Local News - July 2002

Group crosses cultures with Christian care

By ANDIE LEATHERMAN, Staff Writer

July 3, 2002 - Tanya Rusakovich was eight-years-old when she first met Lisa Bambach. The young girl spoke no English, Bambach no Russian yet the two felt an immediate bond. Seven years and seven trans-Atlantic summer visits later, the relationship endures.

“We just had this connection from the beginning,” Bambach said. “I fell in love with her.”

Tanya, now 14, met Bambach through Lake Norman Children’s Relief. This year, she is among 34 Belarusian children to visit lake area families through the all-volunteer, non-profit Christian organization.

The children receive dental and medical care including an eye exam during their six week summer stay. They live with host families.

Tanya, who now speaks English, calls her visits to America “big fun.”

“I can eat anything, all kinds of food. We just have fun, go shopping,” she said.

Mashed potatoes, corn and grilled chicken are some of her favorites.

Tanya says she cries for a week after returning home.

“In Belarus we can’t buy bunches of food,” she said.

The teen says many Americans do not realize how fortunate they are.

Bambach admits that it was only until she spent 10 days visiting Tanya and her family in 1999, that she understood how poor the country is.

“I thought I understood. I had no idea,” she said.

The Chernobyl disaster destroyed the country’s agriculture-based economy.

Most private homes have no indoor bathroom. Televisions and cars are not available. Tanya’s town, which is the size of Charlotte, has one restaurant and one motel.

Bambach says it was an eye opening experience.

“We were the ones who learned a lot, what’s important,” she said.

She describes the children there as poor but happy and respectful. In the absence of television and movies Bambach watched them use their imaginations to entertain themselves.

Bambach hopes to help Tanya attend college in the United States. She wants to study law.

While Tanya Rusakovich lives with her parents, alcoholism has torn many Belarusian families apart. Fourteen-year-old Seveta has lived in an orphanage for several years because the addiction kept her parents from caring for her.

“If you can’t take care of your children, the most loving thing you can do is put them in an orphanage,” said Patsy Wilson, who is the summer coordinator for the program.

After Seveta spent last summer with Bennie and Audrey Springs of Mooresville, the couple wanted to adopt her.

Initially the 14-year-old agreed but then changed her mind. Leaving behind the orphanage where her cousins and friends live was too difficult.

“It’s the only life she knows,” said Bennie Springs.

While Seveta was not willing to leave Belarus permanently, she was eager to return to the Springs for a visit this summer.

The couple say Seveta’s presence has had a big impact on their children. Seventeen-year-old Anna Springs plans to study pre-med at High Point University, preparing for a career as a medical missionary.

“It teaches our children they take a lot of things for granted,” Audrey Springs said.

Seveta’s English has improved since the Springs began paying for her to have lessons during her school year in Belarus.

The Springs describe Seveta as a smart and beautiful girl who enjoys sports and chess. She is learning to cook American-style. Last week she made the family spaghetti and salad. Seveta has a keen sense of humor, they say.

“She keeps us laughing,” Bennie Springs said.

Bennie Springs wants to visit Belarus as part of a medical mission team in February. While he works in the construction industry here, he will serve as a “gopher” at the clinic. Springs will also have the opportunity to see Seveta while in the country.

Though children age out of the program when they turn 16, the Springs want to continue their relationship with Seveta. They plan to build her a home when she leaves the orphanage.

Because of the economic differences, the home will only cost 5,000 American dollars.

Patsy Wilson and her husband Dick were among the families who founded Lake Norman Children’s Relief in the mid-1990s. Familiar with a similar organization in Charlotte, they wanted to bring the opportunity to host a family closer to the lake communities.

The organization also helps support a low-cost children’s health clinic in Davidson.

For more information, call Wilson at 704-663-1464. Tax-deductible donations may be mailed to P.O. Box 65, Davidson, N.C. 28036-0065.

© 2001 Lincoln Times-News  

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