Six Countries. 49 Interns. One life-changing summer.
Click on the countries below to read about the interns’ adventures, or check out their blog at http://internsatbuckner.blogspot.com.
If you’d like to learn more about our international intern program, contact Buckner Missions at missions@buckner.org or call 1-877-7ORPHAN.
Ashley O’Sullivan
Ashley O’Sullivan from Longview, Texas, is a double major in sociology and Christian studies with an emphasis in missions at Ouachita Baptist University. Ashley is involved in many activities such as cheerleading and her sorority Tri Chi. She has also helped plan campus and international mission trips. Ashley says she supports Buckner International’s mission and desires to “share the hope of our living and loving God to orphans.” In the future, she wants to work with under-privileged children.
SCRUB-A-DUB-DUB
Because of the large number of children and the overwhelmed workers, I can often smell the children when they haven’t been bathed recently. We stopped Vacation Bible School one day and showed these children how much God loves them through showers.
Our leader, Alison, worked behind the scenes handling the babies and caring for them so everyone else could do the showers. Patiently loving these restless babies, her kindness was as soothing as the lotion.
When almost everyone had gone, Brandon and other guys from the team went the extra mile. Edvin has found a special place in each of our hearts. He is in a wheelchair with special needs and is probably often neglected from things like showers. These guys picked up Edvin and held his dead weight to see that he got what we take for granted every day. Their dedication to “the least of these” inspired all of us, and probably the caretakers too, to give beyond ourselves.
After the baths, Beth and Heather distributed clothes to the fresh and clean children. As they dressed the little shivering children, they took off the only outfit we had seen them in all week. They both worked so hard to see that each child received clothes that fit them. The girls were literally walking taller and smiling bigger. It’s amazing how clean hair and new clothes can bring so much needed confidence.
I was at the hair station combing through their hair and pulling it back with cute new clips. Even though there were a lot of children, I decided not to rush. I took my time on each child and remembered how much I loved my mom fixing and playing with my hair each morning before school. After I finished, I took a picture of each kid and let them see themselves and reaffirmed how beautiful they are.
The whole experience brought the kids, and us, memories and life lessons that will last longer than the shower. Thank you for your prayers. God is working and we are seeing decisions made and lives changed.
Tricia Huffine
Tricia Huffine from Louisville, Ky., is a church leadership major at Boyce College in Louisville. She is director of the elementary department at her church and works as a full time nanny. She will be serving in Kenya and has always wanted to go to Africa because the people and culture interest her. In the future, Tricia wants to continue to work with children either in the church or overseas.
A CITY ON A HILL CANNOT BE HIDDEN
Wow! I don't even know where to start.
We have been here for five days and have seen so many incredible things. The other day, while working at the medical clinic, I met a man named John. He works at the BCC as a security guard. We mopped the porch together and talked to him for at least 2 hours. I will never forget the conversation I had with John. He is 38 years old with a wife and kids at home. He lives right there in the village next to BCC. John has never been to school in his life. He works hard all day to provide for his family. John has close to nothing when it comes to material things, but his faith in the Lord is all he needs. John has such a joyful radiance about him. I have never see him without a smile. He truly is in love with Christ. Throughout our whole conversation he was quoting scripture and everything he said was centered on God. He kept saying, "God has blessed me with so much and provides for me and my family everyday." How humbling. His dependency on God has brought me to my knees in surrender to the Lord.
Cicely, Tori, and I went to the baby aids home. It was so fulfilling to hold those precious children and show them the love of Christ and affection they long for. These babies are often found damaged and abandoned. The ladies that work at the home love and care for these children. It is amazing to think that God has a plan for each one of those little babies and children. They were left and forgotten by someone, but our God loves them and has protected them.
These people were not discouraged by the darkness that surrounded them. Instead, they let their light shine before men. What an incredible testimony of God's love and faithfulness. He will hear all who call upon His name regardless of whether they live in a mansion in the city or in a house made of mud and sticks in the slums of Africa. God has truly made beauty from ashes and we are seeing it first hand!
Kristen Childress
Kristen Childress from Duncanville, Texas is a sociology major at Belmont University. She believes that Christians are called to serve widows and the orphans, and Kristen desires to serve “the least of these” with all of her heart. In the future, Kristen hopes to live in Africa and do non-profit work.
BEGINNING OF GOD’S BLESSING IN KENYA
All three of us are still trying to process everything we have seen these past few days. We came over here thinking we were the ones doing the serving and were proud of what we are doing, but we all have been truly humbled.
We have been served in so many ways. The staff workers at the place where we are staying serve us at every meal and pray for us. The staff at Buckner’s Baptist Children’s Center serves us, and the girls in the sewing class have made us feel more than welcome. Our driver is an amazing, humble and sweet-spirited man. He makes us feel comfortable and really takes our well-being seriously. We are blown away by the faith of the people here. Everything is so Christ-centered and all they need is God. Material possessions are nothing. It is all about relationships.
At the Center, the children are beginning to warm up to us. We spent our first day with the older girls in sewing class. They took us in as one of their own and taught us how to sew. They are all such amazing girls. The staff here at BCC loves the children so deeply. You can just see it in their faces. They are so committed to serving these children.
While our main purpose here is to love the children at BCC, we find ourselves wanting to know the people we pass in the slum everyday. They wave at us and we receive many "How are you's?" from the children. The most shocking thing so far about the slum areas is not the amount of poverty – we have all seen the media and heard stories about the poverty – it is the normality of it all that gets to us. This is everyday life for these people. There is nothing wrong with it in their eyes. They have their own way of life and community in these slums. It is hard to process how we can even help them because the simplicity of their culture is so beautiful.
We are also learning that we are here just as much to serve and love the staff at BCC as we are here to serve the children. We can tell that our being here encourages them. Today, Melissa and I hung out with the two women who run the clinic. It gets very slow for them sometimes and it was good to encourage them and talk with them.
We have also met some amazing people where we are staying. You think a month is long, try 34 years of commitment to this continent. So many people have devoted their lives and sacrificed so much to minister to this place.
Anna Mosher
Anna Mosher from Lima, Ohio, is an educational ministries and Bible/English major at Cornerstone University. She tutors and works with inner-city children. After college, Anna is thinking of graduate school for English and plans on serving the Lord through her writing.
A GIFT AND A SMILE
We have been having an amazing second week here in Lima. For the first couple of weeks we were on our own, and we spent time in two homes for teen moms who have been homeless or sexually abused. It was wonderful to spend time with them and play with their babies. At the first home, I made friends with a girl named Doylith. I felt a special bond with her and it was difficult to leave. She gave me a teddy bear that belonged to her baby. I felt so humbled to receive a gift from her out of her poverty.
I visited a home for babies this morning. I made friends with a little boy who was about two or three. He was serious and not expressive. I prayed that I would be able to get him to smile by the time we had to leave an hour later. It took about 45 minutes, but by the end, he was not only smiling but laughing. I can't express what joy it gave me to see the smile on his face and hear his laughter.
Katie Leatherwood
Katie Leatherwood from Athens, Texas is a kinesiology major at LeTourneau Univeristy. She has a desire to show God’s love to the children in Latvia. Katie has served in Latvia two times prior to this trip, and has developed a love for the children and people in this culture.
HELLO FROM LATVIA
We arrived in Riga on June 2 and were able to get rested from the long flight. We are at the Tervete orphanage now and loving it already. We have the privilege of serving with a team from Tate Springs, Texas, who has previous experience and love for this orphanage. Upon arrival at Tervete, we were welcomed with a birthday party and a huge spread of delicious food.
The freezing cold lake has been the place to hang out during the afternoons with the kids. The stairs to the 4th floor are a challenge to us all, as we walk up and down from our room. The men of the Tate Springs group began construction with the 'help' of many kids, stripping the paint in just a few hours.
It has been fun to try and learn different Latvian phrases and words with help from the kids. Vacation Bible School is going pretty well in the mornings, although the language barrier and energy of the kids has been a challenge.
As we have gotten to know the kids here, I have realized how fortunate I am. They have so little, but are so happy! Their humble spirit has challenged me to appreciate the little things in life, from little balloon dogs to seeing my own face in a camera.
The long walk to the lake a few times a day has given me a chance to talk to some of the older kids. I can see how hungry they are for love and attention.
Heidi Phillips
Heidi Phillips from Sebring, Florida is a social worker at heart and served in Romania as a Buckner intern. At home in Florida she works with teens in her church and sponsors a little girl from Kenya through World Vision.
BUNA FROM ROMANIA
We timed it – we traveled for 26 consecutive hours. Anca and Christina picked us up at the airport in Budapest. We weren't in the van for more than ten minutes and we got to witness a two-lane road accommodating three vehicles.
We are getting a lot of practice at being flexible – several times a day, in fact. The first three days were hectic. We drove to a cabin three hours away with 17 kids in tote. This eclectic bunch of kids encompassed gypsies, Romanians and Hungarians.
I was not out of the van for more than five minutes and a little girl, Monica, clasped her hand in mine and in that moment she stole my heart. I realized how much I have to learn from children. Monica taught me how to count to ten in Romanian.
I didn't know how to say "good job" in Romanian, so I would just give the kids a thumbs up. At first, they had no idea what I was doing or what it meant. On the second day, I gave a little boy a thumbs up and he gave me one back. He finally realized what it meant. It was an exciting moment!
We visited a group home that housed 12 special-needs children. Christina gave us brief background on some of the children in the home.
One child was found locked in a cage with dogs. She sniffs everything. Another child was found locked in a cage with pigs. These two children, when left alone, would just sit there and rock back and forth, a typical result of a child who has been neglected and/or abused.
All of the children have severe physical and mental needs. I spent most of my time with a little blind girl. She would imitate everything you would say. She imitated me in perfect English. I sang "This is the Day" to her and she would sing it back to me. We would be sitting in silence and then she would just start singing it all by herself. The amazing part is that when she would start singing it by herself, she would sing it in Romanian and with me she sang in English.
Katie Courtney
Katie Courtney from Dallas, Texas is a child and family development major at the University of Georgia. Katie is actively involved in her sorority Delta Delta Delta, Reformed University Fellowship and Relay for Life. She hopes to do medical missions in the future.
PRAYER FOR HOSPITAL CHILDREN IN ST. PETERSBURG
There is an orphanage in St. Petersburg called Hospital No. 15. It is a transitional orphanage that keeps children until all medical paperwork is filled out, after which they are assigned to different orphanages in and around the city. Some of the kids are brought in from the streets, while others are dropped off by their families. For most of the team, the hospital is a difficult place to be. One little girl, Natasha, was about 14-months-old and has imprinted herself in the minds and hearts of a few people from our team.
While we were at the hospital this past week, her 18-year-old mother dropped her off. As soon as the mother left, Natasha's eyes ran with tears. She screamed and looked desperately around for her mother. More heartbreaking still is how she will probably never see her mother again, and an orphanage will be her new home for the rest of her childhood. When we put Natasha down to leave, she grasped frantically for us with terror in her eyes that she was being left again. This is not a unique case.
The hospitals, and other orphanages for that matter, are filled with stories like Natasha's. On the same day Natasha was dropped off, another little girl was brought in by the police. They had found this girl and her brother abandoned on the street. The brother was dead and the girl was starved and cold.
In the face of this evil and sadness, it’s only natural to question God and feel hopeless for these kids. But the truth is, there is hope. We have all been learning that though these children may have been abandoned by the world and even their families, Christ will not abandon them. There are people here in Russia who love these kids with Christ's love and visit them regularly. Grandmothers from the Buckner Babushka program go to the hospital to rock the infants, play with the children and make themselves available to give the children attention the caregivers can't always give.
Also, the full-time Buckner staff in Russia continues to devote their lives to loving the children at the hospital and show them Jesus and his love for them. One boy named Vova has been in the hospital for 12 years. He is 19 years old now and has cerebral palsy. His parents were killed when he was seven in a car crash, and his only living relatives are his brother and his cousin, both of whom are homeless and caught up in drug addiction. The head doctor of the hospital took a special interest in Vova and has personally cared for him and made it possible for him to remain at the hospital. Vova is an exceptional person, and he in fact met Jesus through Buckner workers and Christian teams visiting Russia from places like Germany and the United States and from local Christian volunteers. Though his situation is still tragic, Vova says he has hope for his future through Jesus. He knows God will not leave him and he knows that no matter where he ends up in the future, he will always have God and He will always care for him.
Pray for the children left in the hospital and these other orphanages, especially for their futures. It is so hard for them to transition into the world and so easy for them to fall into a cycle of drugs, alcoholism and pregnancy, which just puts more children in the orphanages.
Pray that these kids could have a hope to live like Vova, not fearing their lives beyond the orphanage walls. Pray that Jesus would be their one constant.
