tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6668995971145288694.post6547177031586729325..comments2024-03-11T14:44:28.150-05:00Comments on Pretre's Adoption Blog: Saturday at #4Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00325586248965829415noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6668995971145288694.post-31260303354309338402008-12-09T13:43:00.000-06:002008-12-09T13:43:00.000-06:00I laughed at the extension cord. When I gave them...I laughed at the extension cord. When I gave them to Nancy I said, "you probably won't need them both" haha I guess I was wrong. Hope you took them both.<BR/>JanellAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6668995971145288694.post-49856376480784305612008-12-09T11:31:00.000-06:002008-12-09T11:31:00.000-06:00Great pictures! I'm really glad you are getting t...Great pictures! I'm really glad you are getting to take so many. As you know from my posts on the subject, my girls would not let me take many pictures of the Internot while we were there, out of embarrassment I suppose. They didn't want to acknowledge or remember how difficult or how bad it was there.<BR/><BR/>You described it there as "lonely." I completely agree. Nothing says it better. These kids are truly alone, and what could be worse for a child, for anyone, then to find oneself in life so alone.<BR/><BR/>Keep taking pictures. Document as much as you can. It tells a story better than anything else can. It will also hold a memory that so many do not want to remember, at least now. Some day they might. Then your pictures may prove valuable in a new way.<BR/><BR/>Can you get into the dorm rooms for a look, for pictures? Our girls wouldn't even consider the possibility.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6668995971145288694.post-92225586290434883072008-12-09T06:51:00.000-06:002008-12-09T06:51:00.000-06:00Love the pictures. I thought I had fried my compu...Love the pictures. I thought I had fried my computer one day. Luckily it didn't completely burn up. It smelled bad and was getting really hot. It turns out the circuit blew in time!Kevin and Pamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08150633223236062677noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6668995971145288694.post-69786078332906200992008-12-08T19:54:00.000-06:002008-12-08T19:54:00.000-06:00I know it is hard for Sergey that you cannot take ...I know it is hard for Sergey that you cannot take him right now. I pray for peace for him as he waits for everything to be finished. He is such a sweet boy and I know he is so excited that his forever family has come for him. I praise God for this!Ashleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07158435911486266847noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6668995971145288694.post-31108478486441877962008-12-08T16:44:00.000-06:002008-12-08T16:44:00.000-06:00I love seeing the pictures and hearing the stories...I love seeing the pictures and hearing the stories. I can't wait to visit there myself and be able to spend time with the children who have captured my heart. I'm praying for them to have families! Please greet our sweet girl for us the next time you visit. <BR/><BR/>I'm following your journey closely and am praying God will complete your family in the best possible way.Debora Hoffmannhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09947148491137183181noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6668995971145288694.post-84661695593376260482008-12-08T15:22:00.000-06:002008-12-08T15:22:00.000-06:00When I was there, the front was painted and the re...When I was there, the front was painted and the rest wasn't. That was nine months ago. Maybe they can finish it soon. It is weird seeing the other side looking so much uglier...hehe<BR/><BR/>Thank you for taking all of these pictures of Grisha. It is so nice seeing his face and knowing that he is okay. I never saw him playing with the dogs while I was there so it is nice to see that he does indeed like them. We have three dogs and I was hoping he liked dogs. :) <BR/><BR/>I am glad you mentioned how athletic the boys are. I have never seen boys as strong as these boys are. They were doing things that I would cringe in letting my boys do. I am going to have to lighten up a little when Grisha comes home. He is used to all of this and it will certainly take some adjusting on my part.Ashleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07158435911486266847noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6668995971145288694.post-82452391165374304052008-12-08T15:15:00.000-06:002008-12-08T15:15:00.000-06:00Hello Alan.We not met, but I just came over your b...Hello Alan.<BR/>We not met, but I just came over your blog, and I'm so excited because I grew up at orphanage #4.<BR/><BR/>I'm so happy for Sergey and what is another boys name? I knew Sergey from the art class. He always was there, as long as I can remember. He was doing crostiching, and did pretty good.Anniehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16748558334082539200noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6668995971145288694.post-52452391266626789742008-12-08T13:56:00.000-06:002008-12-08T13:56:00.000-06:00Thanks for the pictures! It really does complete ...Thanks for the pictures! It really does complete the "picture". I would laugh at the paint job but know it was all they could probably afford to do!<BR/>Give extra hugs for us for the children! Thanks again for being the arms and feet of Jesus to these children! God Bless!ArtworkByRuthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03792826892385070109noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6668995971145288694.post-80590111540903906782008-12-08T10:03:00.000-06:002008-12-08T10:03:00.000-06:00I am so glad that you are forming a great bond wit...I am so glad that you are forming a great bond with Sergy. Perhaps you will at least get to have him at home with you during Christmas.Conethia and Jim Bobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00983425684274013465noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6668995971145288694.post-33411712895276212962008-12-08T10:01:00.000-06:002008-12-08T10:01:00.000-06:00I am glad to see one side painted and possible wor...I am glad to see one side painted and possible work on windows. I think, from previous blogs of #4, it looks like they have done some painting in the last year. One thing we noticed in Ukraine were many things half-finished. We learned from my husband's first mission trip that the churches build as the money comes in. Our friend (a young family) was building his house little by little and living with his parents(and sister and brother and sister-in-law) until it was finished. As they have money, they build. NO CREDIT! That's a concept we Americans can fathom. So much of what I saw was people trying to rebuild from post-Soviet days. By the way, I laugh because we have one side of our garage that didn't get painted because the weather turned too cold.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6668995971145288694.post-846728281637473162008-12-08T08:11:00.000-06:002008-12-08T08:11:00.000-06:00The building is in about comparable condition (may...The building is in about comparable condition (maybe worse) to my older son's internat, but the playground equipment at your place is MUCH nicer than what my son had. Ours was even older than what you pictured (more like the monkey bars), but all the bolts meant to secure the stuff to the ground were rusted out, which left every piece of equipment rickety as all get out. But, I saw a few future Olympic Gold Medalists (literally) navigate that stuff with ease. As for the paint job, it doesn't surprise me in the slightest. Anything to keep up appearances, right? If it looks good from the street than all is well there and the locals don't ever question what goes on or how well the kids are being taken care of. It is a very sad situation for these kids.<BR/><BR/>I'd admonish you to pay close attention to how all the kids there interact with and to the dogs. It will give you much insight as to what really goes on there. There were some dogs and puppies that lived at my older son's internat as well. Let's just leave it at some of the kids weren't very nice to them. It was also not uncommon for the older kids to deliberately hurt the dogs just to get "a rise out of" (aka traumatize) the younger kids. My son still fantasizes about being able to save those dogs. He also remembers the director getting mad and killing some of the puppies in front of the kids.Dianahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08444891084585965661noreply@blogger.com