Strengthening Families Ukrainian Adoption Conference Finished Today

What an incredible joy to be here. David and I spent this weekend at the "Strengthening Families Christian Adoption Conference" in Kiev, Ukraine.  Over 200 adoptive parents from all over Ukraine journeyed to Kiev by car, bus or train to attend. Most of these families are parenting wounded children and came looking and hoping for support and encouragement. We pray that is what they received.

For details of this weekend's events, please visit our partner's blog - www.lambinternational.blogspot.com. 

Here are some of our pictures as well..

We arrived last Thursday afternoon and had dinner with the conference organizers.  L to R  Ruby Johnston, co-founder of LAMb, Galina and Oksana, from CBN Ukraine, Kristy Weber, adoptive mom and wife of CBN Ukraine president, Steve Weber, Dr. Ronda Weber from the US and Karen Springs, conference chairman, from CBN Ukraine.

                                                                Registrations begins.

                                                      Opening night on Friday night....

 

Translation of the events...

Dr. John  Bergeron, Lynn Johnston, co-founder of LAMb and David share on a panel.

I had the opportunity to do a general session on the factors of success for healthy adoptive families.

Families from southern Ukraine... Vika in pink next to Ruby, is LAMb, adoption advocate throughout Ukraine. She not only shares about the need for adoptive families through churches in Ukraine, but trains new parents and provide post adoption support. She is amazing.

                                                                    More families

Our book, Wounded Children, Healing Homes was translated into Russian due to the generosity of a donor and was placed in the reception bag of every participant.

What a privilege this weekend has been.  I head home in a few hours and David, Lynn and Ruby head off to Kyrgystan for ministry there. We sat making plans today for the potential of a training trip in September to Kyrgyzstan and in 2013 to  Ukraine. The foucs of those will be on building a trauma informed program for social workers and families.