Slippers for Valla

In 2010, while in Ukraine, I made slippers for a sweet old lady at an adult mental institution. He name was Valla. A couple months later I blogged about it here. This is what I shared:

Most of the time we ministered in an adult handicapped home. We were at the facility most of the time but we also took them to outings to the beach a couple of times. We also go to visit the teen dorms, new mother dorms, baby orphanage, and children’s handicapped facility. There are only about 15 ladies at the adult handicapped home, and 300 men. One of these ladies is named Valla. From what I heard after, she had talked to almost everyone on our team (through a translator) and it just happened to be me who she talked to when she said she needed new slippers, because the ones she was wearing were getting old and had holes in them. I told her I would make some new ones and bring them to her next time I saw her. So I was able to go back to our apartment that night and crochet her a pair of slippers. I brought them to her the next day, and she loved them and kept saying how beautiful they were. It was so special to me that I was able to see what my hobby could do in the life of one of the lost and forgotten of Ukraine. I hope they fit her as she didn’t try them on as she was saving them for winter.

That was 2.5 years ago. Assuming she was wearing them all winter (or year) long, they would have been long worn out by now. When I heard that the mom of the kids I am staying with was going to that institution while she was in Ukraine, I knew I had to make Valla new slippers and send them with Stephanie. (She is in the same city I was, and I was at also the orphanage their new little guy is at.)

Here is Sasha (a sweet guy with Ds I also met at the institution, Valla, and Stephanie (the mom). It sounds like she really liked them... Stephanie said: Valla got her slippers today. She wouldn't let go of my hand. The boy in the photo has a toothache. His face is even swollen. Pray for these lovely people please.

It breaks my heart. They have nothing, and no hope. I can't be in there in person to minister to them and show them the love of Jesus, but I am soo blessed to be able to show Valla and others that they are loved in this small way and keep their feet warm.

"Preach the gospel always, when necessary use words." - St. Francis of Assisi