Excerpts from Steve's book, Mountains of Grace

But before excerpts, I just received a reply from Steve, Olenka beat the Orphans' Odds and long odds against her they were. He sent a photo of Olenka and her husband. But at age seventeen she is not out of the
woods by a long way.

Olenka and husband

Now for some excerpts!

"How we became involved was because of a TV show that I watched about a Canadian organization called 'Help Us Help the Children' Some of the children whom they help show the effects of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster that tragically happened on April 26, 1986. They are the children of the people who were children themselves during this time..... (See the Ukrainian Links page.)

"At first, we felt completely awkward and very much out of place.....But Mela, the camp director, found us and asked us if we wanted to participate in something tonight......We had a blast making these silly masks until 10 pm.....

"When I last saw her in August of 2000, she was twelve years of age. Olenka had lived in the orphanage since the age of six. Both of her parents were still alive but reside in a prison.....Olenka was the only one that wrote back to us.

"The next morning all four camps converged on the beautiful little church

To order Mountains of Grace, Return to Hutsulshchyna, click on the website United Orphaned Children's Fund of Pennsylvania and then click "How to help!" on the menu.

United Orphaned Children's Fund of Pennsylvania

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in the center of Voroknta. It was a mock celebration for a Ukrainian Easter, eventhough it was months past the real Easter. Every year at camp, they had a different celebration, thus teaching the orphans Ukrainian-holiday traditions. This is rather important, as living in an institution does not give them this opportunity. In fact they rarely have the opportunity to celebrate anything.

"I took walks with the kids who were not participating in the planned workshops and activities at the time and went to swim with them at the stream. In fact, I found a great spot about a half-mile upstream with a deep pool and large rocks you could lie out on and sunbathe or dive off into this wonderful pool.

"At about 2:00 am, it was time to begin to organize the walk up the hill to the Voroknta train station. Tears were everywhere, in the orphans and Canadian counselors' eyes...... For certain I would remember this night forever."