Because of Love

Bob and I are hosting a 15 year old boy from an orphanage in the Ukraine. His name is Volodymyr, but prefers to be called Vova. He is very kind hearted and helps whenever he can without being asked. But then there is the "all boy" that comes out from time to time - he loves any kind of sport that involves a ball! He was a favorite at camp meeting when they teamed up for soccer. Vova arrived with only sandles and was trying to play soccer wearing sandles. I decided that we would head over to a department store a few miles away and buy him a pair of sneakers. We came back to camp meeting with a pair of soccer shoes and soccer socks. I didn't know there were special shoes to play soccer. Vova educated me in the different shoes needed to participate in different sports.

He loves to play games and will not only laugh at your mistakes or goof-up's, he'll laugh at his own. Bob "Papa" is doing a good job keeping up with Vova. I didn't know Bob had all those sport skills in him. I thought he only knew how to garden. Bob got out his 50 year old baseball gloves and ball and the two of them have been having a great time playing catch.

Vova also likes Bob's old bicycle he found in the barn. He rides it all over the property. Vova has helped catch several chickens that were trying to run away from home. He has so much energy. I wish he'd share some with me!

Tonight he and "Papa" put together a model car. A red corvette. He loves sports cars and whenever he sees one he points and makes sure he gets our attention to show it to us. And, if it's parked, he wants a picture of it with him in the picture if possible.

He'll eat almost anything. He especially likes fresh fruit, strawberry jam, biscuits, blini, and homemade vegetable soup. He loves to give us hugs in the morning and say, "Good morning".
He's learning English quickly and it's a good thing because I've only mastered two words in Russian - "no (nyet) and yes (da)". Those are my own spellings which probably aren't correct, but you get the idea.

Vova has stolen our heart.