Orphan Sunday

This Sunday is Orphan Sunday.

And it gets me to thinking of The Plight of The Orphan. I have spent a couple of posts advocating for children that I met on my journey, but if any of you know me well, you know that one child sticks with me above all others, and so this post is a Shameless Plug for Sasha Pastov.

Sasha Pastov is Daniel's best friend from the detskiy dom (children's home) who was moved to the internat (boarding school) during our first visit to Ukraine.

Here is a post that I shared on my private facebook group:

"Daniel's best friend was moved to the internat today. This is not a good place for children. Sasha is simple and sweet. When we left on Wednesday Daniel said "dasvadanya" but Sasha said, "Bye, Guys!" Yesterday he and Daniel were trading sunglasses and laughing together. He asked us when he would see us again. Tomorrow, we said. Instead of seeing us he was bundled into a car, driven away from his home with nothing but the clothes on his back, not even his new Fisher Price sunglasses and dropped off. The nanny said he was begging and crying. And that the abuse from the other children had already begun. This is NO LIFE for a child. Pray for Sasha. I am trying to get his information to advocate for him with any waiting child organizations. Sasha needs a home. " - June 21

We have been getting updates here and there through our facilitator. Unfortunately the internat is every bit as bad as we thought. Maybe worse. He is asking for a family. Asking to be moved back to the detskiy dom. 

And, so far, no one has heard him.

You see, Sasha has many things going against him. He is HIV positive. He has mental delays, probably due to fetal alcohol syndrome. He is 11. And as far as adopting goes, the first two categories don't knock him out, because there are families out there fearlessly and prayerfully embracing children with these struggles, but being over the age of ten kind of does knock him out. Not because people don't adopt older children. Because they do. But, you see, he has a combination. A perfect storm. Children that are over the age of ten who are HIV positive have to undergo special tuberculosis testing due to CDC (that is right, OUR CDC) regulations. The children have to have a chest x-ray, a skin test and a sputum test. And they have to wait for the culture to come back. And that adds around EIGHT weeks IN COUNTRY to the process of adopting him. Until those cultures come back clear, the US won't issue a visa. 

Now, I know. We can argue about why this is super unfair. And there is nothing that you could say that I wouldn't agree with. But it is what it is.

And for Sasha, unless God moves someone mightily and SOON, this is a guarantee that he will most likely not be picked.

And I grapple with why some children get families and others don't. I read the story of the boy in Florida who said that he had lost weight and would try his best if he could only have a family and he would take anyone. Kids shouldn't have to worry about being cute enough, or smart enough. They should have a family. Period.

So this Orphan Sunday, please pray for the orphans. Like the boy in Florida showed, there are children who need families everywhere. 

Please pray for Sasha.

Because even though circumstances might be against him, God is FOR HIM. And even though the world may not hear him, God does.

And share this post. 

It may save a life.