A Second Birthday Party

On any given weekend, Bogdan and Anya have 15 to 20 young people staying with them at the Safe Haven home in Kiev-that's on top of their own two sons. Thirteen of them live at the home, but others who lived there and who are now in college come "home" each weekend.

This past Friday, we celebrated Seroja's 18th birthday, but it was his second birthday party, ever. Last year, when he came to Bogdan and Anya's, Seroja had his first one. When the kids grow up in the orphanage, they do not have birthday parties unless some of the other kids do something special for them. So when Seroja (6th from left, standing) got his cake and blew out the candles, he looked more like an 8 than an 18 year old. His smile was infectious and everyone loved being able to celebrate him.

At one point in His ministry, Jesus redefined what it means to be family. He went to the outcasts and people who had been pushed out of the mainstream, loved them, took them in as disciples-followers- and said this is my family. He celebrated them and he called on all of us to do the same.

Those are true family values.