Ladajyn is a level four orphanage, an orphanage for the physically handicapped. The following is a description from Laura Bell who traveled there on a mission trip.
"I would have to say that for me Ladajyn was the orphanage that affected me the most, and for me it was the saddest. The main reason being that because the children there are physically handicapped, a lot of them are not able to do anything except lay there in their beds. So that's what they do, just lay there, some of them for over twenty years.
Thankfully though that is changing. Through CFK someone has hired two therapists so every child gets some form of physical stimulation and those who are able can use exercise equipment furnished by another individual. Others, more alert and active ones, are able to attend the little school that was started there.
Our visit to Ladajyn involved many things, one of which was bringing the kids some new toys, and showing them how to use these new toys. Most of the toys we brought them were stimulation toys. The reason was because of a boy Grecia. He is not really able to do much except lay there in bed with only one arm and hand that works. Every time Lynnise visited Grecia he would ask her for a tape cassette. It was discovered that the reason he really wanted it though was to have something he could lay there and shake, It was the only "toy" he knew of.
Our purpose was also just to spend time with the children there. To love them and let them know that there are people that really care about them, To put smiles on their faces. We sang songs, played with the children, brought bananas, and blew bubbles. Soap bubbles, a simple little thing right? Well, not for these kids. It was so neat and just blessed you as you saw a child light up when we blew these bubbles for them and to see them laugh with joy as they would try to catch them.
When it was time to go it wasn't that easy. To say good-bye to little kids that you had no idea if you would ever be seeing again, was difficult.
Especially one little downs syndrome boy who is just so cute and so happy. Every time I went into his room he would stand up in his little bed, his cage really, and just smile and for us to blow more bubbles for him; but the minute you left he would sit right back down and suck his little thumb. That didn't make it easy to leave.
Even though it was hard to leave I will be forever blessed by the time I was able to spend with these kids and the joy that we were able to give them."
For information on how you can be involved with providing learning, stimulation, and sponsor local visiting groups to the children of Ladajyn, contact Lynnise.
