Children from Verkhnyaya Pyshma Orphanage School at Deer Springs nature preserve.

Getting busy with crafts at the camp

Faces of Siberia, is currently working with the staff from Adventure Team in Russia to sponsor camping experiences for orphans in the Sverdlovsk Region. Currently we are working with the Verkhnyaya Pyshma Orphanage School. About 800 school aged children reside at this facility.

In January 2005 we sponsored our first Russian Orphan camp experience for a group of 10 children. The children ranged in age from 12-15 years old. The children were able to visit a nature preserve about 70 miles from Ekaterinburg. The children took a 2.5 hour train ride to Severouralsk, the nearest town to Deer Springs. The children arrived late in the day and were settled into a lodge. The children enjoyed a short hike in the wilderness setting, before returning for an evening of Russian Christmas celebrations, including games, guitar songs and a traditional Russian meal. The children enjoyed story telling by the fire.

The following day the group enjoyed a hearty breakfast together before their hike to "Friendship Cave". The children spent much of the day hiking through the beautiful nature preserve. The group returned to the lodge for dinner by the fire and preparations for their return trip home

Since this experience the Directors from the orphanage have reported that the children returned to their studies with a new excitement and hope. The orphanage staff felt that the camp experience was very uplifting and beneficial for the children. Some of the children wrote about their experience from the camp. Others expressed their feelings through art.

Our goal is 2005 is to be able to offer these camp experiences on a regular basis throughout the year with the help of the Adventure Team group. We are concentrating on the V. Pyshma orphanage school at this time. We would like to be able to offer longer camp experiences in the future, up to 5 days. The camp cost per child is $50-$75.00 per child. This cost covers food & lodging, transportation, and staff. There are also many volunteers who lend their time and talents to help with these children.The Deer Spring camp experience cost is $500.00 for a group of 10 children.

We will continue to utilize existing camp and lodging sites in the Sverdlovsk region. Our long term goal is to find a facility that could be purchased and used exclusively for orphans. We will continue to expand these camps to children with disabilities, including hearing impaired, HIV+, and blind orphans as funds allow.

A portion of the donations from the 2005 Petals of Hope Garden Tour will be used to further our camping goals. Please consider being a camp sponsor, your gift will truly make a difference in a child’s life.