Dear Friend,
Here we are already in 2023 and beginning our 26th year of rescue and restoration of orphaned and abandoned children. We had a quiet “family” celebration with staff and children to mark our 25th anniversary on February 7. So many children and families have passed through our sphere of influence and care. We took time to share stories and memories of the many children who moved from despair to hope to family. Their lives are a testimony to the redemptive and restorative grace of God so rich and freely given to all who call upon His Name.
Backtracking just a little, I wanted to share a Christmasmiracle involving two brothers. Agris (16) and Arvis (14) justshowed up at our gate! The brothers were placed with us inMarch 2022 but ran away and had been missing for eightmonths. We regularly looked for them in their region; policelooked for them; and their orphan’s court workers had alsosearched. It appeared that a distant relative had been hiding thembut eventually left them alone in an old country house withoutfood, electricity, or water. They came home to the Sparrow’sNest to find food and warmth and were touched to find their photos on the wall and their beds made and ready for them. Here it is February 2023, and the boys are still with us!
Answers have also come for two more of our children. Maksims has been waiting for a permanent family for almost three years. He came to us diagnosed as severely mentally handicapped and uncommunicative. We soon realized that Maksims had developed his own language made up of sounds and gestures. He began to share his likes and dislikes and to answer even more detailed questions about his desires and interests. He has blossomed, and now his permanent family has arrived! He will be living in a large country home with a family who has one other boy with a similar diagnosis. The family is well-trained and prepared to love and raise Maksims. He is pictured here, grinning ear to ear after hearing the news about his new family!
The next child has waited even longer and has come even further! Stanislavs is also a special needs child who came to us in a disheartened condition—literally wasting away physically, mentally, and emotionally. At four years of age, he could not walk or talk and could barely eat. He weighed only 20 pounds. For reference, the average weight of a four- year-old is 40 pounds. Stanislavs struggled to swallow and had terrible stomach and bowel troubles. However, this was his “before story.”
Now Stanislavs is an active child who attends school, runs, playswith his friends, and eats three square meals a day. He no longer fightsand hits out of fear, and his gentle ways have made him a favorite with all the children and staff. On February 5, we received a call from a specialized foster family who had heard about Stanislavs. This family has the medical background and training to step in and give Stanislavs a permanent home. He will be going to his new family before the end of February!
February 16, 2023
Just like that, two of our long-term, precious children have been placed in loving families. We continue to work and pray for families for all our children—including the teenagers! High in priority is a sibling group of three who have been with us for five years now. They are a larger group, and so far,
no family has shown interest in them. They are growing so quickly, and their need for a family is just as strong today as it was five years ago. Their path to restoration has been steady but slow. With the help of our partners, they continue to receive the counseling and therapy needed to help them heal from abuse and neglect. This year, for the first time, all three chose to participate in an extracurricular activity. Toms is playing soccer; Kitija joined Latvian traditional dance; and Kristiana (not pictured) is singing with her school choir.
These steps signal that they are more and more ready for their family.
We have positive news about our Ukrainian orphans and their foster parents! The family has stabilized and found a home to rent close by. They thanked us for taking them under our wing and protecting them as they went through the initial crisis of war, displacement, and loss. They have lived with us for almost one year and feel that they are strong and ready to live in their own home. They needed help to purchase additional furniture and household supplies, and thanks to the generosity of our partners, we had designated funds of $2,500.00 euro to help them get settled.
As additional funds come in for Ukraine, we will forward them to this family, two other Ukrainian families we are supporting, and to a trusted humanitarian organization that is transporting food and clothing each month to the highest areas of need.
Thank you for carrying us in your hearts! Thank you for your support and the difference it makes every single day for children who are alone and waiting. There is still much to accomplish in this coming year, and we thank you in advance for standing with us and the children we serve.
With love in Christ,
Alissa Stemple
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