The Keenes' Blog

Meet Yaroslav, 16. In the world of adoptions Yaroslav has several strikes against him. An older orphan, a teenage boy and a part of a sibling group of three. But when you meet him you are amazed at resiliency and ability to overcome no matter the obstacle. A very humble and soft-spoken he was amazed when we asked him whether he would be interested to come to America. You mean me? He replied, Is it even a possibility for me given my age? You see, for several years his younger brother and even the middle sister got invited on hosting trips to Italy, but Yaroslav has always been left behind. Who wants to deal with a teenage boy? I’m sorry to say but that hosting family has been missing out on getting to know this precious boy. Yaroslav is into sports. Big time. A captain of his orphanage’s successful soccer team he also finds time to participate in track and field, play tennis and draw. In fact his drawings are displayed in a local gallery and his track and field team regularly places second and first. When both of his parents died he was placed in the role of a caretaker without his choosing. Having to grow up too fast and too soon he took on this role and has excelled in it. Our prayer is that he still has a chance to experience what it is like to be parented in a loving family even if he’s going to turn 17 in a few months. This boy needs love, parental guidance and family despite his age.