Lauren’s Stay with “The Harbor”

Dear Luba and The Harbor,

I have greatly enjoyed my time in Russia with The Harbor. I truly believe in this program, because it so amazing to see The Harbor’s participants now, and look at the graduates to see the amazing young men and women of God that they become. What I love about The Harbor are the relationships that the participants experience and the way they turn from a group of strangers into a loving family. Certain values like respect, integrity, and honesty are often only learned firsthand, and The Harbor is a place where these values can be grown and nurtured. The mentors that stay with the kids are all great people, and help instill ways to live a successful life. Bottom line, the harbor is one of the most productive and life changing charities that I know of.

If anything, I would like to see more positive influences in the participants' lives that are their own age, and that they can relate to. Not foreigners like me, or even foreigners that can speak Russian, but people that have lived similar lives in the cities orphanages. What I’m saying is that there should be more interaction between The Harbor graduates and The Harbor participants. Maybe one night week a graduate or two could visit the respective boys and girls Harbor, tutor them in their studies, have conversations about what is happening in their lives, etc. etc. The program that I would equal this to is the Big Sister, Big Brother program in America, where young men and women who are correctly living their lives mentor people around their same ages. For instance, one harbor participant would become the “big sister” of another, like Nastya being the big sister of Yana, or Sasha being the “big brother” of Andrei, and so on and so forth. I have participated in this program and seen it successfully work. Often, relationships that will last for life are built, and the bond between the big brother and little brother or big sister and little sister grows beyond that of a mentor to that of a friend.

This is what I would do if I could change The Harbor in any way. It is wonderful when foreigners come to visit The Harbor and find ways to help out, but I speak from experience when I say that often the participants don’t want anything to do with you because you’re not staying there for long. After all, most foreigners do not in any way relate to these kids. I have lived comfortable life, have parents who love me, and have family who love me. I have no idea what some the participants have been through, because I simply have not experienced it. Your friends are often the people who have been through the same things as you have. And the participants of The Harbor need its graduates. The mentors in the program are all great men and women, but they are not the same age as the boys and girls. Therefore it is sometimes impossible for the mentors and the participants to relate and develop relationships beyond that of a mentor and a student.

Anyway, that is my idea for improvement. I believe in The Harbor as it is, and have worked with its graduates and participants enough to see the differences, and be amazed and how these people change. I am passionate about this program, and would love to continue to help in anyway. The boys and girls were at first distant to me, which I understand, but after a few days they have all warmed up to me, and I will love and cherish my time with them. Thank you for letting me stay, and giving me this experience, and I cannot wait to come visit and help everyone again!

In Christ, Lauren H