I interrupted your regularly scheduled programming to talk to you about a sweet, sweet girl who needs a family ASAP. She will be 16 and age out this summer, so we need to find her a family NOW.

She is in Lyuda’s former orphanage and she came for hosting and flew into the same airport. I’ve had many interactions with this girl, talk often with her former host family and all around she seems to be a genuine sweetheart. She’s the one we talk about as we drive away, wondering how we can find her a family.

I asked her host dad to write a bit about her so that I could share it with you all.

Now, from her host family:

I is an absolute delight to be around. She is thoughtful, caring and considerate. She has much to offer, and really only lacks the guidance of a loving family to truly reach her potential.

She can seem a bit shy at first, but once she recognizes a person can be trusted, she is as warm and affectionate as can be. In some ways, I is very mature and seems older than her age – for example she is very responsible, is tidy and takes good care of her belongings. She is very helpful and eager to please. Other times she seems much younger, like when she craves attention or is surprised by something. (She definitely likes structure, and chance meetings with new people can be awkward.)

I is very smart and talented. Her English improved dramatically while with her host family. She also enjoys reading, and is very knowledgeable about current events and the news – and has definite opinions about them! She is talented – she likes to sing and dance, and also enjoys crafts. She excels at embroidery. Her future plans are to attend school to be a chef.

I got along extremely well with her host family’s younger daughters, who adored her. She played with them, and helped get them ready for school and trips out. Watching her hold their hands in parking lots and crossing streets was amazing! It took her some time to warm up to kids closer to her own age, but she would very likely benefit from teens who could help “show her the ropes,” so to speak.

She is a bit of a picky eater, but she’s hardly the first teen girl like that! She LOVES apples and could eat them at every meal. Yogurt and blueberries are also big hits – she’ll eat really any fruit. And, of course, Ukrainian foods – things with potatoes! Ham is good, but not hamburgers! And since she works in an apiary, she loves honey and has a thing for bees and bee-themes items.

Bottom line, she is a very sweet girl who simply is not ready for the “real world” but could truly thrive with the right support. She really just wants to love and be loved!

Please reach out to me if you are interested in adopting I! I’d love to talk to you about her.