Olga

Olga is our oldest sponsored child. She is now 19. We have been involved with her the longest. It all started when we hosted a little girl from her same orphanage. We did not adopt the little girl but continued to correspond with her. In May of 2003 we received a letter addressed to "TINE" which is Tina in german. Well, years before that we were very closely involved with a girl from Germany named Tine. In fact, it was she who convinced us to get involved with hosting programs and possible adoptions. We had so much fun with her and we came to realize through her and the next couple of foreign children in our lives that we were pretty good at loving children from other cultures who usually have a pretty big history to bring with them.

Anyway, back to the letter. Upon opening the letter, imagine our surprise to find written in English-a very difficult task for an orphange kid-a letter from a young girl from the orphanage asking to be our friend. She was available for adoption. However she was already 15 1/2 and we were very inexperienced and were in no position to try to rush to get her adopted before her 16th birthday which is the deadline for American adoption of foreign children.

So we started a correspondance which has lasted all these years. Many times it is frustrating because the only method of communication we have is by traditional mail. So communication is very slow. I am happy to report that she has finally sent an e-mail so now we have an e-mail address to also work with.

Olga lives in Cheboksary. It is a small city in Chuvashia. Chuvashia is an independant federation within Russia proper. So it is part of Russia, but it is independant to some degree. It is south of Moscow and along the Volga River.

Olga is very bright and has stayed out of trouble. So she was accepted into a program where she attends accounting school and has remained under the protection of the government after the age of 16. Most orphanage children are turned out at 16, creating a terrible problem with street teens. Unfortunately she will graduate this spring and then she will lose all government assistance. We haven't been able to help her as much as the other girls because communication is just not good enough. However, we do correspond several times a year and have found a good way to put her on a small allowence like the other girls as soon as we receive a letter from her telling us that she received the last letter which explains the plan.

Olga is very serious, perhaps even a little meloncholy, but very bright, seems to make wise choices and is very logical. She is very artisitic, and has strong perserverance. I do believe she will accomplish her dreams. We want her to know that she is very loved in America and she should never think she is totally alone.

Jeni

Jeni and Sweetie. Sweetie came home to us when she was just a couple months old. At about a year, she suffered a severe injury. Between thinking of our family as parents and being babied through the injury, she really is a housepet and most certainly considers herself an important member of the family!

Jeni is our second child and loves being the baby. Although now that she is an adult herself , she has gracefully given the title to our youngest little girl Stephanie. Jeni is full of life, giggles and mischief. At a slumber party Jeni was the one who didn't go to bed all night. In a car full of girls, Jeni was the one keeping everyone entertained. She truly bubbles from the time she wakes up until she heads off to bed. Jeni is now in her first year of college. She also attends Mott Community College. She isn't real sure what she wants to do with her life, but is working towards communications for now. Jeni is also an accomplished dancer and rider. She is one of those people who makes everything look easy.

She is just beginning her first real job (w-4). She will be doing housekeeping for one of the motel chains in town. The hours are fabulous for her. She'll be able to continue all her other endeavers without a hitch, continue to work for Just Dance, and most importantly, it won't interfere with her college classes.

Jeni, too, is very interested in travel and is looking forward to heading off to Burkina. Jeni wouldn't mind, someday, doing some service work in another country. Jeni is someone who makes people feel comfortable immediately. She will probably have many different pursuits in her life and all will effect people in a positive way. Jeni truly brings sunshine to the world.

Merry

This is a picture of some of the Just Dance performers from a christmas show from a few years ago. We chose this picture because Rakieta was living with us. We figured she might like to show this off. For more recent pictures of Just Dance, Please visit: www.justdancecompany.com

Merry is our oldest. She is the quiet steady hand in the family. She has always wanted lots of brothers and sisters and is very supportive of our "other family". Merry has been dancing since she was able to walk so it is no surprise that she now owns her own dance program. The group is growing and growing and it is a lot of fun for both the students and Merry. Please do stop into the group's websight to find out more about Just Dance. www.justdancecompany.com Just Dance is always welcoming new students.

In addition to dance, Merry's interests are travel, flowers, mystery and intrigue books, tv and movies and hanging with friends. She is a student at Mott Community College and is pursuing a "back up" career in administative assitant/secretary and works part time for one of the local accounting firms. Merry is a quiet but strong young woman who is loved very much by both her family and community.

Our Girls

As many of you already know, we are very proud of all of our daughters. Each is unique, but each one is working very hard to make her corner of the world a better place. Now I'll take the time to let you get to know each one a little better.

Home Base

Daisy, one of the calves born on our farm, sunning herself.
Our ducks on a daily stroll
a view from the barnyard

Our family lives in the thumb of Michigan in the heart of celery and carrot country outside a farming community. We have lived in the area for 17 years and in our cosy farmhouse for 15.
We have 4 horses, all raised pretty much from babies at our place, a mini pony, an ewe to keep the pony company, chickens, ducks, fruit trees and a big garden. We have a mini farm or gentleman's farm.
Matt works for GM as a modelmaker and I am a homemaker. However, I stay very busy. Between the farm, tutoring and caring for the girls overseas, managing our oldest daughter's dance program which includes making costumes, and caring for my family here, I don't sit around much.
The farm is really my baby, but everyone loves (and hates) different aspects of it. But at the end of the day, we all get a lot of happiness and satisfaction from being out with the critters, working in the yard or barn and picking the fruit, veggies from the garden or collecting eggs.

Hello Everybody!

Hello,
This blog is being created as a way for our family and friends in the US to be able to keep up with our mission oriented activities overseas and for our family across the globe to be able to feel connected and up to date with us here in Michigan.
Our family consists of Matt, myself, our 2 birth daughters 22 and 18, 3 girls, 17, 13, 9 and their families from Burkina Faso, W. Africa and one girl, 19, from the Chuvash region of Russia.


This blog will hopefully help everyone understand the culture and needs of Burkina and Chuvashia better and also give our kids and their families across the ocean an easy way to see pictures and post to all of us.

Have a great day.
Cyndy