make a note of it. I also want to thank the following people: My wife Donna for introducing me to the children of Russia and to a new way of thinking about things; my children Sergei and Natasha for all their help with the Russian language; Steve Darr of Peacework out of Blacksburg, VA for helping put together all these trips, the Fayetteville District of the United Methodist Church for helping fund this important mission; Haymount UMC, Cotton UMC, Corinth UMC, Antioch UMC, Raeford UMC, and Hopewell UMC for the fundraising; The Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. for providing me the opportunity to carry on this mission; my parents for sending much needed clothes to the center; and for all those whose prayers and thoughts go out for the children.

And make sure you click "Older Entries" at the end of entry 10 for a few more posts. :)

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5:40:56 PM EST

St. Basil's, Red Square, Moscow

 

Entry 1 Russian Mission Blog

Most of our adventures to Russia begin in an airport somewhere. This year was no exception. Instead of the usual delays and long lines that tend to start a mission trip our story begins with a page over the airport intercom system. While Donna and I were sitting in the airport lobby, an announcement came on from the USO looking for someone to drive an officer back to Fort Bragg. Donna volunteered and a captain met us at the information desk. Donna said the ride back home was really interesting and that they talked the entire time. I went through security and boarded the plane for New York. In New York I had about an hour layover and my flight to Moscow took off on time. I got to Moscow with no problem. I sat on the very last row with a young Russian woman studying at the University of Utah. The attendant in our section was an American woman who spoke Russian fairly well. She was in a pretty foul mood most of the trip and had no problem scolding someone in either language. Although she came across as rather nasty, she was dealing with stupid people who can’t follow the rules. I made sure that I behaved myself. Oh yeah, my bags arrived with me!!! J

I met Tanya, my sponsor, in the area just outside of baggage claim. She was supposed to be in Estonia defending some Russian citizens that had been arrested by the Estonian police. They were protesting the removal/relocation of a monument to Soviet soldiers who defeated the Nazis during WWII. (See Time or Newsweek if you are interested in this story). When I arrived in Moscow, it was about 93 degrees. Although Tanya’s car had air, it was still blistering and the traffic just crawled. Moscow has grown and changed so much over the past 9 years, it is unbelievable, and it is considered the third most expensive city in the world. A cup of coffee costs $3.50 at a café now whereas 9 years ago I couldn’t even find a café or a cup of coffee.

The first thing I had to do was register my visa. In order to travel to Russia, one must have a sponsor and an official invitation. Registering is very important and if you don’t within one or two working days, there can be difficulties exiting the country and very steep fines for your sponsor. Well, I arrived on a Wednesday and the visa offices are closed on, you guessed it, Wednesdays. Since I was going to be leaving Moscow later that afternoon, I had to make copies of my passport, visa and registration card and leave them with Tanya. Russians love to stamp documents, and in years past, I was used to having my officially stamped registration card on me at all times. Tanya assured me that everything was fine, because the laws had changed and that I would have no problems at passport control when I left. Since she is a lawyer, I took the leap of faith and proceeded to the train station. I bought my tickets and said good bye to Tanya. The train ride was uneventful and my roommate slept the whole way to Mtsensk. Due to the jet lag, I couldn’t sleep and when it was time for me to get off the train, I had been awake 30 hours. My roommate helped me with my bags and we said goodbye. Valya and Sergei, our driver, arrived as I was getting off the platform with a group of older children from the center. It was wonderful to see everybody, but it was time for me to crash. Day 1.25 done!!!

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5:39:38 PM EST

Entry 2 Russian Mission Blog

When I tell people that we travel through Russia, they seem to think that it is very dangerous. Quite the opposite. In Moscow, of course be as careful as you would be in New York, any other big city, (or Fayetteville for that matter). Once I get on the train, the people are just regular folks from all walks of life who are very gracious and welcoming to us Americans. The trains have been very safe and the staff wonderful and helpful.

 

Entry 3 Russian Mission Blog

The Weather:

An invading German soldier during WWII in Russia once wrote home that Russian weather is one natural disaster followed by another. Now I have only traveled in the western part from Archangel in the north to Kursk, about 300 miles south of Moscow. And I think I understand what the German soldier meant. The first impression when I mention Russia to friends is "It is very cold all the time." But I assure you that in the Orlyol Oblast’(state), possibly where the soldier was fighting, it gets well into the 90's. And in true Russian fashion, it seems much bigger (hotter) because there is no way to get away from it. When it rains, the ground turns to mud. When dry, like the desert. When cold (-30 degrees), you can’t imagine. And the heat can be unbearable. So when traveling to Russia, don’t pack as light as you want to and don’t expect it to get as cold as you think. Unless you are in upper Siberia in January (it will be cold).

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5:38:16 PM EST

Valya, the director, is standing on the left in the back with some of the children from the center.    

Entry 4 Russian Mission Blog

The Children and the Situation:

We have been coming to Tel’ch’e, a tiny village 250 miles SW of Moscow, for nine years. Moscow has grown and become one of the most expensive cities in the world. We have seen Orel grow and even the little city of Mtsensk change. More and more cars are crowding the streets, and cell phones are everywhere. But with all this growth, the money tends to stay in tight circles and most Russians have not benefited from capitalism. And unfortunately at the bottom of the capitalism ladder are the elderly and the children. A side note here that this is not a problem restricted to Russia. One can travel within one’s own area and find abundant examples in our own backyard. We have been led to Russia by God or by chance if you will, but nonetheless, there we are.

Some of the children singing in the main hall of the center.

 

Now why are there nearly 1 million children in the state orphanage system? Of all the children we have stayed with, most are there because of alcohol abuse in the home. Vodka! It is plentiful and cheap in a country that witnessed a change so fast that it left all but a few privileged and corrupt behind. With the collapse of the Soviet Union and its associated military machine, most factory workers lost their jobs. And with little infrastructure in place, a large portion of the population fell into despair and turned to alcohol. The orphanage system saw an almost immediate surge(tidal wave) of children. The tiny village of Tel’ch’e was no exception, and in 1996, a small children’s center was opened to handle the immediate area. The children’s center is state run and the director, Valentina Petrovna, has been at its helm since the beginning.

Up until three years ago, Valya only told us of the situations where the children come from, but now she takes me to a few homes each visit. All have had one thing in common; vodka. If Valya sees that the child is not being properly cared for, she steps in. She initiates the legal paperwork to have the child removed from the home and put into the care of the state. What is great about Valya is that she not only takes care of the health and education of the child, she tries to get the parents help as well. Alcohol abuse is widespread in Russia, but few have access to treatment programs. She says it is wonderful when she can actually get the children back in the home with their parents. I don’t know what her success rate is concerning reuniting parents with the children, but I have met a few families where this is the case and Valya is quite proud of this achievement. If after 3-6 months she doesn’t see any improvement in the home, she begins procedures to have the parental rights terminated. After the courts terminate the rights of the parents, the children are moved into a large orphanage until they are taken in by another family member or adopted. At seventeen they become adults and are released from the orphanage on their own.

One can hope for a fairytale rags to riches ending, but unfortunately in a world that tends to look after only itself, fairytale endings are the exceptions.

Sveta trying on some new shoes!

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5:37:22 PM EST

Entry 5 Russian Mission Blog

The Building:

The children’s center in Tel’ch’e is a large white single story cinderblock building split into 2 parts. The main part is for the children who live there, the other is a small kindergarden. Our first trip was in 1998 and we installed/painted the playground equipment that still exists today. Most of our early trips consisted of painting (with lead-based paint, unfortunately) playground equipment or the outside of the building. But this did very little in the way of helping take care of the needs of the children. By 2004, when we traveled with a sizable group, the floor was full of holes, the windows were broken, the heating system did not work and the beds the children were sleeping in were rotting. During the winter the children would all sleep in one room together to keep warm. Our group decided to pitch in and start with the heating system. The problems were many:

1) Neither of the pump motors worked

2) The contactors were falling apart

3) The piping was corroded

4) The thermostats and pressure relief valve did not work (very dangerous!!!)

We tallied up the total $ to get it repaired and everyone chipped in. Valya made sure that the work got done with the funds we left behind. In March the following year, I got a note from her saying that everything worked out and that the children stayed warm all winter. The next year when I returned, it was time to fix the remaining holes in the floor that the children were falling through. Valya let me know that the state takes care of the basic needs like food and medicine, but with the upkeep of the center, they are on their own. So we took care of the flooring, doors and windows. My goal for the future is to work in the bathroom where the piping and facilities need to be completely replaced.

The heater pumps we purchased in 2005.

The new hot water heaters we purchased in 2005.

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5:36:17 PM EST

Entry 6: Russian Mission Blog

The People

Now I will introduce you to the people of Russia. As I wrote earlier, when I tell people that I travel alone in Russia, they are shocked at first. They have the impression that Russians are dangerous, hate Americans, steal everything I have, and are all in the mafia. Nothing can be further from the truth. Now be assured that if you wanted to find trouble, you could. The mafia is only located where there is plenty of money. And since most of the money is located in and around the large cities, the countryside is pretty much mafia free. Russians tend to be much harsher on their own than on their guests. When it is learned that I am an American, the tone of the situation/conversation changes.

When I was returning to Moscow in June 2006 from Tel’ch’e, I was riding on the overnight train. I boarded the car and headed to my berth. Each berth has 4 bunks, so the chance of a roommate is pretty good. When I got there, I noticed a military jacket, so I assumed that I would be traveling with a soldier. I was correct. A few moments later a young dour looking soldier walked in. We did the customary hellos and engaged in some equally dour small talk. After about 10 minutes he asked me what business I had in Moscow. I told him that I was heading home to the States. His eyes got real big and asked if I was really an American. I said yes and he told me that he could not believe he was sitting on a train with an American. The pitch of his voice went up a few notches and he said "Let me see your passport!", still not believing his ears. When I showed it to him, it was time to get the party started. First things first, time for a toast. Since I don’t drink vodka, he bought me a beer and himself a bottle of vodka (we were in the car with the bar). We toasted everything under the sun: friendship, Russia, America… He then called his brother, also military, and told him that he was sitting with an American on the train. I then had to get on the phone to prove it. The party then proceeded to the bar area where my new friend, Grisha, invited the entire car. Students, businessmen, and workers on the train were all in attendance. I was introduced to everybody like I was his best friend. Conversations from food to languages to politics dominated the evening. Russians are very passionate about all things in life, and some conversations, like politics would become quite heated. But in the end the conversation would end with a toast.

At about 2 am, my friend Grisha was starting his second bottle of vodka and I was still hanging on to my first beer. I was able to break free @3:30 am to lie down on my bunk. At 4:00 Grisha came in, turned on some Russian pop music, and passed out. If you have never heard Russian pop music, go online and check some out and you will see why I did not sleep the rest of the journey!  After we arrived in Moscow, it was time to get off the train, but Grisha was out cold, and my bags were under his bunk. Our wagon conductor, a 6’ blonde, proceeded to try and wake up my new friend with shouting, shaking and a few right hooks to his jaw. Finally she got the MPs and they dragged my new best friend off the train. When I got off the train, there was Grisha between the two MPs. As I passed by, he invited me to a final toast.

Whether from a private in the army, a homemaker or a city official, such warm receptions are the norm. A guest is always made to feel welcome even in the poorest of homes or the strangest of situations.

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5:33:31 PM EST

Entry 7 Russian Mission Blog

The War

The little village that we go to each year is located between Tula and Orel, about 200 miles southwest of Moscow. The village, Tel’ch’e ended up in German hands for about two years and was basically the front line during World War II (or as they call it, the Great Patriotic War.) After the German offensive in the Kursk pocket in the summer of 1943, the town was retaken by Soviet troops in July of that year. The village was the scene of two fierce battles and a brutal Nazi occupation. The stories told to me by the soldiers and survivors are both harrowing and inspiring. One such story was told to us by Mr. Melnikov, a veteran, on the 61st anniversary of the liberation of the town.

Paraphrased from celebration July 2004:

" The Russian troops were attacking the town from the northeast and were entering from just beyond the school. The fascists were pushed back into the village and taking up positions around the school. As the first Russian troops entered the town, some children greeted them with flowers. As the children were handing them the flowers some German troops opened fire from the school. A mortar round landed next to the children killing 5 of them and 3 soldiers. One of the children killed was my nephew. That is why I built this memorial on this spot."

 

 

The three men are veterans of WW2 and the women at right survived the German occupation.

 

Mr. Melnikov

This year I had the privilege to talk/listen to another veteran of the war Mrs. Palovna. She was 17 years old when the Battle of Kursk took place and she was a nurse on the front line. Three of her brothers were killed during the war and she talked at length how she and all of her siblings served.

Paraphrased from a discussion with Mrs. Palovna June 2007:

"I was 17 when I began my service in the Soviet army. I was stationed outside of Kursk in a field hospital. The most terrifying moments were when the German planes would drop phosphorous flares at night. The sky would become bright as day and we knew that the German bombers would be next. Once my good friend Tanya and I were moving a wounded soldier on a stretcher when the bombs started to fall. Tanya was in front and I was behind. Suddenly there was an explosion in front of us and we all fell down. The soldier on the stretcher was killed and so was my best friend who had the top of her head blown off. I was only slightly wounded and was able to continue working at the hospital. I still remember that day like it was yesterday. …You see the battle of Kursk was a very large tank battle, and there were a lot of soldiers coming to us who were injured in tanks. The wounded from the tanks were just…"  At this point, she began to cry and was unable to complete the sentence, and the interview ended on that somber note.

 

Mrs. Palovna with her granddaughter and great grandson

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5:32:33 PM EST

Nina

Entry 8 Russian Mission Blog:

The Children

When I walk into the bedrooms of the children’s center at bedtime, every arm gets outstretched towards me. They want to be held, kissed, or simply just a little bit of personal attention. The few minutes that I am in the room are filled with "ME, ME, ME!" or "You only kissed me once!" or "I want to be the last before you leave." These children are smart, talented and fun. But they are all lacking one thing: personal attention from a loved one, and they are craving it. Especially from a male "father" figure.

Yesterday 6/07/07, a journalist from the local paper interviewed me about our work and experiences here in Tel’ch’e. The questions about why Tel’ch’e and why children were typical of most conversations I would have with friends and family. But one question stood out. "Children are children all over the world, but what makes the children in the Russian orphanage system different from the others?"

I sat for a second to think of the words in Russian, but it wouldn’t come to me. Then I tried in English, but had the same result. After a minute or two of trying to piece together a coherent sentence( I was suffering from laryngitis ), I finally said "They seem to share the same soul." When one is hurting, the others seem to know exactly what to do. The workers at the center do a great job of taking care of the children, but when it comes to comforting a child who has just been ripped from their home, they rely on each other. The support is usually without words. Maybe a favorite (or only) toy is offered or the opportunity to sit on a sympathetic lap. I’m sure shared or common experiences are part of the equation, but one visit to the children’s center in Tel’ch’e and you would understand that there is more to these children than shared experiences and that a collective spirit does exist.

The children at the center are smart, artistic, creative and appreciative. All the children of school age go to the local public school while they are living at the center, and the preschoolers attend kindergarten. Most Russian children, including those in the children’s center, have an appreciation for education and are quite proud of their math skills and knowledge of classic Russian literature and prose. They are keenly aware of the world, even outside their own country and love nature with all it has to offer. The arts are always emphasized and most of the children have no inhibitions when it comes to singing or performing for an audience.

PICTURES

Except for a very small percentage, most of the children want to return home, even if conditions are less than desirable. The few houses I have visited with Valya would be considered condemned rat traps. But mama is still mama and no one can take her place. Last year a little girl arrived and she would cry "Mama! Mama! Mama’s coming!" over and over. Valya told me that there is no way she can go home. This year a family of three boarded a van to go home to mama. The children were very excited. As they pulled away Valya turned to me shaking her head and said, "They will be back." She had a tear in her eye and she did something that I have only seen her do a few times, she turned away and said nothing.

And these children are just a few examples of the hundreds of I have lived with for two week intervals every year for the last nine years. Their short lives have been hard at best and a nightmare at worst. What will become of them when they turn 17? They have no money, no possessions and a bleak future. So why is that I always seem to go home with so much more than I could possibly have ever brought to them?

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5:31:25 PM EST

Entry 9 Russian Mission Blog

People Continued:

Last night I had quite a different experience on the train ride to Moscow than a year ago. The car I was assigned to was very new and quite modern. The berth was still small, but very clean with personal radios, reading lights and an electronic sign letting you know the restroom was free. One of the top bunks had a gentleman sleeping in it. In the bunk below was a woman preparing her place. I stumbled in with my overweight bags and got myself settled. The car conductor asked if we wanted tea and we both said we did. We started to speak some, and I found out she was a cook in Moscow and she learned that I was on my way home to the States. She inquired about my stay in Tel’ch’e and I filled her in on our work at the center. She then started to cry and told me that this is truly God’s work (I had not yet told her of my connection to the Methodist Church.) I told her that what we do in the grand scheme of things is quite small with a problem so large. I also told her that I always seem to leave feeling like I have received more than I could ever offer the children. She said, "That’s God’s gift to you for doing the right thing."

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5:29:56 PM EST

Entry 10 Russian Mission Blog

The Russian Language

10 years ago, when Donna and her father went to Russia, one of the things she introduced me to was the Russian language. When she returned, she taught me my first word (excluding da, nyet and vodka ), sobaka… dog. I told her that if we were to return the following year, I wanted to learn a little. So we found a tutor at North Carolina State University and started taking lessons once a week. I quickly began to realize that learning Russian is a lot like getting a root canal – you don’t do either one for fun. Russian is a language with a different alphabet and a grammar structure straight from heck. ( I hear Finnish and Hungarian are worse, so we will leave Russian in heck.) It has six cases which means that every noun and adjective changes spelling and pronunciation depending on its location in a sentence, plurality and gender. It is quite complicated.

Like I said, no one learns Russian for fun and when the time came for us to set out, I was pumped to try out my year of hard work. So we landed in Moscow and boarded the train for Tel’ch’e. When we got to the train station in Mtsensk, we were greeted by Valya. One of our translators told her that I had been studying Russian and when she turned to speak to me, I just stood there. Nothing!!! I understood NOTHING she said. I thought that maybe it was the jet lag. So the following I set out to try again. With Valya… Nothing. Ira… Nothing. The children… Nothing!!! I began to wonder if I had been studying Russian at all. As the trip went on, Valya and the children pitched in and really worked at teaching me Russian. What I learned was that I was pretty good at reading and writing but seriously lacking in the speaking and listening skills. Most of my learning up to that point was in the reading and writing field, but speaking and listening require even more practice.

The main thing I came away with on that trip was that in Russian, pronunciation is everything. English words can take a certain amount of mangling and still be understood. If you mispronounce a word in Russian, you get a blank stare and a "shto?" – "what?" When Donna and I moved to Fayetteville, NC in 1999, I enlisted the help of two Russian students studying at Methodist College. One was my grammar coach and the other my pronunciation coach. Zhenya and Natasha sat with me twice a week and really accelerated my speaking and listening skills.

In 2001 Donna and I adopted two children from Severodvinsk, Russia located about 600 miles north of Moscow. Neither one spoke English so Russian was the dominant language in the house for a while and propelled me to the point where I am comfortable in Russia without a translator. Learning Russian is not for the faint of heart, those with no time to practice, or the lazy. But if you still want to learn the beautiful language of Tolstoy and Pushkin, I highly recommend it.

 

Click "OLDER ENTRIES" for more.

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