So began years of construction. Grabbing offers of help from every direction, pressing visitors into service, and spending endless hours looking for supplies, Alex  transformed the second floor into a beautiful comfortable modern home.  Bit by bit it came together.  A Russian electrician spent  weekends wiring it.   Alaskans prepared the bathrooms.  A southern Russian worked like superman to lay floors and build stairs. An African hand carved window frames and power cleaned the walls.  Americans laid floors, painted walls, finished doors  Dutch put in a kitchen and handsome woodwork.  Ukrainians hung sheet rock and glued tile.  Irish youth painted and sang beautiful songs. Seminarians built beds, tables and benches. Artistic Russian staff and kids decorated continuously, making even unfinished rooms look homey.

Foreigners learned interesting lessons in improvising without key supplies or tools.  (one American team endured the difficult challenge of laying floors on cement surfaces that were square and flat in only the vaguest sort of way.  During this time Alaskan Tom Wickwire described the Logarithmic Rule of Shopping: “you get only 90% of your remaining supply list at each successive store”.  Meaning that you can shop all day in 20 stores and still be missing 7 vital bolts.

Supplies also came in from all over-mattresses, heaters, and sheets came from Finnish women, other supplies from Norwegian students. One group put in a volleyball court, another visitor helped the kids make a ping pong table and basketball court.  Alex begged and brought supplies from Finland, Sweden, Germany, The US,  and of course, all over Russia.  It was truly a feat of many nations and many hands,  for which we are ever so grateful.  (and I can’t begin to list them all for you!)

The first night Alex brought me and baby Rachel as visitors was exciting.  Part of the plywood floor was laid, and our one light came from a long string of extension cords stretching out the window to another building.  In the middle of the night Rachel awoke with uncharacteristic crying.  There was no calming her. Finally  we went out into the hallway, only to find the wires had begun to catch the  floor on fire.  That little black patch is still there on the floor, and every time I walk by it I am reminded of God’s goodness and protection.

Despite it’s condition, we used it from the very beginning.  We moved into a room and opened summer camp in the midst of cement dust, mold, and mosquitoes.  Soon we had street kids living there full time, taking part and pride in building up their own home .

After four years we transitioned out of a full time orphanage.  Since then we  used the facility  for camps and retreats.  All that hard work in making it so comfortable has been well appreciated by many.

Voice of the Children aims to develop ministries and turn them over to local Christians.  We are so pleased to pass the Kotli facility into the capable hands of Lena Kukushkina.  She is dedicated to serving children at risk, as her long term directorship of Life Children’s Home shows.  We have worked with her for over a decade, and anticipate many more years cooperating together.  We know that she will use this building for what we intended-to bring love and hope to forgotten children.

Summer Day Camp
This summer Alex and I ran a day camp for 5-10 year old kids in the village of Kotli, where the Drug Rehabilitation center and our camp facility are located.  We spent a very hot afternoon spreading the news abut the camp. The villagers generally regard the  neighboring Rehabilitation Center with suspicion, and it is often misrepresented in the media as a sect, so we were not sure if anyone would show up for camp.  The kids don’t have much to do there, and the program was free, but we were still quite pleased to see four children arrive the next day.  One grandma decisively sat herself down to watch the proceedings carefully.  Upon arrival she announced that she did not know what to think of our invitation, so she had walked a few kilometers to get a key village leader’s opinion. After reviewing the flier he assured her that there was nothing to worry about, he knew of Alex, and they would receive only blessings if they attended.  Well that was pretty amazing to hear!!  As the day went on, this babushka visibly softened.  At the end of the day she announced enthusiastically that this was a wonderful thing and she offered to run around to the apartments and tell all the other families it was really good and they should come too.  This was quite something.  We thanked God that He had penetrated the fear.

 After that  we had twelve eager campers.  At the end of the week they all begged us to do more.  So after a brief visit to St. Petersburg, we returned and repeated the camp.  Again at the end of the session the parents and children begged us not to go away.

God GRACEFULLY provided Alex and I an unexpected assistant every day, which kept us from getting overwhelmed.  We did lots of fun crafts-soaps, tie dyed shirts, painting, etc. Everyday Alex gave a Bible lesson explaining Gods truths. But we cannot take credit for being great camp leaders.  These kids just crave attention and something interesting and meaningful to do.  A few of the children have stable homes, some even with two parents.  Unfortunately many of them do not.  Katya*, the oldest of many children from a difficult home said at the end “now I know God is real”.  Another 10 year old boy named Misha had such a lovely and hungry heart.  He ran to us when we took a walk in the village one day and excitedly pointed out that his father was sitting just over there on the bench.  Obviously this was important to Misha, and we are always interested in meeting parents, so we walked over to meet the father.  But the man was so drunk he did not even look up or speak.  A little while later Mishas mother walked by, and did not acknowledge her son, even in the smallest way.

The village kids swarmed around us and took us out to the fields to show their gardens. Looking out over the gorgeous pastoral view of valleys, fields and sunset, Misha said, “I like to come out here because it is so beautiful.”  Then, trying to be the gracious host he suggested, “let’s go steal some potatoes from the fields!’.   Thinking better of it he mused, “well, you probably already have some”.
What is to become of Misha, or Katya?  What is to become of such children, at the brink of teenage years, sinking in boredom and lack of purpose, with only the lures of cigarettes, drinking, drugs and street life to draw them as they grow?

Our hearts break for and our ministry is dedicated to reaching kids like Misha and Katya..  The Kotli facility is dedicated to such children.  In Lena Kukushkina’s hands  it will continue to reach them with the love and hope of Jesus.  Now Voice of the Children will focus on new endeavors, always focused on reaching hurting children and healing families.