Pain

Much has been written about the power of pain and how we need to go through it to grow. All that's true, but I still hate it. We'll all go through pain, and it will transform us, but the issue is how will it transform us? Will we be like the Psalmist and say "weeping may last for a night, but a shout of joy comes in the morning" or like Sarte who said, "Every existing thing is born without reason, prolongs itself out of weakness, and dies by chance. "

Kolya at work

Most of the kids we are blessed to work with have lives that would crush many of us. Yet most of them move on, find ways to cope, and find love and hope. One of the guys who lives in the small house with me, Kolya, is a talented artist. He grew up in the internat after being abandoned at an early age. He came to live with Bogdan and Anya, then decided to do his own thing. He ended up on the streets, homeless and alone. After a period, Kolya realized what the Lord had given him and what he wanted. He came back, was welcomed back, found faith, and now helps out with the other kids here.

Kolya and his gift for me.

Kolya's paintings and drawings often have children in them that reflect what was and what could have been in his own life. They show the pain of the past is still there, but they are also an outlet so that pain does not control.

His other paintings are mostly from Scripture and show strong figures from the Bible. I think that they are a reflection of the strength with which the Lord has blessed Kolya.