3, 2, 1, liftoff!

The graduating orphans at Children's Village in Kobryn, Belarus, are off to college!

Kris and I were delighted to join them for their graduation events.

It's a bittersweet time for the house-parents, just like any parents at graduation time.

They've cared for these kids as their own, for years. Now they have to say goodbye.

We were invited to offer the graduates some words of wisdom for the journey.

(Special thanks to interpreter Angelika.)

But the real joy was hearing from the graduates themselves.

Their theme: deep, strong gratitude ... for their house-parents, for the blessings of life, and specifically for Life Starter Kits from New Thing!

During the program, the grads chose balloons at random, and popped them all at once.

Each balloon contained a fortune-cookie type message, which the recipient read aloud.

(This one says "Don't be afraid of mistakes: they give valuable experience.")

It's also a Children's Village tradition for graduates to write letters to themselves, to be opened 10 years later.

The grads take this assignment very seriously.

For nearly a decade, friends of New Thing have been providing Life Starter Kits for each year's graduates.

"Kit" isn't a big enough word: there's bedsheets, pillowcases, a blanket and pillow, towels, dishes, frying pan and saucepan, electric kettle, iron, table lamp, a laptop for those going to university, and more.

Thanks to all who gave to provide Life Starter Kits this year!

And now ... life.

Thanks for journeying with New Thing.

More adventures to come!

Much love,

Doug Brendel

(Photos by Oleg Yarovenko)