Thirty-five years ago this spring, the Chernobyl disaster struck horror in people all over the world. The accident at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine released a massive amount of radioactive particles into the atmosphere, which spread over much of the USSR and Europe. Much of the radiation settled onto a small poor country, Belarus, compromising the immune systems of its citizens, particularly those of the children.
Thousands of miles away, in a tiny town in Tennessee, a church ministry was formed at Lookout Mountain Presbyterian Church to provide a respite to these children and give their compromised immune systems a chance to recover. Through this ministry, Belarusian children have come to Chattanooga. Many Chattanoogans have hosted these children, including Ann Edison of North Chattanooga and Dr. Jack and Patty Rutledge of Elder Mountain.
Several families from Signal Mountain have maintained relationships with the Belarusian children they hosted, including Buddy and Doranne Lane. Known for his cave rescue work, Buddy and his wife, a teacher at Signal Mountain Middle/High School, still spend summers with their Belarusian daughter, Varvara. Vavara has been coming to the restorative air of Signal Mountain since she was a little girl, and, now in her mid 20s, still looks forward to her summer with her American family.
Ashley and Paul Weidlich hosted Sasha, Alona’s biological brother. They said Sasha fit right in with their own three sons each summer. Sasha will turn 24 in February and will join the military in Belarus.
Before being shut down by the Belarusian government, the Chernobyl Children’s Program of Greater Chattanooga (CCP) hosted nearly 1,500 children over the years, an outreach program that was very appreciated by the parents and guardians of these children, and as they grew older, by the children themselves.
Lynn and Dr. Greg Talbott hosted Alona for many summers, and consider her to be a part of their family. Alona was 8 years old when she first came to Signal Mountain, and spoke no English. She did not know what a refrigerator was, and cried the first time they took her to a grocery store. The little girl was frail, thin, extremely shy and clearly lacking nourishment.
“By her second year and third year, she was bouncing around and speaking English and eating more of a variety of foods. We helped her through her first dentist visit, eye exam and first time to the beach!” Lynn said. The Talbott’s gave Alona her very first book, a Russian bible. “At 8 years old she started reading it and asking me questions about the bible,” Lynn said.
The Talbott’s Belarusian daughter made them grandparents a few years ago, and they share pictures with Alona on Facebook.
Lookout Mountain residents Eve Soltau, Janet Hunt and Jill Tyson go to Belarus every year to minister to orphan and children in Belarus. Mrs. Solteau actually got to visit with Alona and her husband and son on the Talbott’s behalf when she was in Belarus over Christmas.
They are committed to this ministry and believe it is so important they pay their own way each time. On their trip to Belarus this past winter, the Lookout ladies discovered a post-orphan young man who had spent his whole life in orphanages. Loesha made $5 a week guarding an abandoned school, which, although paltry, was better than not having a job at all. The owner of the building fired Loesha, but somehow the young man secured a free flat through a government loophole.
The ladies from Lookout were encouraged that he had housing, but were dismayed at the state of it. “It was totally unfurnished down to a bare kitchen and was unlivable,” Mrs. Solteau said. Together with Catherine Kelley, the women raised enough money through private donations to finish the flat, which was absolutely amazing to this young man.
While the women were in Berlarus, Loesha turned 21, and for the first time in his entire life, he was truly able to celebrate this occasion, thanks to these ladies. They enjoyed dinner at Garage, a restaurant in Minsk. “We were able to present Loesha a card that evening telling him that people he did not know in the U.S.A. paid for his flat to be finished,” Mrs. Solteau said.
After dinner, they all went go-cart riding, something that Mrs. Soltau wasn’t prepared to do. “I have never been on a go-cart, but that night I did it for Loesha, and I nearly froze to death. It was worth it to see him smile, though.” She is still laughing about the hair net and helmet she had to wear.
In fact, the group of women sought out a large group of the post-orphans and celebrated all of them. These young adults are learning to live on their own in group homes, going to school and working, but they are also helping with the orphan ministry for younger children.
The CCP raises money through private donations, but also through selling artwork created by Belarusian children, mainly at small festivals and church events. The proceeds go directly to the orphan ministry and all work is created by students aged 9 to 17. If interested in learning more, email Eve at EveSoltau@gmail.com.
Changing one child at a time and securing a future and a hope for them is the goal of CCP, and thanks to compassionate and generous people, that goal is being realized.
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Ferris Robinson is the author of three children’s books, “The Queen Who Banished Bugs,” “The Queen Who Accidentally Banished Birds,” and “Call Me Arthropod” in her pollinator series “If Bugs Are Banished.” “Making Arrangements” is her first novel. “Dogs and Love - Stories of Fidelity” is a collection of true tales about man’s best friend. Her website is ferrisrobinson.com and you can download a free pollinator poster there. She is the editor of The Lookout Mountain Mirror and The Signal Mountain Mirror.